New Gravel tyres - WTB Resolutes to Pirelli gravel M?

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woody0160
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:17 pm

by woody0160

As the title suggests, has anyone gone from Resolutes to Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M?

I'm in Scotland so wet weather performance is a priority. I'm a tan wall tart so they're a must too.

I've loved the Resolutes so far despite a few punctures, but they're a few years old and things (might) have moved on. The Pirellis are much heavier, but probably more puncture proof and less supple? How do they feel on looser gravel?

They'll be fitted to a new set of Mavic Allroad SLs, guess the Pirellis should be straightforward to fit tubeless but remember one Resolute having pretty porous side walls to begin with.

:beerchug:

fourfa
Posts: 107
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:04 am

by fourfa

I have one Gravel M as a front tire. Works well enough on the dry loose-over-hardpack I get locally, very tight sidewall with no leakage compared to every porous WTB I've had. Haven't ridden Resolutes but have a lot of miles on Byways Ventures and Senderos (never impressed, very slow tires)

The Gravel M I've got is pretty stupid heavy - 695g in 650x50, compared to specified 540g. The 700s aren't too far off spec, but every 650 size I've measured myself, or seen measured online, the spec is pure fiction. If I knew I probably would have gone with Pathfinders or whatever. Tire weight isn't everything, but it's definitely not irrelevant to me either

I think Resolutes are 700C only, so probably not as applicable to you

by Weenie


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woody0160
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:17 pm

by woody0160

fourfa wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 9:46 pm
I have one Gravel M as a front tire. Works well enough on the dry loose-over-hardpack I get locally, very tight sidewall with no leakage compared to every porous WTB I've had. Haven't ridden Resolutes but have a lot of miles on Byways Ventures and Senderos (never impressed, very slow tires)

The Gravel M I've got is pretty stupid heavy - 695g in 650x50, compared to specified 540g. The 700s aren't too far off spec, but every 650 size I've measured myself, or seen measured online, the spec is pure fiction. If I knew I probably would have gone with Pathfinders or whatever. Tire weight isn't everything, but it's definitely not irrelevant to me either

I think Resolutes are 700C only, so probably not as applicable to you
Cheers. I'm on 700C but a friend has 650b Resolutes, so they are available.

Biggest concern with the Pirellis is the weight, so a bit concerning the 650 sizes are so much heavier.

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Nohands83
Posts: 259
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:41 am
Location: Leeds, UK

by Nohands83

I used Resolutes over the summer, just changed over to 45mm Pirellis M recently - I'm in Yorkshire so probably similar gravel+ surfaces.
I liked the Resolutes, nice and supple, wasn't particularly impressed with the traction or mud performance - hence changing to the Pirelli's recently.
The Pirelli's are heavy but I've not noticed it, they're not noticeable slower but seem a hell of a lot more durable. I'll be keeping them on the bike over the winter and probably change to something lighter next summer.
For reference, both are 700c on my 23mm internal rims the 45mm Pirelli's come up 46.5mm.
I've set up quite a few pairs of Pirelli tubeless and they're consistently some of the easiest installations I've done.

Rippin
Posts: 618
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2004 9:58 am

by Rippin

I went from Schwalbe Thunder Burts (27.5 x2.1) to Pirelli Gravel M (650b x 50). The Pirellis are good tires but I prefer the grip that the Thunder Burts provide.
I think it's because of the center tread pattern. On the Pirellis the center tread is narrow but the blocks are longer and closely spaced. This provides a fast and smooth ride on pavement and compacted gravel trails, but on really loose or muddy terrain the wheels will slide more easily. The Pirellis are also substantially heavier, but they are tough and don't weep like the Thunder Burts.
I think I'll be trying Rene Herse Juniper Ridge, Teravail Rutland or Soma Cazaderos next - tan sidewalls are a requirement :). I won't be going back to Pirelli Gravel M tires unless they change the center tread pattern.
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woody0160
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:17 pm

by woody0160

Cheers for the replies.

Interesting you find the Pirelli M lacking grip, most reviews seem to think it pretty grippy, think they'll have more bite than the Resolutes though. I find the Resolutes grip fine on gravel but not so much in muddier ruttier stuff, which tbh I tend to avoid anyway.

My top choice would been whatever the appropriate size Rene herse is, hurricane ridge I think. Or the challenge Getaways. But both are so much more expensive here, around 2.5 times the cost of the Pirelli and WTBs.

The Mavic Allroads are just over 100g lighter on the scales (and 5mm wider) than the Hunt X Masons they're replacing and I guess I'll need less sealant for the Pirellis because of the porous Resolute sidewalls, so overall weight shouldn't be hugely different?

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zaykay
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:14 am

by zaykay

I like them a lot. Only negative is the weight. Otherwise bulletproof gravel tires for mixed terrain riding with plenty of grip compared to other similar gravel tires. They are not MTB tires like Thunder Burt, so obviously can't compare the grip.

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