Gravel tire rolling resistance tested

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jfranci3
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by jfranci3

Note: Tested on Schwalbe's smooth roller
https://www.rennrad-news.de/news/gravel ... test-2021/
Rolling resistance 23 km / h Tubeless with 2.5 bar (36psi - lower pressure)
G-One R 15.1 watts
G-One Bite 16,3 Watt
Terra Trail 21,0 Watt
Rambler 18,7 Watt
Byway 23,5 Watt
Pirelli M 18,8 Watt
Terreno Dry 20,0 Watt
Zipp G40 / Hutchenson Toureg 21,6 Watt


35c @ 4bar
Pirelli H 14,6 Watt
Terra Speed 13,0 Watt
GK SS 18,7 Watt
Last edited by jfranci3 on Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

I just used TerraSpeed @ BWR... really good tire and handled the sandy parts very well.
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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

spdntrxi wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:33 pm
I just used TerraSpeed @ BWR... really good tire and handled the sandy parts very well.
Do you feel the Terra Speeds were the right choice over something like 33mm or 36mm Challenge Strada Bianca Pros? I used 35mm Terra Speeds at Huffmaster and they were fastish on pavement, but so don’t think the knobs helped much in the silty corners on the last descent.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

definitely fatish on pavement.. wonderful in the sand though. Sandy bandy was not as sandy as past years, but I cruised though, I mean the rear was sliding around a little but felt enough in control. It rained the night before so at first it was hero dirt, but it dried out with the heat. I didn't bomb anything, but riding these tires in slity pleasanton ridge I know not to push them like tires with larger knobs.

I did wafer.. so dirt to road ratio is much higher then waffle.
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jfranci3
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by jfranci3

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:18 pm
spdntrxi wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:33 pm
I just used TerraSpeed @ BWR... really good tire and handled the sandy parts very well.
Do you feel the Terra Speeds were the right choice over something like 33mm or 36mm Challenge Strada Bianca Pros? I used 35mm Terra Speeds at Huffmaster and they were fastish on pavement, but so don’t think the knobs helped much in the silty corners on the last descent.
The gravel stretches they use are hand picked for more roadies tires, but the gravel in that area is an inch of dry powder sand over hardpack with lots of water grooves. With the steep pitches, you'd need 45c+ tire levels of float and knobs to make a difference.

I took 30c gone Speeds and 38c Terra Speeds out there on vacation, and the 38c tires at 40psi were a must for the gravel / minimum for a dedicated day out. With the road sections being 3/4 of the ride, a really fast all road tire (gone speed, Challenge strada) would probably be the best setup, they can be aero, roll well on the road, take a rock, but then you'd have to just deal with the tricky parts.

OnTheRivet
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by OnTheRivet

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:18 pm
spdntrxi wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:33 pm
I just used TerraSpeed @ BWR... really good tire and handled the sandy parts very well.
Do you feel the Terra Speeds were the right choice over something like 33mm or 36mm Challenge Strada Bianca Pros? I used 35mm Terra Speeds at Huffmaster and they were fastish on pavement, but so don’t think the knobs helped much in the silty corners on the last descent.
Ive done BWR 3 times. First, 2014 on my Ridley cyclocross bike with Vittoria Pave's and Latex tubes. Second year on My Niner cyclocross with Hutchinson 28mm Tubeless and third year on my Canyon road bike with Scwalbe Pro's 28 tubeless. Never flatted. Was signed up this year but got hurt. Was going to run 30mm GP5000's. If you are a competent bike driver stick with the fastest slick you feel comfotable on. The place where everybody used to flat (2014-2019) in Lake Hodges has been graded so most of the sharp rocks are gone.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

jfranci3 wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:18 pm
Note: Tested on Schwalbe's smooth roller
https://www.rennrad-news.de/news/gravel ... test-2021/
Rolling resistance 23 km / h Tubeless with 2.5 bar (36psi - lower pressure)
G-One R 15.1 watts
G-One Bite 16,3 Watt
Terra Trail 21,0 Watt
Rambler 18,7 Watt
Byway 23,5 Watt
Pirelli M 18,8 Watt
Terreno Dry 20,0 Watt
Zipp G40 / Hutchenson Toureg 21,6 Watt


35c @ 4bar
Pirelli H 14,6 Watt
Terra Speed 13,0 Watt
GK SS 18,7 Watt

It looks like the 4bar results were at 23km/h, but with tubes.

jfranci3
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by jfranci3

I was trying to get closest like-for-like, so I quoted the 23kph test w/ tubes. The other test was 30kph, so that'd throw the numbers off even more vs the 38-40c tires.

