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The Rene Herse tires are just branding on tires he has made for him by Panaracer. They used to be called Compass Tires till he made a deal with the Rene Herse

The Rene Herse tires are just branding on tires he has made for him by Panaracer. They used to be called Compass Tires till he made a deal with the Rene Herse estate to use the Herse name for branding. He basically asks Panaracer to make everything thinner & lighter and delete flat protection, reduce the tread thickness, etc.. They are fast & potentially comfortable tires for their size due to being made as very racy tires. The Panaracer versions of the tires are still very fast but have a much better reputation for durability, flat protection, compatibility with a wider array of rims, and for being easier to setup tubeless. I have unfortunately been on rides with people with the Compass/Rene Herse tires where they repeatedly flatted over and over, IMO they are too fragile for me. I have had exceptionally good luck with the Panaracer tires.

jmilloy 5y ago
This is valuable context. Yet, some high profile riders such as Ted King (possible the top gravel racer) and Lael Wilcox (ultra endurance racing and bikepacking) use these tires with success. If someone is getting a lot of flats using the Extralight casing, they should consider the Endurance or Ultra Endurance casings and/or setting up tubeless. But even Jan will recommend the Panaracer Gravelkings when necessary, especially off-road[0]. [0] https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-are-compass-tires-different-from-panaracers/ https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-are-compass-tires-differ...
- ben7799 5y ago
  Those riders are all influencers and likely getting the tires through sponsorship though, that is something that always needs to be kept in mind with cycling. They don't make enough money to necessarily be able to ride what they think is best if something else can be ridden for free or for payment.
  - jmilloy 5y ago
    These people are routinely winning long distance races on offroad and unpaved surfaces using these tires. That is evidence that the tires are indeed durable, regardless of whether they would prefer other tires.

jmilloy 5y ago

This is valuable context. Yet, some high profile riders such as Ted King (possible the top gravel racer) and Lael Wilcox (ultra endurance racing and bikepacking) use these tires with success. If someone is getting a lot of flats using the Extralight casing, they should consider the Endurance or Ultra Endurance casings and/or setting up tubeless. But even Jan will recommend the Panaracer Gravelkings when necessary, especially off-road[0]. [0] https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-are-compass-tires-different-from-panaracers/ https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-are-compass-tires-differ...

ben7799 5y ago
Those riders are all influencers and likely getting the tires through sponsorship though, that is something that always needs to be kept in mind with cycling. They don't make enough money to necessarily be able to ride what they think is best if something else can be ridden for free or for payment.
- jmilloy 5y ago
  These people are routinely winning long distance races on offroad and unpaved surfaces using these tires. That is evidence that the tires are indeed durable, regardless of whether they would prefer other tires.