Gravel tyres

[robbo mcs]

I'm 64kg. I on 38mm tyres run 35f no issues. However, really can't get lower than 40r. I have a reasonably upright setup, so my front/rear weight split is probably more rear biased than many others I think.

Obviously the tyre size is hugely important as well.I think those of us that are lightweights can get away with running slightly smaller tyres

[Mr Purple]

Just put Tufo Thunderos on for next week's event. 40mm running at 35 PSI.

They are absolutely amazing. Crazy fast - I actually smashed a heap of my road bike PBs on the flat tarmac bits home despite pushing a headwind home - 36km/hr+.

[warthog1]

Just put Tufo Thunderos on for next week's event. 40mm running at 35 PSI.

They are absolutely amazing. Crazy fast - I actually smashed a heap of my road bike PBs on the flat tarmac bits home despite pushing a headwind home - 36km/hr+.

I hope you have a better experience on punctures than we have had here. Multiple flats.
It may be our flinty gravel here. However I did have a stick punch through the tread on a speedero.
There are a few on the ww forum who like them.

[Mr Purple]

Given the second time I ride them will be a 161km race so do I!

Was tempted to put the default gravel racing Specialized Pathfinder Pro on but we’ll see how it goes.

[warthog1]

It is on a rail trail I think?
If so I am sure they will be fine and fast.
It is only the rougher, sharper stuff that hurts them here.

[Mr Purple]

Yep. It should be ok, and honestly I don't think I can really blame any tyres for punctures out there, it's just fate.

My GR1's punctured first time out, but I've done 160km out there on Vittoria Terreno dry without an issue. If that rock's got your name on it, it's got your name on it.

The Specialized may be more puncture resistant but I'd imagine with the wrong rock they'd also go.

[Mr Purple]

It is on a rail trail I think?
If so I am sure they will be fine and fast.
It is only the rougher, sharper stuff that hurts them here.

And you nailed it - punctured a rear Tufo Thundero today after all of 270km. Not a distinct rock hit either, just let go on landing a small jump.

Also discovered the plug kit I had been carrying was rubbish and couldn't plug it. So a tube in now and I'll take it off and put a Vittoria Terreno back on today.

Lucky I made it through the BVRT E2E. I'll order some Specialized Pathfinders now. Also noticed both Bontrager Paradigm factory wheels seem a mile out of true.

[warthog1]

Yeah it's a pity. They grip and roll well and not too exxy. Just fragile ime.

[Mr Purple]

I don't mind a puncture if I was doing something stupid/saw a rock and hit it.

This was a 'no particular reason' puncture. That's a dealbreaker for me.

[warthog1]

Nobody in our gravel group will use them now.
Courtney double punctured on them (ie f and r) during a gravel race.
Weak carcass it seems.

[Retrobyte]

Also noticed both Bontrager Paradigm factory wheels seem a mile out of true.

You must be bunny hopping a lot - or is it just your massive wattage twisting them out of shape?

I have these on my gravel commuter and they've been bulletproof so far, even with my 95kg and loaded up for work. But I'm not landing any jumps (or attempting any)

[Mr Purple]

Also noticed both Bontrager Paradigm factory wheels seem a mile out of true.

You must be bunny hopping a lot - or is it just your massive wattage twisting them out of shape?

I have these on my gravel commuter and they've been bulletproof so far, even with my 95kg and loaded up for work. But I'm not landing any jumps (or attempting any)

I do spend a bit of time in the air, but wouldn't think anything too extreme!

My bad actually, it was just that the rear Tufo I had to tube on the trail hadn't seated properly. Two seconds with an actual track pump fixed it.

Have some Specialized Pathfinder Pro S-Works on the way. Might need some lighter wheels to make maximum use of them.

Half thinking I should get a cheap alloy set of 650b wheels and stick 50mm tyres on them for laughs.

[warthog1]

Have some Specialized Pathfinder Pro S-Works on the way. Might need some lighter wheels to make maximum use of them.

Got a link at a reasonable price?
They have a good rep. I'd give them a go.
The g one rs are popular here but not cheap.

[Mr Purple]

Got a link at a reasonable price?
They have a good rep. I'd give them a go.
The g one rs are popular here but not cheap.

They're the same price everywhere - so I just bought them direct from Specialized.

$90 apiece, only $10 more than the 'Pro' version and 100g lighter.

[warthog1]

thanks.

[warthog1]

Swapped out the rear Pirelli cinturato h today. Cleaned my bike after yesterday's ride and found sealant on the seat tube and post.
The tyres been on there a while and has been plugged once and also patched once. Heaps of cuts and nicks on it.
So swapped in a gravel king sk. Have had one on the front for over 12 months and it's been problem free. They are just a bit difficult to seat.
Decided to try putting sealant in via the bead rather than the valve.
Maybe not a good tyre to try it with.
Got there with my workshop compressor eventually, but it wasn't a clean process.
I hope I get better at it as I will probably keep using SKs. They grip well, roll reasonably well and are the toughest gravel tyre I've yet used.
Haven't had one on the back yet and BRR review doesn't rate the puncture resistance. My front one still looks great though, no real cuts or splits and it has been there for 3 or 4 rear tyres.

