Photos: Silca. Left to right: Protocol RCR, Protocol RCG-1, Protocol RCG-3, and Protocol RCG-4.

Silca, known for producing high-quality bike tools, accessories, and supplies, is adding a new line: tires. The company, originally founded over 100 years ago in Italy and now based in Indiana, is dropping a massive lineup of tires designed for road and gravel biking in a wide variety of tread patterns and sizes.

Now we know that weird-looking prototype tire spotted last week is a Silca

With 13 different tire options, the Silca launch is a surprisingly large one. So let’s start with the most interesting one to mountain bikers: the Silca Protocol RCG-3.

It’s the widest and only Silca tire available in a 32″ diameter at launch and is said to be an “all-around race tire for mixed terrain and changing conditions [with] an emphasis on puncture protection.” Mike Woods raced on this mystery tire at Leadville and managed a respectable 14th place on a prototype Ventum full-suspension 32er mountain bike. At 32×2.4″, it’s the heaviest Silca tire at 710g.

In photos Ventum posted to Instagram, the Silca Protocol RCG-3 appeared to have inverted center knobs. Though it turns out the knobs are not, in fact, recessed, they are unusually detailed and sharply angular. The RCG-3 is available in 700c widths from 45mm to 55mm, which is roughly 29×1.75″ to 29×2.2″ in mountain bike terms.

Officially, Silca is dividing their tire lineup into road and gravel, with the bulk of the tires (10 of 13) designed for gravel riding. The Protocol RCG-3 sits in between the RCG-1 — which is lightweight with minimal puncture protection and designed for “pavement-heavy” conditions — and the RCG-4, which is said to deliver maximum traction in rough and loose technical terrain.

Attention to detail

Press materials provided ahead of the Silca tire launch suggest the brand put a lot of research into designing their first line of tires. All tread patterns are directional, and each tire uses Silca’s pulsar compound described as a “high-performance rubber/silica race compound engineered to balance rolling efficiency, grip, and durability.”

Weights for the tires appear to be competitive, with road tires starting just under 300g and 45mm-wide gravel tires from 460g.

Silca adds tires to an already robust ecosystem of tire-related products, from inflators and sealant to rim tape and valves. The brand claims their Ultimate Sealant seals faster than others, and just last year they updated the formulation to make it last longer. Naturally, Silca recommends pairing the new tires with Ultimate Sealant in very specific doses. For example, 45mm RCG tires get 90ml of sealant, while 50mm and 55 mm tires get 100ml. That 32″ honker needs 135ml while the 700×29 road tire only requires 55ml. Fortunately, a $9.95 Silca Sealant Injector provides markings for measuring sealant in 5ml increments.

Silca tire options and specs

Specs for all Silca tire models and configurations at launch are listed below. All tires are priced at $99 USD and are available at Competitive Cyclist and the Silca website.

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