Unfortunately for the Haters, the Silca Protocol RCG-3 Gravel Tire Rocks

Pros

• Very fast rolling
• Great traction
• Easy setup

Cons

• Expensive
• Multiple sizes undermine the best product

More so than most brands out there, Silca manages to successfully partake in the broader cycling dialogue. Through a wide range of sponsored athletes and teams to its own in-house podcast, Silca has generated a true following, especially in gravel.

That hype around Silca culminated when the brand released its long-gestating tire line this summer. Immediately upon release, its initial stock sold out as the brand and its athletes touted the virtues of Silca taking on gravel tires.

Yet, despite Dylan Johnson notably throwing away his years of tire-sponsor independence, very few impartial voices could vouch for the most important aspect: were the tires actually good?

I regret to inform the haters, cynics, and skeptics that, at the very least, the Silca Protocol RCG-3 is great. Here is my initial review of the tire that actually lived up to the hype.

Silca Protocol RCG-3 specs

What I like about the Silca Protocol RCG-3 tire

When choosing which of the three Silca tires to test first, it was an easy choice to choose the RCG-3. The RCG-1 may be the tread that Silca touts as ”the fastest gravel tire in the world,” yet for me, and most consumers, the more prominent tread pattern of the RCG-3 was the obvious first choice.

In terms of width, the choice was easy too. Silca has designed primarily around the 55mm width, with the brand considering the bigger volume tire in all of its tread options as the best option. Some riders will surely gravitate towards the 50mm tire given bike limitations, but with everything Silca has done with Dylan Johnson and its Marginal Gains Podcast, it is clearly what the brand wants people to be riding.

It is also the size of tire that I think people should be riding, and that certainly contributed to my excitement around testing the big rubber instead of shading towards a more traditional gravel width.

Nevertheless, even if I am partial to the big tire movement, I did have a healthy dose of skepticism heading into testing the Silca Protocol tire line. Silca is a company that has a good reputation for a reason. However, there have been instances where the initial launch of a product did not go great. The original Silca tire sealant, for instance, was a flop.

The gravel tires, however, are living up to the hype. While third-party testing is limited, data is starting to come through that suggests Silca’s gravel tires are among the world’s fastest.

Silca’s gravel tires are some of the fastest around

The Bicycle Rolling Resistance data was a bit underwhelming, but unlike our selection, BRR only tested the RCG-1 in 45mm. Even still, it was only a watt behind the Hutchinson Caracal Race in 45mm, the gold standard for mid-width gravel tires. Gravel-specific testing has shown better results.

John Karrasch (@flexfitbyjohn) has put both the RCG-1 and the RCG-3 in 55mm through a series of Chung Method testing. While I won’t spoil all of the data, over moderate and rough gravel Karrasch has found both Silca tires to be some of the fastest 29-inch tires he has tested.

Perhaps more importantly, on the roughest gravel Karrasch tested, the RCG-3 only added four watts of rolling resistance compared to the RCG-1, while still beating out other knobbier options like the Continental Dubnital.

From a rider’s perspective, a four-watt rolling resistance difference on rough gravel can be felt, but it is also not enough to cancel out some of the other key gains a well-balanced, high traction tire can offer. In my riding, that was where the RCG-3 shined even more than in terms of pure speed.

Fantastic first impressions

My first big ride on the tires was a long, meandering loop around the north of Phoenix, Arizona. Like I always try to do, I hit portions of an area of gravel and trails I call my “test track” that throws a mix of light gravel to rugged jeep track, before stitching light twisty trail, roads, and sandy gravel back home.

To make things even more varied, late-summer monsoons swept through the area in the week before the ride. This meant a few bonus creek crossings and a mix of traction conditions that were constantly changing. It was a spectacular ride that was made even more engaging by virtue of discovering new rubber.

Anecdotally, all the negative feedback I heard about the tires was around how they handled low pressure and questions around durability. To push the limit of those aspects, I ran a low-pressure combo of 19-21 PSI on Berd Sparrow 50 Gold rims and a healthy amount of Stans Race Day Sealant. This is my “risk it for the biscuit” setup I employ for big tires when I want to push myself on gravel.

It is also below the recommended pressure window for the tires. Stress testing is good, sometimes.

Managing the delicate balance of suppleness and structure

As soon as I hit dirt on my ride, I felt content in my choices. Not just the low pressure, or the 55 mm width, but all of it together. Straight away, I knew I would be getting along with these tires.

What the RCG-3 managed was to tread the very fine line between providing suspension management and a firm enough structure. Over rocks and chunkier terrain, the tires had so much softness, floating their way over small rock steps or loose gravel. Part of this is the wheels—the Berd spoke system adds palpable compliance that makes any tire feel 5mm bigger—but comparatively it went beyond just the wheels.

