...and speaking of tires. Here's a sneak peek at my first forays into trying to get an objective measure of how well different "gravel" tire options roll, at least on pavement:
Notes:
- Since the measured width of these tire options can vary greatly, I've decided to test them at the "Berto 15% drop" pressure for the load on a flat surface.
- Because most of my "gravel" rides involve decent amounts of pavement riding, I'm loathe to sacrifice much on-pavement rolling resistance...especially considering how well large width tires run at low pressure perform off-road anyway. In general, "knobs", or texture appear to greatly slow down a tire. That said, there are some tires with texture that do quite well, but it helps that they start with a good casing (see the Challenge Gravel Grinder Pro).
- Latex vs. Butyl tube loss differences appear to be the same as with dedicated road tires. Latex vs. tubeless appears to be a "wash" (i.e. no measurable power loss over tubeless using latex tubes)
- I don't expect this list to grow too quickly...these tires can be expensive!
http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
Notes:
- Since the measured width of these tire options can vary greatly, I've decided to test them at the "Berto 15% drop" pressure for the load on a flat surface.
- Because most of my "gravel" rides involve decent amounts of pavement riding, I'm loathe to sacrifice much on-pavement rolling resistance...especially considering how well large width tires run at low pressure perform off-road anyway. In general, "knobs", or texture appear to greatly slow down a tire. That said, there are some tires with texture that do quite well, but it helps that they start with a good casing (see the Challenge Gravel Grinder Pro).
- Latex vs. Butyl tube loss differences appear to be the same as with dedicated road tires. Latex vs. tubeless appears to be a "wash" (i.e. no measurable power loss over tubeless using latex tubes)
- I don't expect this list to grow too quickly...these tires can be expensive!
http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/