i have a set of 700/42c Specialized Sawtooth tires on my ‘92 Trek 720 multitrack gravel mutt. I am curious to get some opinions on riding the DK 100 on this tire. It seems to be a great tire for me here in Texas, but I have never ridden the Flint Hills. Thanks for your response.
First, that is a really cool bike. I love the way you repurposed it into a gravel machine.
Second, I have not ridden DK, but have ridden some Sawtooth 38s on some gravel events out here in the Mid-Atlantic region. Those tires are relatively heavy (esp the 42s that you've got), but they are also very sturdy, which is good for DK. If you can set them up tubeless, you should definitely do that - both for ride quality and even greater resilience against punctures (use sealant) and pinch flats.
Others will have to weigh in on whether the Sawtooths will have enough traction for DK, but they always worked well for me. As an added benefit, that light tread pattern rolls well on smoother terrain.
Koyote is right. Tubeless is the only way to go. As far as traction goes there are better choices especially is the weather makes for soft roads. If it's dry you will be fine. And don't worry about the weight. I rode last year on 45 Riddlers and I did just fine (well I did have one flat).
I tend to like specialized tires and have experienced about a 1000 miles on some 38c Sawtooths here in Kansas. They are a good tire and have more traction in slop than most will give them credit for. However I found that the captured corner at the center of the tread pattern would collect glass and flint. With sealant this was not a huge problem but would lead to needing to pump them up occasionally on a ride. However that dose not lend a lot of confidence to me that I would want to use them on the DK and have them let me down. I have moved to the Maxxis Rambler 40 and find that they are a better overall choice with no punctures yet in 1500 miles. If your set on sticking with specialized tires I would be looking at the Pathfinders they look promising.
Texasredfish wrote:i have a set of 700/42c Specialized Sawtooth tires on my ‘92 Trek 720 multitrack gravel mutt. I am curious to get some opinions on riding the DK 100 on this tire. It seems to be a great tire for me here in Texas, but I have never ridden the Flint Hills. Thanks for your response.
That's a good option. The fast-rolling Spec Trigger is the winningest tire at DK and the sawtooth even more robust casing albeit slower. Tubeless is key to keep you rolling with the tiny punctures that the flint hills are known for.
That's a good option. The fast-rolling Spec Trigger is the winningest tire at DK and the sawtooth even more robust casing albeit slower. Tubeless is key to keep you rolling with the tiny punctures that the flint hills are known for.
Good luck!
Thanks Super Dave!
I set them up tubeless last night. Now I need to figure out tire pressure. I am a a fair bit heavier than your average cyclist. I'm thinking of starting with 40F/45R
I set them up tubeless last night. Now I need to figure out tire pressure. I am a a fair bit heavier than your average cyclist. I'm thinking of starting with 40F/45R
Trying a variety of pressures is really helpful for getting dialed in with a pressure that feels right for you and the surfaces you encounter most.
I start with this simple guideline:
[my weight in pounds] / [measured tire width in mm] = MAX pressure in BAR(atm)
For example, I'm 185 pounds, ride 28.5mm Turbo Cotton tires (700c x 26c on 20.7mm internal rims) and run 95psi MAX on DRY and SMOOTH surfaces.
