The René Herse Corkscrew Climb isn’t a tire you’ll casually come across in your local bike shop. The brand itself dates back to 1938 and, alongside tires, also offers handlebars, bags, wheels and other components. The tires are manufactured in Panaracer’s factory in Japan.
The Corkscrew Climb is the first and only semi-slick in their range, designed to combine the smooth rolling feel of a slick with the cornering grip of a knobbed tire. To achieve this, the substantial side knobs emerge seamlessly from the central tread, growing more pronounced towards the shoulders in two rows. With its oversized side lugs, it looks more like an MTB tire with a slick centre than a typical gravel option. In fact, somewhat paradoxically, its tread makes it the most aggressively patterned semi-slick in the entire test field.
In the Tracks of René Herse – The René Herse Corkscrew Climb in the 2026 Gravel Tire Group Test
Despite its sizeable knobs, the René Herse Corkscrew Climb keeps weight in check. At 525 g, it comes in around 50 g below the test average, making it pleasantly light for such an aggressively treaded semi-slick. When it comes to efficiency, however, it can’t quite keep up. A rolling resistance of 16.5 W puts it around 6 W behind the fastest tire in the test, the Schwalbe G-One RS Pro. Across a full wheelset, that adds up to a noticeable 12 W difference.
Off-road is where the tire really comes alive. Among all of the tires with a central tread strip, it delivers the highest level of grip. Even during aggressive steering inputs on gravel, the Corkscrew Climb remains stable, holding a precise line without unexpected breakaways. The transition from centre tread to shoulder knobs is exceptionally smooth, with grip building progressively and consistently, even at lean. This gives you the confidence to make the most of its playful handling. Cornering feels intuitive, and quick direction changes are easy to execute.
Comfort and compliance are equally convincing. In its standard casing, the tire effectively absorbs impacts and vibrations on rough gravel, without feeling bouncy.
Puncture protection, on the other hand, is a weak point. In the pinch-flat test, it ranks at the bottom of the field, offering limited protection for the rim and requiring you to ride with higher tire pressures. It also falls below average in the puncture test across both tread and sidewalls, which undermines confidence, especially for a brand with such a strong ultra-distance racing pedigree.
Conclusion on the René Herse Corkscrew Climb
The René Herse Corkscrew Climb stands out above all for its impressive grip. Despite its slick centre tread, it delivers a high level of confidence and very good traction across a wide range of surfaces. However, it can’t play the efficiency card – the theoretical advantage of the slick section doesn’t translate into lower rolling resistance. As an underdog, though, the Corkscrew Climb leaves a strong impression with its grip and agile handling, winning over more than a few testers. When it comes to the hard numbers, however, it falls short of a podium finish.
Tops
- best cornering grip for a semi-slick tire
- very good ride quality
Flops
- acquired-taste looks
- low puncture protection
Made in Japan | Size (ETRO) 44-622 | Width in mm¹ 42,3
Height in mm¹ 38,13 | Weight 525.6 g | Price € 90.00
¹measured dimensions at 1.75 – 3.0 Bar, depending on tire width
More information at renehersecycles.com.
The Testfield
This tire was tested as part of the Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026 – an overview of this comparison test as well as all other tested gravel tires can be found in the comprehensive comprehensive Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026. For the top models in the racing category, you should take a look at the Race Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026.
Challenge: Getaway XP | Gravine XP
Continental: Dubnital | Terra Adventure | Terra Competition | Terra Hardpack | Terra Speed
Goodyear: Connector Inter | Connector Speed
Hutchinson: Caracal Race
MAXXIS: Rambler | Reaver
Michelin: Power Adventure | Power Gravel
Pirelli: Cinturato Gravel H | Cinturato Gravel M | Cinturato Gravel S
Rene Herse: Corkscrew Climb TC Semi-Slick
Schwalbe: G-One RS Pro | G-One RX Pro | G-One R Pro | Thunder Burt | G One Overland Pro
Specialized: Pathfinder TLR | Tracer TLR | Terra TLR
Vittoria: Terreno Pro T30 | Terreno Pro T50 | Terreno Pro T60
WTB: Vulpine S | Vulpine | Resolute
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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Jan Fock