Looking through the tire finder tool on this site and not really seeing much comparable alternatives to the Panaracer Gravelking slicks?
I'm about 800 miles into my first set 700x38 slicks 80% pathed, 20% gravel and the center tread on my rear is worn and feeling pretty slippery.
Seems pretty short life? Maybe that's why their so light? They are cheap so replacing is not that big of deal - though if I pay double the price for the double the wear life that's pretty good too.
I don't really want to added 150g per tire, but maybe something that wears a bit better? I'm tempted by the Vittoria Terreno Zeros - as I heard the Graphene compound wears a lot better - but they are about 150g heavier. The Compass I believe is made by Panaracer - so I think they are likely the same tire? What are good slick alternatives?
smoothmoose wrote:The Compass I believe is made by Panaracer - so I think they are likely the same tire? What are good slick alternatives?
Not sure why people say this. Its like saying we all ride the same bike because they all come from the same factory in Taiwan.
But yeah, both of those are designed to be light and fast, not to wear well. Maxxis refuse might work better for ya (as well as WTB) - like Volsung said. Not a ton to choose from in that size and shape. You could try a touring tire. I've used Schwalbe G-One all around and speed - and those perform like slicks (especially the speed). Not sure how well they'll wear though.
Volsung wrote:WTB has some new Byways in 700c, but I haven't tried them. Also Maxxis has Refuse and Velocity ARs.
I have maybe 2k miles on my GKs and they're pretty smooth too. I plan on retiring them in a few weeks. when the snow hits.
Ah - didn't know WTB put out 700c versions now. That's a great option. I've felt the 650b versions of both Byways and Horizons and the center tread is definitely thicker than the GK.
Yeah, what @chas said re: Compass and Panaracer. Other than both being slicks, those tires are completely different (this is immediately obvious if you hold the GK slick next any of the Compass tires). While I'd agree that Compass are not designed with durability as #1 concern, they do seem to last me a long time. I'd have to go check my Strava equipment log, but I believe I'm getting 2k on a rear tire before the tread is thin enough that the sealant is doing regular work to keep things rolling.
The G-One is a fast tire. But I commute on Compass tires, do the "lighter" gravel races with them --- and now race 'cross on them too. I'll try out one of the endurance casings for my next more-gnarly gravel race; right now I'd use a G-One for those races, as the sidewalls are tougher (and probably the tread is also more puncture resistant).
Tread is only part of the speed factor. Kojaks *look* fast but they're not. Resolutes *look* slow but they're not. Compasses *look* like they won't explode next to my ear but they did.
Yeah - hard to say with all factors that contribute to speed and rolling resistance...and rolling resistance measured on a steel drum doesn't tell much of the truth either. I'm also getting skeptical of aero or bulk weight claims - I barely notice any difference when I drop 15lbs of anti-aero commuting gear off my bike.
I have new carbon wheels coming that will drop 600g off my current wheelset! We'll see how much difference that makes.
But still - would like to have fast semi-durable tire. I may just get another set of the GK slicks. The color combos they offer definitely can't be matched.
I’ve currently got 1200 miles on a set of Compass Bon Jons which are supposed to be 35’s, that measure out at 38 on my 21 internal width rims. They are a fast slick on pavement, and I’ve had no issues on gravel with them. I would estimate that I will get around 2,000 on the rear tire before replacement.
I previously was using 38 Challenge Gravel Race which is a file tread. Compound is pretty soft, so they wear better on gravel than pavement, but they were fast, though with some loaded touring on pavement, the rear was worn smooth by 1100 miles.
As long as you're not getting colored GKs the price is hard to beat. I've seen them as low as 30 bucks per tire. My white and black ones have had 0 problems and 0 flats, but I paid extra for the purdy colors.
I’ve currently got 1200 miles on a set of Compass Bon Jons which are supposed to be 35’s, that measure out at 38 on my 21 internal width rims. They are a fast slick on pavement, and I’ve had no issues on gravel with them. I would estimate that I will get around 2,000 on the rear tire before replacement.
I previously was using 38 Challenge Gravel Race which is a file tread. Compound is pretty soft, so they wear better on gravel than pavement, but they were fast, though with some loaded touring on pavement, the rear was worn smooth by 1100 miles.
So the compass and Challenge were pretty similar for you? or did you notice any difference?
I've had a set of Soma Supple Vitesse EX 42C tires for over a year. Not sure how many miles, but probably around 1000 or so. The rear is getting pretty bald (no more texture), but no major issues with flats, aside from normal stuff. These tires are SUPPLE!!! And pretty lightweight, for 42s. Bit more expensive than the GKs, but you can sometimes get deals with Soma that bring them down a bit. I was going to try out their Shikoro tires if I ran into too many flats, but I haven't needed to.
So the compass and Challenge were pretty similar for you? or did you notice any difference?
The compass was a little more supple/fast feeling. I wouldn’t call it light years apart though. I have been quite surprised that for the light weight of the compass, that I was getting more mileage out of them.
I've used the Byway (in 650b version) and I can attest that it is a long wearing tire. I've had mine for months and it is not showing any signs of wear. It is not as fast a tire as I thought it would be with a smooth center tread. I tested it against my Thunder Burt and it was pretty much a wash. Afterwards I was sort of feeling the tire and then measured the thickness in the center of the tread and it is close to 3mm, which seems like a lot. It will last a long time, but it is not super fast as a road-ish tire.
