In previous years i was racing an early edition of the Challenge Gravel Grinder TLR that had a low waffle texture in the middle and a cluster of large side knobs. Subsequent editions of this model have had manufacturing and QC issues that it’s no longer a viable option. Tried a few other tires this year but can’t recreate the same cornering purchase in loose-over-hard pea gravel that the Challenge tires offered.
Curious if folks have any recommendations that might fit this criteria? Pics below of the early edition gravel grinder tread pattern. Thanks
The Ultradynamico Rose is worth taking a look at. It has a bit more centerline tread, but they’re slighly ramped and continuous so they roll well. I actually like them better than the Challenge in most conditions, and if you’ve had good luck with the Challenge the light weight sidewalls of the Ultradynamico likely won’t cause you problems.
Really nice tires, but boy do they wear down quickly. Also need to run really low pressures to get anything close to the side knob bite of the Challenge (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing in my book, jfwiw).
They’re also lower and smaller, and more continuous.
The Chicane started out as a custom tire for Helen Wyman that was cobbled together with the outer tread blocks of a Limus glued next to the center section of a file tread…
…it’s literally the outer knobs of a big mud tire with a full file in the middle. The gravel grinder is essentially a larger version of this. The Dune/Boken style tires are more like a file tread combined with the outer blocks of a Grifo style tire. They’re more continuous than on a Grifo, but they’re roughly that size.
Big side knobs are terrible in sand; they tend to catch and pull you sideways. As a result, most of the file tread designs that come out of cyclocross don’t have side knobs like the Chicane.
Sorry for going a bit off the OP’s topic - any thoughts on the Panaracer Gravel King Slick’s. Looking to get a set of these 700 x 35 for my All Rounder bike on dedicated For Gravel Wheels - swapping these in for Gravel Rides and setting the Road Wheelset aside.
i haven’t tried them, but perhaps the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M would meet your needs. More center line tread than a file tread tire; but i’m assuming you want “mininal center line tread” because you want something that rolls fast but still hooks up predictably in loose corners. The Gravel M should be faster than Challenge’s vulcanized tires.
I’ve been voting for the Vittoria Mezcal gravel tire on BRR.com the last few months. That could be a candidate too, if it tests well. I love the mezcal on my XC bike.
Sorry for going a bit off the OP’s topic - any thoughts on the Panaracer Gravel King Slick’s. Looking to get a set of these 700 x 35 for my All Rounder bike on dedicated For Gravel Wheels - swapping these in for Gravel Rides and setting the Road Wheelset aside.
A good option and fairly low cost…especially when compared to Rene Herse tires that are also made in the panaracer factory.
In my experience, the GK Slicks wear out kind of quick, but not terrible. The Gravelking SS lasts longer and should be a bit more durable against flats/cuts, and has better grip on gravel. If you’re 90% road and 10% gravel, the slicks are probably a good way to go. Any more gravel and I’d go the SS route.
I rode Big Sugar last weekend with the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M which has more pronounced side knobs than Pirelli’s Gravel H tire and a minimal center tread. I felt confident on the M’s.
Check out the Conti Terra Speed. They have a little bit of tread and roll faster than SS in BRR’s test. It’ll be my winter tire and probably what I’ll race on near year.
I’ve ridden and raced many of the popular tyre models and for me the RS is by far the best I’ve used for dry, hard packed or mixed surface conditions (and the tyre many of the top riders in Europe have been using).