Together, it felt like a system working together to manage suspension losses in a manner that was predictable, fast, and repeatable.

Conversely, it wasn’t as if the tires felt squishy or vague. Compliance can easily bleed into sloppiness, but the tires held their form brilliantly. Through corners and dips the tires held traction and the sidewalks didn’t “dive,” a common sensation on lightweight tires with soft sidewalls. Similarly, on tarmac the tires rolled quickly and straight, avoiding the pitfalls of some thicker slick tires that struggle to hold a straight line at speed.

Traction-wise, the tires fall somewhere between the slickness of the Specialized Pathfinder and the grip of a Continental Dubnital. It doesn’t quite have the same braking traction as the Dubnital, but it is substantially stickier than the Pathfinder. Even with a very shallow tread profile, I found the tires rolled quickly and had predictable and effective cornering traction. Many of the trails I rode are smooth but very twisty.

This kind of riding feels like a tightrope at times and can push traction even at a standard pace. On the faster sweeping turns, the tires felt locked in, holding speed with confidence. They would brake traction relatively early when I had to slow down into sharp turns, but nothing I couldn’t manage; there was just a bit less finesse left on the table.

Of all the gravel tires I have ridden, the best comp for the RCG-3 is the Vittoria Peyote. That’s not a huge surprise given the similar tread patterns, but it’s more than just looks. Both tires do the same things well, with the Peyote’s side knobs offering a bit more traction and Silca’s shallower, rounder profile offering more speed.

What I don’t like about the Silca Protocol RCG-3 tire

Obviously, I am very excited about this tire, so part of this exercise feels like I’ll be searching for nitpicks. Nevertheless, there is one big one that I felt fits into this positive narrative: Silca should have committed to the bit. If 55mm is the designed tread, just offer the 55.

Of course, this might not be the best business practice. Many people are still on bikes that can’t handle 55mm tires. But, with all due respect to those riders, let them feel FOMO. If that’s what Silca believes in, fully endorse it.

There was room for Silca to go down that direction. The RCG-1, for instance, could be a 50mm tire. What’s more, there is no RCG-2, and that could easily be the RCG-1 tread in the 55 mm width. Adding scaled-down, imperfect versions of the 45 and 50 mm tire just seems to dilute what Silca is trying to do with these new tires, and I believe that shows through the middling BRR test.

Usability

Beyond the riding, the Silca RCG-3 was a breeze to install. It was well packaged, looked nice out of the box, and seated on the rim with a floor pump. I measured the tires at 56 mm on the rim, and that stayed consistent after a few rides. While I haven’t put too many miles on the tire, I have ridden them hard and have yet to flat the tires.

Silca has made all the essential information visible along the side of the tire with elevated rubber notes for the recommended pressure, width, and rotational direction. With the 55mm tire, I also found that it easily handled the pressure lower than the recommendation, although you should always proceed with caution when riding below the stated pressure window, especially in rough or extreme terrain.

It is worth noting here that Silca has entered the market at a very high price point. At nearly $100 USD per tire, this is a premium product and one that will hurt the wallet to replace. Given the lightweight nature of the tire and the shallowness of the tread pattern, I would recommend saving this for the key rides and race days, as it could wear thin quicker than other less expensive, more robust options.

Then again, the RCG-3 is absolutely one of the best gravel tires available. I would say my testing has demonstrated how that price tag is justified.

Who is the Silca RCG-3 tire for?

Silca is a performance-driven company, and the gravel tires are no different: these are racing tires.

From the pure speed to the predictable handling, the RCG-3 is the kind of tire I would be happy racing on any course. It is fast enough to fake it on a speedy day, and robust enough for the gnarlier races. Unbound, as Silca says, is that meeting point and where this tire would be at its best—if you can avoid the flats.

Beyond the racing, I would also say the RCG-3 is not for riders who have bikes with limited clearance. Just because the tire is available in 45mm doesn’t mean it should be used in 45mm. From all accounts, these are tires meant to be big, and scaling down products is easier said than done.

Lastly, while the RCG-3 is one of the best tires on the market, the price is worth considering. At $99, it sits near the top of the price pyramid. While you get great performance from it, the margin between the RCG-3 and other high-performing tires that sit at the $70-80 price point is fairly tight. Buying the RCG-3 for special occasions makes sense, even if you are on a restrained budget, but using it as an everyday tire could be a big investment if you’re looking to maximize the value-speed matrix.

All that being said, Silca delivered in a big way with the RCG-3, and the brand deserves a lot of credit for such a powerful entrance into a crowded market.