Test ride with the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC tyres

Note: At my request, Pirelli provided me with a set of tyres for testing via their PR agency.

According to Wikipedia, scorpions live mainly in sandy or stony soils. And this is how the Pirelli XC tyres got their name, as they really come into their own on stony and gravely ground.

The Pirelli Scorpion tyre is available in 7 different versions. Unfortunately, the Pirelli website is a bit complex, so you either have to click through all the tyre types to find the right one for you, or you can use the configurator to find the right model.

For this test, I opted for the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC ProWall tyres in a width of 2.2 inches. These are designed for racing performance, are weight-orientated and the compound is designed for maximum compatibility with a wide variety of surfaces.

Actually, I would have chosen the Pirelli Scorpion XC M, but they were not available and I wanted to have a direct comparison with the Schwalbe Rick XC tyres that I had previously ridden.

Facts & figures

But first to the facts and dimensions of the Scorpion XC RC: I rode these on 24 mm wide aluminium rims (inner rim width). The tyre width here is 56 mm, the tyre height 52 mm.

The weighed weight of the tyres is 665g. This makes them quite light.

I fitted the tyres tubeless and used the yellow-green sealant from Pirelli. This is coarse and flaky, which is good for larger holes. But when inflating the tyres via the valve (I always do this), you always have to poke around, as the sealant is naturally a bit coarser. I haven’t had a puncture so far on the more than 1,000 km test ride. However, I was advised that in the event of a milk leak, you should avoid getting it on your clothes, as the yellow-green colour is quite stubborn and not easy to remove.

Priced at 50 euros, the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC tyres are in the same range as the Schwalbe Rick XC and the Vittoria Mezcal.

Riding characteristics

I rode the tyres with an air pressure of 1.8/9 bar at the front and 2/2.1 bar at the rear. Theoretically, I could also have ridden the tyres at 1.7 bar at the front and 1.9 bar at the rear. And I really pushed them on my Hackenpedder Shortcut ride. There, the surface was constantly changing between tarmac, forest tracks, gravel, sand, mud and dirt tracks. Ideal test conditions.

My impression: the Scorpions roll quite heavily on tarmac. This is a clear difference to the Schwalbe Rick XC and the Vittoria Mezcal. But as soon as you go off-road, the Pirelli Scorpion wakes up and gets going and become really fast.

The traction was good, even when it got muddier. I always felt safe with the tyres. And if you go further down with the pressure, they roll even more on track. The only thing to note here is that the tread clogs quite quickly and doesn’t necessarily clean itself.

The Pirelli Scorpion tyres are therefore quite good off-road, but more of a brake on the road. Overall, they roll with a little more resistance than the Rick XC and Mezcal. I’m not a sensitive rider, but I noticed that quite clearly.

And the measurement data from Bicycle Rolling Resistance also confirms this. According to them, the Pirelli Scorpion has a rolling resistance of 28.8 watts at a pressure of 1.7 bar. That’s quite a lot. This becomes clear in contrast to the Schwalbe Rick XC, which needs 10 watts less. And even the Vittoria Mezcal is even lower at 23/24 watts.

And even in the extended comparison, the Scorpion always has the highest rolling resistance. Only the Conti Cross King Protection overtakes it at higher air pressures.

On the other hand, the Scorpion scores highly in terms of wet grip. Here it is above the two comparison tyres and this is noticeable. The Pirelli is also not bad in terms of puncture resistance and is better than the Rick XC, but clearly behind the Vittoria Mezcal.

However, the Vittoria is also correspondingly heavier: it weighs 752g. The Pirelli Scorpion weighs 665g and the Schwalbe Rick XC 700g. This makes the Scorpion rather light.

Conclusion Pirelli Scorpion XC RC

The Pirelli Scorpion is interesting for anyone looking for a good and reliable off-road tyre that is light but durable and, at 2.2 inches, not too wide and therefore also interesting for modern gravel bikes.

If the planned events/tours involve a lot of tarmac/road riding, then the Scorpion is not recommended, or you will have to reckon with the higher rolling resistance.

The Scorpion is available in 2.2 and 2.4 inch widths. You can also choose between ‘Lite MTB’ or ‘ProWall’. ProWall is slightly heavier, but more resistant. It is an additional sidewall protection that is designed to protect against punctures, especially at low air pressures.

For the tyre compound, Pirelli relies on the so-called Smartgrip Compound. This is essentially an ideal compound for wet and dry conditions. And so far I can say that it works well.

I’ve already ridden more than 1,000 km with the tyres. I haven’t had a puncture yet.

But I have measured the wear:

Stud height centre new: 2mm
Stud height centre after 1,000 km: 1mm

Stud height edge new: 2.5mm
Stud height edge after 1,000 km: 1.5mm

I assume that the tyre will last around 3,000 km under these conditions. This is roughly equivalent to the durability of the Schwalbe Rick XC tyres, which I ran puncture-free for 3,300 km.

I still have a few hundred kilometres of gravel waiting for the Scorpion in Germany and Sweden. I will reduce the tyre pressure a little and then push them further. I’ll be happy to give you another verdict on the tyre after 2,000 and 3,000 km.