Gravel tyres

[Newbie78]

Good day,

Apologies if this question has already been addressed, but I could use some advice. I purchased a Giant Revolt1 gravel bike with 38mm Giant Crosscut AT2 tires back in January and have been enjoying it. I'm planning to tackle the DC event this year with the gravel bike and am considering changing the tires. I'm thinking about switching to either 32c road slicks or 40c gravel slicks for improved performance and comfort.

The current stock tires feel heavy, and the rolling resistance isn’t great. I'm leaning towards 40c gravel slicks because they might offer a better balance of performance and comfort, as I primarily ride on roads with occasional smooth gravel sections.

Any recommendations on which tyres to go for would be highly appreciated.

Regards

 

[guidodg]

Pirelli cinturato gravel H

[W@nted]

2 hours ago, guidodg said:

Pirelli cinturato gravel H

How do these compare to schwalbe g one RS? Reddit reviews indicates that the RS wears very quickly and is prone to punctures.

[guidodg]

much better for puncture protection but slightly heavier

[SSCC]

27 minutes ago, W@nted said:

How do these compare to schwalbe g one RS? Reddit reviews indicates that the RS wears very quickly and is prone to punctures.

The RS are faster and more supple. Plenty puncture protection for road and good gravel roads. Slightly less so for chunky dirt. If it’s a social DC Pirelli or RS would be fine. They are both about 10 to 20 watts slower than a top tier skinner road tyre if that matters to you.  

 

[DieselnDust]

56 minutes ago, guidodg said:

much better for puncture protection but slightly heavier

And seals better when it does puncture 

[WIPEOUT 1000]

If you can find them, Panaracer Gravelking TLC 38mm slick is a really good option. Very comfortable and rolls really well.

I’ve been riding them for years and I still have not found a reasonably priced alternative that’s lighter or faster.

[RossTopher]

As low rolling resistant as the Pirelli Gravel H is (and you wont find a bigger fan of the H or M), to do 200km of tar with them would be a waste. pop on a set of Cinturato Velo 35mm and you wont look back. tubeless, comfy, puncture resistent and good rollers. plus they look good on the wider clearance bikes.

they are also more than capable (read fun) for basic off road if you want to rinse them until they're done

Edited September 6 by RossTopher

[CARANXCycleMobile]

Maxxis Reaver 700c 45 👌 They roll, grip and weighs not to much comparing this width 

 

[Kom]

Worth taking a look at the tests done on this site:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews

[Jbr]

if I were you i'd probably go for the g one super race (maybe do some research on the durability of these tyres) or the challenge strade (but same, probably not as durable).

I'm currently back on Pathfinders as they seem to be the best allrounder for my use, but that includes racing on all sorts of gravel. These tyres roll pretty well on road and I haven't see their limit yet in durability, I ended up removing my 42s mostly because i wanted to go 47, they still had a lot of life in them

[thebob]

Second vote for the Panaracer Gravelking slicks. I’ve three Ride Joburg 947 on a Giant Revolt with those tyres. They roll super fast, are nice and supple and have a good amount of grip. Used both the 32c and 38c, if I still had the bike I’d split the difference and go with the 35c for the best of both worlds

[capediver]

Another vote for Panaracer, I have been using a variety for years on gravel and road...

Slicks: Great for road but don't last long, the devil when its wet and tread wears quickly.... side wall eventually starts sweating....not great on heavy gravel.

SK (Small knobs): Great for pavement and light to heavy gravel, knobs suffer quickly on pavement and they do tend to throw small bits of stones around ...dunno why...side walls hold up better

SS(Semi-slicks): Best for light gravel/pavement/road combo and of all the Panas I have used, these are the best combo light gravel, pavement and road as well as wet conditions, last forever!

If you going to gravel, go for the fattest tire you can fit! 

[ChrisF]

Another Panarcer user.

 

Briefly used Specialized Sawtooth.  Was very happy with it .... until it got cut by glass (cant blame the tyre for this)

[Bike Dewing]

I ride a gravel bike(modified) for road.. I’ve eventually landed on 28 tires GP 5000.. won’t go smaller.. 32 were comfiest to decently fast ratio.. I would go back to that or 35 for commuting and just enjoying a nice ride.. 

 

[Baracuda]

I use the Panaracer Slicks 38c on tar and light gravel and they great in terms of speed and comfort once mounted and have surprising levels of grip for a slick. You generally need a bomb to get them mounted. They my go-to training tire for general road / light gravel in and around Cape Town. They last well until they don't. It is quite odd, one hardly ever gets a puncture or issue for a year or so, pretty tough through all sorts of terrain, and then suddenly one day they start to leak. You can hobble through a ride or two, but have to be replaced.

In terms of replacing, make sure you buy the latest version with the tough side walls. The old version was a bit iffy off-road.

I also have a set of Panaracer SK's. They look cool in a hipster sort of way but their rolling resistance on tar is nuts

I bought a set of Schwalbe G One RS's (40c) for the Swartberg Fondo and they are really comfy and stupidly fast, to the extent that I kept on shooting out the front of the peleton I was in on downhill stretches.

I have not tried them, but I have been told that the Pirelli's are tough but not comfy. The Pathfinders are also tough, but apparently heavy and sluggish.

There seems to be a trade off between comfort and toughness,