Best dirt / gravel road tires

[gummee]

I guess it all depends on your definition of dirt and/or gravel roads... Right now, most of the dirt roads here in the DC area are pretty smooth. Come spring, they're going to get re-graveled and then riding on em on road tires won't be all that fun. :nah

Me? I'm on some 28c Gatorskins at the smallest and more usually on some 34c Racing Ralphs. I AM on cross bike(s) when I'm riding these tho, that may make a difference. Buddy of mine has Michelin Jets. They seem to roll faster than my RR-s.

I *should* be out riding dirt roads for 4hrs today, but its about 20deg F out and the wind is howling. The couch monster and its evil minions 'the Screw-its' are attacking.

M

[JBV]

They've already been mentioned, but Tufo C Elite Ride 25's. The tubular-clincher model. You can load them with sealant (they work better than clinchers for this since there's no tube) for thorns/glass, and they are as resistant to pinch-flatting as any tubular, perhaps more so because of the lack of a tube. The result is you can run them at way lower pressure than any clincher, meaning a better ride and better traction on dirt and gravel.

I use these for training, my team (we all race road and cx) often take dirt/gravel roads on our training rides. I can absolutely crush on these because of the 25mm size and the lower pressure. I often run them at 50-60psi, try that on a clincher on a dirt/gravel road and you'll pinch at any kind of speed.

My point being, the advantages of running lower pressure more than make up for the lack of a supple casing, and the extra grams. They're not cheap, hard to find for under $79 per tire, but I find the on/off road performance for my riding to be worth it.

[fdegrove]

Hi,

My point being, the advantages of running lower pressure more than make up for the lack of a supple casing, and the extra grams.

That sounds contradictory to me.
You can have lower pressure, more supple casing hence lower crr and less weight in a single tyre.

Ciao,