Looks like they added a 33c X-one to the test - https://www.rennrad-news.de/news/schwal ... elated-box Looks like it rolls about the same as the Contri Terra Speed. The knobs negate any aero, so probably not a BWR option as you might as well go 35-38c.

scoobydrew
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by scoobydrew

jfranci3 wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:18 pm
Note: Tested on Schwalbe's smooth roller
https://www.rennrad-news.de/news/gravel ... test-2021/
Rolling resistance 23 km / h Tubeless with 2.5 bar (36psi - lower pressure)
G-One R 15.1 watts
G-One Bite 16,3 Watt
Terra Trail 21,0 Watt
Rambler 18,7 Watt
Byway 23,5 Watt
Pirelli M 18,8 Watt
Terreno Dry 20,0 Watt
Zipp G40 / Hutchenson Toureg 21,6 Watt


35c @ 4bar
Pirelli H 14,6 Watt
Terra Speed 13,0 Watt
GK SS 18,7 Watt
Thanks for sharing this link!

I'm researching which tires I want to eventually replace my 700x40 Pirelli Gravel H when the time comes. I've been very happy with these within the past 1000 miles (1600km). Rolls very fast on the road as reviews have shown. I ride about 60% road and 40% gravel. I've had zero punctures on gravel, and only one puncture on the road from a screw. Decent grip on gravel. Only things I don't like are difficult mounting/installation and they're a bit heavy (~495g each on my scale).

I don't mind buying another set of Pirelli Gravel H, but would like to try other options too.

Seems like some comparable options include:
Conti Terra Speed (700x40 - 465g/ea for black/black)
Specialized Pathfinder Pro (700x38 - 480g/ea)
Schwalbe G-One R (700x40 - 480g/ea)

Terra Speed seems the fastest overall from multiple tests and reviews from different sources, with the Pirelli Gravel H not too far behind. The consensus seems to be that they wear out quickly.
Pathfinder Pro rolling resistance seems to be very similar to the Gravel H, but better puncture resistance. With a smaller 38mm size, it still as heavy as the other tires.
G-One R again seems to be similar in rolling resistance, but I need to do more research on this tire.

My priorities are - low rolling resistance on pavement, then off-road grip, then puncture resistance, then weight.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

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Marin
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by Marin

scoobydrew wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:35 pm
My priorities are - low rolling resistance on pavement, then off-road grip, then puncture resistance, then weight.



Conti Terra have a horrible ride.

Vredestein Aventura (if you can get them) are the best alternative to Pirellis, and they have the smoothest ride you can get with puncture protection.

jfranci3
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by jfranci3

scoobydrew wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:35 pm


Seems like some comparable options include:
Conti Terra Speed (700x40 - 465g/ea for black/black)
Specialized Pathfinder Pro (700x38 - 480g/ea)
Schwalbe G-One R (700x40 - 480g/ea)

Terra Speed seems the fastest overall from multiple tests and reviews from different sources, with the Pirelli Gravel H not too far behind. The consensus seems to be that they wear out quickly.
Pathfinder Pro rolling resistance seems to be very similar to the Gravel H, but better puncture resistance. With a smaller 38mm size, it still as heavy as the other tires.
G-One R again seems to be similar in rolling resistance, but I need to do more research on this tire.

My priorities are - low rolling resistance on pavement, then off-road grip, then puncture resistance, then weight.
On the off-road side, are you in a place with more jagged rocks or mud? These are all crap in the mud. The Terra Speed and G-One R are not really great at cornering on loose surfaces as they lack meaningful cornering knobs. The G-One Allaround is more comparable to the Terra Speed, as a road tire that goes a bit into the loose stuff; the G-One R is made for Unbound Kansas (aka DK200) conditions where you're trying to fend off sharp rocks, giving up with mud (bite) or road rolling resistance (Allaround). Unless the G-One R has less base rubber on it than the allaround, it should roll the same. The Pathfinder, R, and BIte probably corner better on fine/loose than the Allaround/TerraSpeed.

Note that the test above is done on Schwalbe's smooth roller at high pressures, which favors less knobby tires and doesn't compress the tire as much. Bicycle rolling resistance uses a roughened roller, which is probably more relevent.
Conti Terra have a horrible ride.
What? They're the same as any thin sidewall gravel tire.

Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

jfranci3 wrote:
Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:44 pm
What? They're the same as any thin sidewall gravel tire.
I sold mine on after 2 rides. They're fast, but not smooth at all - just like their road tires.

I realize this is currently mostly subjective as there are very few tests dealing with vibration/harshness, but to me the ride quality difference to Vredestein/Panaracer/Herse was *huge*.

fizzaz
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by fizzaz

The Pathfinders are the greatest gravel tire currently made for almost everyone. They aren't as fast as some, but they are simply the best. They should be the benchmark for gravel tires on the same level as the GP5ks on road. I've got 2.5 seasons on them. I normally race road on weekends and train on the 42s during the week. I've done seriously rough trail and 100 mile rides all the same tire and pressure. They just can't be beaten for how smooth they are and durable.

ToileySiphon
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by ToileySiphon

fizzaz wrote:The Pathfinders are the greatest gravel tire currently made for almost everyone. They aren't as fast as some, but they are simply the best. They should be the benchmark for gravel tires on the same level as the GP5ks on road. I've got 2.5 seasons on them. I normally race road on weekends and train on the 42s during the week. I've done seriously rough trail and 100 mile rides all the same tire and pressure. They just can't be beaten for how smooth they are and durable.
How much slower would those tires be on asphalt vs let's say 28mm GP5000?

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