Trying to figure out the best gravel tire for me.
I’ve been riding my Clement MXP 33C for a couple of years and damn they are a good tire for both gravel and cx. Fast, no flats, half decent on pavement, grippy in the corners.
I was looking to move up to wider tires so purchased some Vittoria Terreno Dry 38/40C (they measure 40). They are damn nice tires, but I just can’t get over the perception they are heavy and a lot slower than my MXP’s.
I briefly rode a friends bike with Maxxis Ramblers and wow… they seemed nice (and fast?), but I didn’t get to do a full gravel test.
Given my road and cyclocross background and light weight (142lbs) I think I prefer narrower rubber.
Is there a Goldilocks tire (fast, grippy, puncture resistant) in the 36-38C (measured width), sub 400g preferably?
The Panaracer Gravelking SK 35 seem popular.
Any new tires on the market (there are so many) I should be looking at?
Must be tubeless.
WTB Riddler in 700x37?
I have used these extensively- They work really well.
Clement/Donnelley MSO in 36mm are also good. They are also kind of weighty, but they roll fast and the casing is robust.
On the light/small side Specialized Trigger pro in 700x33 if you can find them. I think they stopped making this size.
But if your riding style is light and you don’t tear up tires- these are pretty good.
Schwable G-One in 700x35 is not bad, a little light on concerning ability.
Trying to figure out the best gravel tire for me.
I’ve been riding my Clement MXP 33C for a couple of years and damn they are a good tire for both gravel and cx. Fast, no flats, half decent on pavement, grippy in the corners.
I was looking to move up to wider tires so purchased some Vittoria Terreno Dry 38/40C (they measure 40). They are damn nice tires, but I just can’t get over the perception they are heavy and a lot slower than my MXP’s.
I briefly rode a friends bike with Maxxis Ramblers and wow… they seemed nice (and fast?), but I didn’t get to do a full gravel test.
Given my road and cyclocross background and light weight (142lbs) I think I prefer narrower rubber.
Is there a Goldilocks tire (fast, grippy, puncture resistant) in the 36-38C (measured width), sub 400g preferably?
The Panaracer Gravelking SK 35 seem popular.
Any new tires on the market (there are so many) I should be looking at?
Must be tubeless.
Well…then you’re missing out on the best of the bunch at the moment: Challenge Gravel Grinder Pro 36C w/latex tubes. I measured them to be ~10W per pair faster at 30kph (on pavement) than the Vittoria Terreno Dry 40Cs.
BTW, Challenge announced at Sea Otter that they have 38C and 42C tubeless-ready versions of the Gravel Grinder tires coming in June. The casing isn’t the same 260tpi as the Pro versions, but they also eliminate one layer of puncture barrier (2 in the Pro) so hopefully the 120tpi casing doesn’t hamper it’s rolling too much…
Is there a Goldilocks tire (fast, grippy, puncture resistant) in the 36-38C (measured width), sub 400g preferably?
Well what is the internal width of the wheel you’re using? That is going to dictate the measured width of any tire you have one.
I’m searching for something fast that comes in around 38mm on a 21mm wide rim at the moment. I was hoping to run the new specialized tracer but think it will measure too wide. The challenge gravel grinder appeals to me, I think the side nobs of the chicane look great for my use case which is a mixture of gravel fire roads and fast singletrack but I haven’t seen measured widths anywhere.
Would love to see more data on gravel tires!! I’m running WTB Riddler 45s at the moment and have rolling resistance FOMO (fear of missing out)
Would love to see more data on gravel tires!! I’m running WTB Riddler 45s at the moment and have rolling resistance FOMO (fear of missing out)
I’ve got some data…but I’m still not completely happy with my setup/technique for measuring it so I’m not ready to formally put it up on the blog…not to mention all the WTB tires I’d want to look at are 650Bs, and I don’t have a wheel that size to test on…
Tom
I understand the wattage savings of these tires, but with the lower profile tread pattern in the middle of the tire, what are your thoughts about them having the ‘grip’ for something like the gravel found at Dirty Kanza?
Thanks for your input
db
Is there a Goldilocks tire (fast, grippy, puncture resistant) in the 36-38C (measured width), sub 400g preferably?
Well what is the internal width of the wheel you’re using? That is going to dictate the measured width of any tire you have one.
I’m searching for something fast that comes in around 38mm on a 21mm wide rim at the moment. I was hoping to run the new specialized tracer but think it will measure too wide. The challenge gravel grinder appeals to me, I think the side nobs of the chicane look great for my use case which is a mixture of gravel fire roads and fast singletrack but I haven’t seen measured widths anywhere.
I believe my rims are DT Swiss R 32 Spline DB. 18mm internal. 22 external.
Would love to see more data on gravel tires!! I’m running WTB Riddler 45s at the moment and have rolling resistance FOMO (fear of missing out)
I’ve got some data…but I’m still not completely happy with my setup/technique for measuring it so I’m not ready to formally put it up on the blog…not to mention all the WTB tires I’d want to look at are 650Bs, and I don’t have a wheel that size to test on…
Any particular reason for wanting to test mostly 650B?
