Absolute Best Top 3 Gravel Bike Tires Regardless of Cost?

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joeg26er
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:40 am

by joeg26er

Hi - trying to put together my dream gravel bike

What do you guys consider as Absolute Best Top 3 Gravel Bike Tires Regardless of Cost?

I saw some reviews of the Schwalbe G1, Maxxis Rambler - any others? Also links to best prices would be awesome too :)

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OnTheRivet
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:41 pm

by OnTheRivet

I've used Ramblers (which were awesome but a bit fragile) Kendas Flintridge (heavy and slow) and currently on Hutchinson Overides. The Hutchinsons are awesome, fast as heck and durable. Not much tread but I've never been convinced that lots of big knobs makes all that much difference unless youre riding slippery singletrack. Fast fire roads , tread just isn't that important.

Marin
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Pacenti Pari-Moto tubeless, Gravelking tubeless, Gravelking SK tubeless

Fisherfreerider
Posts: 269
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:19 am

by Fisherfreerider

I have recently spent some time on the new Bontrager GR1 and am really liking it. Previously used the WTB Riddler and it is a pretty awesome tire.

DutchMountains
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:16 pm

by DutchMountains

Compass Extra Light, as wide as will fit.

spud
Posts: 1266
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:52 am

by spud

define what you want the tire to do, and that will help you figure out what is best. The best tire for gravel/cinder roads will by definition not be great in mud or soft dirt, and vice versa. I rode Flintridge on the road for a while, and found them very slow. They were OK but not great in mud, and fine in soft dirt. Now riding WTB Exposure, which are great on the road, on ginder/gravel, and OK in soft dirt. A non starter in mud though.

morganb
Posts: 732
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 5:30 pm

by morganb

Gravel King SK has become my go to tire. Its durable enough to ride railroad stones, rolls quick enough on the road, and hooks up in everything but mud. I was on Compass for a while and happy with them but found that the capabilities of my bike exceeded the tires when I got into real backcountry riding, where as the limit of traction off road and on steep stuff is higher with the SKs.

britter440
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:21 pm

by britter440

The Gravel King SK and WTB Resolute are generally touted as having the best rolling resistance. I like the resolutes a bit better, but they only come in a single size. So I own a set of resolutes for the loose/wet stuff and pair of gravel kings for the better days.

jfranci3
Posts: 1572
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:21 pm

by jfranci3

There is no best. A thin Compass tire that's fast one day might get punctures the next. It depends on what you're riding. For some conditions, a 30mm road time is fast, others a fatter tire with a little tread helps, and others need fatter tires still. The softer or rougher the surface, the fatter, lower pressure tire you need. Buy decent tires and run what your brought.

I did a ride in Michigan last year with hard unsurfaced roads on 43c GK tubeless. It was clear the 30c road slicks were faster until you hit the occasional patch of sand. The road tire bikes would lose momentum instantly and the fat tire bikes would almost run into the back of you. I'd say 40c slicks/light tread have the fewest compromises as long as you're on unpaved automobile roads, smooth trails, and for general travel. 30c is fine for known conditions with long paved areas where you'll get some speed going.
I've tried Bontrager 32mm CX3 (slow), Clement / Donnelly USH 35c 120tpi, and GK SK Tubeless 43c & 38c. The GKs are faster in every condition except wet mud, a lot faster in most conditions (1 min faster on a 7 min strava segment with a loose top surface) .

zmjones
Posts: 182
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:55 am
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by zmjones

schwalbe g-one. which version/width depending on conditions. the schwalbe compound is much better imo than panaracer (compass), wtb, or maxxis. they setup tubeless easily, aren't particularly puncture prone, and handle pavement well too.

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Miller
Posts: 2764
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Reading, UK

by Miller

In this dry British summer I've been riding Schwalbe G1 Bite in 38mm and have got on with them very well. Rolls well, grippy on stones, durable, but not good in sand or mud. I have an event tomorrow morning which will be on forested tracks and, now it's November, I'm expecting mud so I have swapped in a pair of X-Ones.

Finx
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:14 am

by Finx

You can't choose a 'best' tire without defining details about where you are riding, how heavy you are, how fast and far you ride, etc...

I have three sets of wheels for my gravel bike. One with 650b 47mm WTB ByWays, one with 700c/30mm Schawble G1 Speeds, and another that I swap out with various sizes of gravel kings for various terrains.

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wheelsONfire
Posts: 6283
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

Agree with the guys above, there is no best tire. All depends on what you put as prio one, two etc.
Do you ride alot of trail, tarmac, trails or??
650B tires/ wheels is a good idea, you can both fit fatter tires one here aswell as quite fast tires.
You get more plush go here over 700c versions
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

by Weenie


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froze
Posts: 430
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 3:47 am

by froze

I agree with the Gravel King tires as well as a very good option. I didn't like the Maxxis Rambler I though the tire was too thin and the knobs were sort of weird. Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss is great tire as well which is similar to the Kenda Flintridge Pro, in fact they're so close I think they're the same tire but maybe not. I don't care much for the knobby tire stuff, sure they may have a bit more traction, but if I can ride a smooth 700c x 23 on gravel I don't need a knobby tire for a wider tire on gravel! Probably the best tire is the Donnelly X'plor but that dang thing is too expensive, but it has the best puncture resistance so far on the market.

Of those tires I leaned toward the Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss, it rolls very nicely on any surface, and it seems to respond to change of directions quickly, I haven't noticed any cuts on the tire like I did on a couple of others after a thousand miles, and no sharp pointy stuff has penetrated yet. Value wise though you can't beat the Panaracer Gravelking though, that's a heck of a deal for a pretty well made tire though it doesn't seem to roll as well as the Specialized but again it's cheaper by almost half the price over the Specialized.

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