Gravel Bike Tyres Discussion

[CraigCCW]

Recently purchased a gravel bike, and am interested to know what size tyres other people are using, and what brand tyres.

I have Maxxis Rambler 40C, and am thinking of getting some Pirelli Cinturato Hard 45c for the upcoming gravel races I have entered.

[Mamil]

Pirelli cinturatos M in a 45... Best gravel tyre I've ridden so far 

[Malut]

Did the Boland Gravel Monster on rambler 45's. Tar, gravel and even managed to pedal through a heavy sand section. Would choose the same again, but for muddy conditions, would consider the Pirelli mixed.

[Shebeen]

How long is a piece of string?

[Theunissa]

13 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

How long is a piece of string?

This long 

[CraigCCW]

14 hours ago, Shebeen said:

How long is a piece of string?

That depends, do you give this reply to all other posts asking opinions / advace on bike related gear?

[TyronLab]

20 hours ago, CraigCCW said:

Recently purchased a gravel bike, and am interested to know what size tyres other people are using, and what brand tyres.

I have Maxxis Rambler 40C, and am thinking of getting some Pirelli Cinturato Hard 45c for the upcoming gravel races I have entered.

The less sarcastic (but obviously less entertaining) version of "how long is a piece of string" is "what are you planning on riding?".

If its mostly smooth gravel with a heavy mix of tar, the Vittoria Terreno Dry is a blisteringly fast tyre, but is relatively flimsy so it is prone to puncturing and doesn't like sharp rocks. Cinturato Hs are almost as fast, but quite a bit more robust (and heavier).

The Rambler and the Gravel King SK are better bets for slightly rougher gravel, where you might need some more grip and robustness, and only slightly slower on tar / smooth sections.

Cinturato Ms are very robust and grippy, but don't roll too bad either.

Fit as wide as your frame will allow with clearance, and ideally pair it to a lekker wide rim.

[Jewbacca]

47 minutes ago, CraigCCW said:

That depends, do you give this reply to all other posts asking opinions / advace on bike related gear?

I think he is asking for more specifics on which gravel races you've entered.

Some are LOTS of tar and good gravel which have been won on 32c road tires in the past, while others are LOTS of gravel or all gravel which would mean wider rubber for some.

There are benefits to specifics so people like Shebeen can properly dissect the question. He is infamous for over sharing, over researching and offering pretty comprehensive opinions with diagrams, images and anecdotes 

So, which races have you entered, what bike is it? What wheels do you have?

 

[CraigCCW]

14 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I think he is asking for more specifics on which gravel races you've entered.

Some are LOTS of tar and good gravel which have been won on 32c road tires in the past, while others are LOTS of gravel or all gravel which would mean wider rubber for some.

There are benefits to specifics so people like Shebeen can properly dissect the question. He is infamous for over sharing, over researching and offering pretty comprehensive opinions with diagrams, images and anecdotes 

So, which races have you entered, what bike is it? What wheels do you have?

 

If I took Shebeens comment wrong way then my mistake.

It was general question as to what other Hubbers are using and their general feedback, as I am quite new to the gravel scene and all YouTube videos are specific to those regions.

[WIPEOUT 1000]

I've never understood the purpose of the microscopic little tread blocks found on most gravel tyres. How is something that small supposed to grip on gravel or sand?

I ride Panaracer Gravelking TLC slicks, and although the casing says 38mm, they are more like 40mm. The're light, cheap and have a low rolling resistance. 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by WIPEOUT 1000

[Jewbacca]

10 minutes ago, CraigCCW said:

If I took Shebeens comment wrong way then my mistake.

It was general question as to what other Hubbers are using and their general feedback, as I am quite new to the gravel scene and all YouTube videos are specific to those regions.

So tell us where you will do most of your riding and what you have planned?

The guys in those areas will fill in any gaps.

Seriously, be specific. You will get much better feedback

[CraigCCW]

3 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

So tell us where you will do most of your riding and what you have planned?

The guys in those areas will fill in any gaps.

Seriously, be specific. You will get much better feedback

Mostly JHB area, entered gravel races in PTA and another in Magalies area.

In future I'll be more specific, thanks for the advice.

Edited January 23, 2023 by CraigCCW

[Shebeen]

14 minutes ago, CraigCCW said:

If I took Shebeens comment wrong way then my mistake.

It was general question as to what other Hubbers are using and their general feedback, as I am quite new to the gravel scene and all YouTube videos are specific to those regions.

As long as we get there in the end, i could have been more diplomatic!

the quick answer is a) AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE and b)whatever is available

but more info will get you better answers.

and search function pulls these up for reference.

 

and then here

 

https://forum.bikehub.co.za/search/?q=tyre&quick=1&type=forums_topic&item=172995

[Jewbacca]

1 minute ago, CraigCCW said:

Mostly JHB area, entered gravel races in PTA and another in Magalies area.

In future I'll be more specific, thanks for the advice.

The guys here will dork out hard over pretty much anything related to bikes, so by giving them ammunition (re information) you will add fuel to the proverbial fire.

I have never gravel biked up country but have ridden bikes up there.

I used Gravel King slicks in 38mm for pretty much everything and they were awesome. I also ren some WTB byways for a while and thought they were really good.

Light, tough and fast rolling.

I'd go as wide as possible in general though, which is why the bike model helps as the guys will then be able to dork out about how wide the frame can go

 

[CraigCCW]

34 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

As long as we get there in the end, i could have been more diplomatic!

the quick answer is a) AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE and b)whatever is available

but more info will get you better answers.

and search function pulls these up for reference.

 

and then here

 

https://forum.bikehub.co.za/search/?q=tyre&quick=1&type=forums_topic&item=172995

No worries.

I have a Giant Revolt so I can go up to 53mm.

I tend to tide on alot of tar roads for training purposes, so I'm hoping to get a balance between rolling resistance for road, and comfort / grip for gravel rides.

Hence me looking at the Pirelli Cinturato Hard 45mm.

[NickGM]

56 minutes ago, CraigCCW said:

It was general question as to what other Hubbers are using and their general feedback...

For me there's absolutely nothing wrong with a "Hey what's everyone else out there using?" type of question. 👍

I like the specialized pathfinders (38mm) I currently have but I actually ride a lot of tar and only a small amount of smooth gravel. It's got a nice smooth strip down the middle so in straight lines it's not that far off a road bike in terms of speed. If I rode lots of gravel I'd definitely go with wider higher volume tyres. 45mm at the least.