Would love to see more data on gravel tires!! I’m running WTB Riddler 45s at the moment and have rolling resistance FOMO (fear of missing out)
I’ve got some data…but I’m still not completely happy with my setup/technique for measuring it so I’m not ready to formally put it up on the blog…not to mention all the WTB tires I’d want to look at are 650Bs, and I don’t have a wheel that size to test on…
Any particular reason for wanting to test mostly 650B?
The Horizon and Byway tires are only availabe in 650B. The Riddler has a bit too much center knobs for my idea of a good “all-around” tire, especially if you’re going to run something really wide. Wide tires and low pressures can make pretty smooth tires work fairly well off road, and don’t end up dragging you down on the pavement.
That’s all 
Tom
I understand the wattage savings of these tires, but with the lower profile tread pattern in the middle of the tire, what are your thoughts about them having the ‘grip’ for something like the gravel found at Dirty Kanza?
Thanks for your input
db
I don’t have direct experience/knowledge of what the Kanza conditions are like…but, from what I’ve heard, it’s probably better to emphasize puncture/cut resistance over outright speed for that course.
Oh, and based on last year’s results, don’t forget your clip-on aero bars 
Trying to figure out the best gravel tire for me.
I’ve been riding my Clement MXP 33C for a couple of years and damn they are a good tire for both gravel and cx. Fast, no flats, half decent on pavement, grippy in the corners.
I was looking to move up to wider tires so purchased some Vittoria Terreno Dry 38/40C (they measure 40). They are damn nice tires, but I just can’t get over the perception they are heavy and a lot slower than my MXP’s.
I briefly rode a friends bike with Maxxis Ramblers and wow… they seemed nice (and fast?), but I didn’t get to do a full gravel test.
Given my road and cyclocross background and light weight (142lbs) I think I prefer narrower rubber.
Is there a Goldilocks tire (fast, grippy, puncture resistant) in the 36-38C (measured width), sub 400g preferably?
The Panaracer Gravelking SK 35 seem popular.
Any new tires on the market (there are so many) I should be looking at?
Must be tubeless.
Well…then you’re missing out on the best of the bunch at the moment: Challenge Gravel Grinder Pro 36C w/latex tubes. I measured them to be ~10W per pair faster at 30kph (on pavement) than the Vittoria Terreno Dry 40Cs.
BTW, Challenge announced at Sea Otter that they have 38C and 42C tubeless-ready versions of the Gravel Grinder tires coming in June. The casing isn’t the same 260tpi as the Pro versions, but they also eliminate one layer of puncture barrier (2 in the Pro) so hopefully the 120tpi casing doesn’t hamper it’s rolling too much…
Far less scientific than Tom A, but I just switched to a pair of these and love them. Very fast on the road (for this category of tire), with respectable off-road performance.
Yeah, I know. I’ve been running tubeless for a while now and just don’t want to go back to tubes.
The file tread of the Challenge doesn’t look great for steep dry dirt climbs, but neither is the Terreno Dry I’m running right now.
This thread was very timely, thank you.
I just picked up a pair of the Maxxis Ravagers 40s. My thinking was that with a tough gravel ride like DK, and the turning nature of the race, the thicker ‘knobs’ on the outside of the tire would be helpful.
Gonna take them for a spin tonight.
db
A few rides now on a set of Panaracer Gravelking 35 SKs. I’ve got them mounted tubeless on Easton R90SL rims with DT Swiss 350 hubs. Wide rim and super versatile disc hubs. Really enjoying the setup coupled with a Boone. Don’t get the sense that I’m being held back too much when riding with others on road tires, they descend nicely on pavement, but are far more comfortable and plush once I hit the dirt. Beautiful ride up Sugarloaf (packed dirt) to Eldora and back down Coal Creek Canyon today out of Boulder. Looking forward to exploring lots more gravel this summer.
http://i65.tinypic.com/2418tg9.jpg
Nothing technical about the DK course, but as much volume and puncture resistance are certainly key considerations.
Would love to see more data on gravel tires!! I’m running WTB Riddler 45s at the moment and have rolling resistance FOMO (fear of missing out)
I’ve got some data…but I’m still not completely happy with my setup/technique for measuring it so I’m not ready to formally put it up on the blog…not to mention all the WTB tires I’d want to look at are 650Bs, and I don’t have a wheel that size to test on…
Tom - if there are any Panaracer tires you’d like to test, let me know. I should be able to send them your way. We’ve got 32c gravelking slicks, 38 slicks, 32 SK (small knob), 35 SK, 38 SK, and 43 SK. They also offer different sidewalls. I’ve never tested the tan, but the material looks different than the solid black so they may test slightly different.
For those asking about Kanza, we did the La Grind stage race in Emporia this weekend. It uses parts of the DK200 course. Our team went with the 43s and we didn’t have any flats (and won both stages and GC for men and women). The 38s (which measure 40) would have been just fine too. I’m 99% sure at Kanza i’ll be on the 43 SK.
sxevegan
So if I read your post correctly, with everything else being equal, you would recommend the widest tire that fits for DK ?
Thank you for your input.
db
sxevegan
So if I read your post correctly, with everything else being equal, you would recommend the widest tire that fits for DK ?
Thank you for your input.
db
Unless you’re on a fat bike and can fit a REALLY big tire
I think somewhere from 40-43 is ideal. If you can’t fit something that big, then choose the biggest one that fits. If there is mud, then maybe drop down one size to get more clearance.