Pro One

road– EUR

Origin

Road tubeless was immature in 2015. Schwalbe bet on tubeless as 'the future of road bike tires' while competitors (Continental, Michelin) focused on clinchers. Correct bet — tubeless became standard by 2020.

The verdict

+Strengths

Class-leading puncture protection in 2025 Gran Fondo group test — best in a 13-tyre field
Rolling resistance of 12.4W at 30mm — just 0.4-0.6W behind class leaders (negligible in real world)
TLE setup: easy to mount and seal tubeless — floor pump often sufficient, no special tools needed
Souplesse carcass: supple ride quality, reduces fatigue on long rides
Hookless rim compatible — relevant for modern carbon wheelsets (Zipp 303, etc.)
Dual ADDIX Race compound: firm centre (low rolling resistance) + softer shoulders (grip in corners)
V-Guard protection: light yet strong Vectran fibre belt
Wide size range — 25 to 38mm covers road, endurance, and light gravel use
Air retention without latex tube — holds pressure well over days (tubeless with sealant)
Pro One TT at 205g: lightest tubeless road tyre for minimum-weight builds
Priced below most premium competitors (~€69.90 vs €75–90+ for Vittoria Corsa Pro, GP5000 STR)

−Weaknesses

Heaviest tyre in 2025 Gran Fondo group test (338.7g for 30mm) — weight penalty vs Conti, Pirelli, Specialized
Cornering feel less sharp/confidence-inspiring than Vittoria Corsa, GP5000 or Specialized S-Works Turbo per La Velocita and BikeRadar
Compliance not best in class — cobblestones and square asphalt edges felt more than on Michelin or S-Works Turbo (Gran Fondo 2025)
Gen 1 (2015–2018) had reputation for cuts — V-Guard in Gen 2+ addressed this but perception lingers
Bead fitment can be extremely tight on some rims — occasionally requires air compressor or CO2
Sealant evaporates faster than stated in some conditions — requires top-up every 2–3 months

Did you know

01Schwalbe was the first tyre company to make tubeless road tyres genuinely mainstream — Pro One established road tubeless as viable in 2015-2016 before Continental's GP5000 TL arrived in 2019
02The Gen 2 turn-up construction (2019) was described by Schwalbe as 'not a successor but an entirely new concept' — new carcass, new compound, new manufacturing process
03Sebastian Kienle won Ironman Hawaii 2018 in record time on a Pro One TT prototype — direct racing proof before public launch
04Pro One TLE's V-Guard protection uses the same Vectran fibre found in bulletproof and anti-stab vests — extremely light, extremely strong
05Pro One was the first road tyre in Schwalbe's history with different bead material between tubeless (TLE) and tube-type versions — same carcass, different bead processing
06Gran Fondo 2025 group test: Pro One TL had class-leading puncture protection AND only 0.4-0.6W slower than fastest tyres — 'best value' proposition
07Pro One Aero (2025) uses different front and rear constructions — front optimised for aerodynamics (235g, lighter), rear for lowest rolling resistance (270g)
08Schwalbe Pro One has been used for multiple UCI wins including Marco Brenner (Stage 1, Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2024) and Søren Wærenskjold (U23 World Championship TT)