[warthog1]

Well I've read people banging on about panaracer gravelking sk's.
I figured yeah whatever, they've been around a while and people have just got accustomed to them.
Starting to reassess that. Maybe they are good and they are praising them for good reason.
The front has been on there a few thousand k's, but hey it is a front tyre, they get an easier time of it.
Keeps on keeping on though and not a hint of a puncture with good feels and grip.
The back has only been on there a few hundred k so far but yep, good feel and good grip. Thus far bullet proof like the front has been.
They don't test exceptionally on BRR for puncture resistance but I have had other tyres that test better, that have been fragile (I'm looking at you Tufo). Not sure the BRR puncture score correlates with gravel conditions.
Anyway, I will report back how they progress, but very happy so far

[blizzard]

Well I've read people banging on about panaracer gravelking sk's.
I figured yeah whatever, they've been around a while and people have just got accustomed to them.
Starting to reassess that. Maybe they are good and they are praising them for good reason.
The front has been on there a few thousand k's, but hey it is a front tyre, they get an easier time of it.
Keeps on keeping on though and not a hint of a puncture with good feels and grip.
The back has only been on there a few hundred k so far but yep, good feel and good grip. Thus far bullet proof like the front has been.
They don't test exceptionally on BRR for puncture resistance but I have had other tyres that test better, that have been fragile (I'm looking at you Tufo). Not sure the BRR puncture score correlates with gravel conditions.
Anyway, I will report back how they progress, but very happy so far

I have GravelKing SS on my XC for wet commuting and rail trails. I have had 3 different tyres and 2 seated easily and one was a PIA to seat, makes me think they tolerances aren't great. The tyres themselves ride nicely and are quick, noticeably quicker than the Maxxis Detonators they replaced.

[biker jk]

My GravelKing SKs seated first time with a compressor but neded sealant to hold air (not a surprise given how easily they mounted).

[warthog1]

Nice Biker, I had trouble with them on 2 sets of wheels but got there. Once seated, fine.

Haven't tried the gravelking ss yet Blizzard. They look worth a try though.
Have a set of gravelking slicks (TLC) on my WR50s currently. They ride nicely but are a pretty light and thin tyre. Done a little bit of dirt on them and fine so far.

Interesting comparison here I just noticed on BRR
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.co ... el-king-ss

[Mr Purple]

Reinstalling my (patched) Tufo Thundero onto my rear wheel today - just trying to get some value out of it before I put the new wheels on.

So far I’m up to three patches and it’s still leaking somewhere. This in a tyre that did all of 300km, mainly on the very smooth BVRT.

Do not recommend!

[Mr Purple]

And it just gets worse.

300km and that tyre needed a total of four patches to even bead properly. And even then it was initially leaking sealant in a further three places. So seven punctures in 300km.

Having said that it's already stopped leaking, and I only noticed the last one!

Not a rave review on the Tufo Thundero but an excellent testament to Orange Seal. There's a couple more BVRT KOMs I'll take on these ones (they're perfect for long, flat stuff) but I'll put the S-Works Pathfinders on the new wheels in anticipation.

[Mr Purple]

I should have known.

That repaired tyre lasted all of 38km before puncturing on exactly the same track at the same spot it punctured last time I rode that way to work.

Straight through the sidewall. Inevitably it wouldn't plug, but then the pump also bent the valve stem and the tube failed. So I had to walk the rest of the way.

One Tufo Thundero headed straight for the bin. Appalling.

[warthog1]

I should have known.

That repaired tyre lasted all of 38km before puncturing on exactly the same track at the same spot it punctured last time I rode that way to work.

Straight through the sidewall. Inevitably it wouldn't plug, but then the pump also bent the valve stem and the tube failed. So I had to walk the rest of the way.

One Tufo Thundero headed straight for the bin. Appalling.

Yes nobody here, where I live, uses them anymore. Too fragile.
Yet on the ww forum some seem to sing their glowing praises.
Never again on my bike.

[Mr Purple]

I think they would be a great gravel tyre if you never used them to actually ride on gravel.

They might actually have a use justification somewhere. Maybe somewhere with really, really smooth gravel roads. They are lightening fast, after all. Accidentally set a Daisy Hill top 10 on a reco day today.

What was most disappointing was the failure of the various methods of repair. The Slug Plug tool was useless, the Chris King tubeless valvestem immediately bent on inflation and I still don't know why the new tube had a hole in it.

Ah well. Better to find out then than on some backwoods trail in the middle of nowhere with the ominous sound of banjos somewhere in the background.

Put a Cinturato H 45mm on the back. It looks like it'll survive the apocalypse.