If I did not have sand issues (I do), I would run the new Conti 5000tl in 32 mm. I've been trying it out on a bit more dirt and it is a really durable tire but at 31 mm on my 21 internal rim at 45 psi, it bogs down in all the sandy spots. However, if you ride 80 percent road, it will be a smokin' fast tire compared to most 'gravel' tires and it smooths out the bumps very well.
ccand51997 wrote:I've used the Byway (in 650b version) and I can attest that it is a long wearing tire. I've had mine for months and it is not showing any signs of wear. It is not as fast a tire as I thought it would be with a smooth center tread. I tested it against my Thunder Burt and it was pretty much a wash. Afterwards I was sort of feeling the tire and then measured the thickness in the center of the tread and it is close to 3mm, which seems like a lot. It will last a long time, but it is not super fast as a road-ish tire.
If I did not have sand issues (I do), I would run the new Conti 5000tl in 32 mm. I've been trying it out on a bit more dirt and it is a really durable tire but at 31 mm on my 21 internal rim at 45 psi, it bogs down in all the sandy spots. However, if you ride 80 percent road, it will be a smokin' fast tire compared to most 'gravel' tires and it smooths out the bumps very well.
Interesting. My Thunder burts are slow on the road (for my quiver at least - they are very fast for what they are), but on the rolling resistance tests they are only 4 watts behind the best gravel tires. Certainly in dirt, I can't complain about the speed.
Comparatively the GP5000 is smoking fast if you are on hardpack or pavement (our hardpack is often smother than our pavement anyway).
Because I run a 29 rear/27.5 front, I have yet to compare my Byway/TB with my other tires. I'm extrapolating some guesses from my testing combined with the BRR website. The TB's were a little faster than the Conti Race King Protection and in my testing, the RK Protection was a wash when compared to three other tires I tested; the Schwalbe G-One Allround 38mm, WTB Resolute 42mm and an old G-One Speed in 2.0. The Speed came in almost exactly tied with my RK Protection that I wore down most of the center knobs. I tested them with tubes so I could swap them, but I wonder if the Speed would have been faster tubeless compared to a tubeless RKP because it was definitely a thinner, more flexible tire. Maybe a tube affects the Speed more than the RK. So the Byway scored about even with the TB in my testing when I expected it would be a bit more like a road tire. I suspect it is because the TB casing and centerline feels a lot more supple than the Byway, which has a thick center tread as I mentioned.
ccand51997 wrote:Because I run a 29 rear/27.5 front, I have yet to compare my Byway/TB with my other tires. I'm extrapolating some guesses from my testing combined with the BRR website. The TB's were a little faster than the Conti Race King Protection and in my testing, the RK Protection was a wash when compared to three other tires I tested; the Schwalbe G-One Allround 38mm, WTB Resolute 42mm and an old G-One Speed in 2.0. The Speed came in almost exactly tied with my RK Protection that I wore down most of the center knobs. I tested them with tubes so I could swap them, but I wonder if the Speed would have been faster tubeless compared to a tubeless RKP because it was definitely a thinner, more flexible tire. Maybe a tube affects the Speed more than the RK. So the Byway scored about even with the TB in my testing when I expected it would be a bit more like a road tire. I suspect it is because the TB casing and centerline feels a lot more supple than the Byway, which has a thick center tread as I mentioned.
Wow...you running mullet on your gravel bike? Alleviate toe overlap?
Really hard to measure tires objectively in real world conditions. I'm just got my new wheelset....almost 700g lighter than my stock wheelset. Will first swap my GK over to see if the rotational mass thing is noticeable or not, before deciding on new rubber. If I don't really notice a difference - maybe I'll go with heavier rubber.
Wow...you running mullet on your gravel bike? Alleviate toe overlap?
Really hard to measure tires objectively in real world conditions. I'm just got my new wheelset....almost 700g lighter than my stock wheelset. Will first swap my GK over to see if the rotational mass thing is noticeable or not, before deciding on new rubber. If I don't really notice a difference - maybe I'll go with heavier rubber.
I'm running 50mm front, 40mm rear - cause thats about the biggest I can put on my bike (and it slackens out the headtube a little - (well, its a big difference in trail compared to running 28mm tires).
The best way I have found is to get real world performance data is to ride with a fast group on a regular basis. It makes things pretty clear. On the road I can easily tell a difference. Off road - not so much on speed - just a bit on weight.
If you find that you can't feel a 700 gram (1.54 pound) difference in weight on your wheels, it really calls into question your ability to evaluate anything. The difference should be very obvious. Just sayin'...
The best way I have found is to get real world performance data is to ride with a fast group on a regular basis. It makes things pretty clear. On the road I can easily tell a difference. Off road - not so much on speed - just a bit on weight.
Lol. I don't do roadie group rides. Most of my weekend is on MTB and during the week I commute and take the gravel sideroad once in awhile.
I got some roadies from my CrossFit gym that do Tris as a sideshow. Really a misfit group for roadies - bigger stronger guys that can throw 300 pounds over their heads in spandex. Might be fun joining them once in awhile.
