René Herse Corkscrew Climb in the 2026 Gravel Tire Group Test

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The René Herse Corkscrew Climb is arguably the underdog of the test field. The brand draws on a long tradition linked to French innovator René Herse and, rather than making bold claims, leans on years of experience in the ultra-distance scene, from Unbound to the Tour Divide. Will that experience be enough to put this semi-slick on the podium in a major group test?

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…