Riding mixed surface is always a tradeoff and you have to know a little about the course to make a good decision. For my two gravel races last year, I rode a Byway up front with a G One Speed on the back for one (about 40/60 pavement/dirt) and a Byway/Conti Race King in the back (20 pavement/80 dirt). I've done some power meter testing with tires and found very little difference between the G-One Speed, WTB Resolute, Conti Race King (2.2) and the G One Allround. Maybe because I do research and try not to buy slow tires they all came close together. When I tested the above tires I used a Conti GP 4000 as a control tire and it was only 2-3 seconds faster over a five minutes course. Now, aerodynamically, you would probably see a difference that I was not testing (between the 25mm road and 42-57mm tires), but the rolling resistance difference was not significant. I also tested a Byway against a Thunder Burt and found them to be a wash in terms of speed. As such, I would probably take the TB if I had tricky dirt downhills and the Byway with more pavement. I thought the Byway would be faster, but then I measured the center tread and it is really thick. The good thing about that is tire life, but it does not roll super fast with so much rubber. The more I do tire testing, the more I ask myself why I would ever want a smaller tire. I love riding 47-57mm tires at 20psi. I don't even bother changing tire pressure anymore after testing tires between 8-50 psi and finding no speed difference. Chad Ind. tire characteristics. G-One Speed in 2.0 Love the cush in this tire but it is not a good front tire for anything but straightline riding with no ruts (it does not climb out of ruts well at all). As a rear tire I used it for a lot of riding and once you get used to the side to side slippage, it is a decent tire for all but really crazy mtb stuff and then when you transition back to the road it is super smooth/fast. G-One allround--38mm Not quite as fast as the speed but pretty capable for a variety of conditions. I stopped riding them when they turned out no faster than my Conti Race Kings. They make for a pretty cushy road tire and once you wear down the center a bit they roll reasonably well. WTB Resolute--A fairly fast rolling tire with good tread. Not bad volume at 42mm but again, why ride a smaller tire with less cush when it is not faster? WTB Byway--This is my go-to mixed surface tire and they last forever. At 47mm they give me enough float when I hit sand, roll well enough on the road and the side tread is enough to hold in ruts and mild cornering, which is about all I need. I suspect they could be a faster tire with a little less center tread (I measured it at 3mm+). WTB Horizon--a reasonable road tire and decent gravel tire with big volume and cush. I rode this in France and was happy for the grip on some sketchy alpine and Pyrennean descents (some in low light). Conti Race King 2.2--not really considered a gravel tire, but frankly, they roll as fast as the gravel tires above and grip much better, plus that black chili is durable. Contrary to the accepted convention, I tested a nearly bald one against a new one and did not notice any difference in speed over the same five minute course at the same wattage. I can run them at 20 psi and they feel so much better than lesser volume tires.
I have run WTB Riddler, Resolute, Terravail Cannonball, Specialized Trigger Pro, Pathfinder, Bontrager GR1 & GR2, and I like the way the Pathfinder rolls the best.
First off I’m new to the forum but also new to gravel (1 year). I come from MTB so take this for what it’s worth. I had a Salsa w WTB’s Nanos and wanted a faster rolling tire for the road and tubeless. I tried the WTB Byway and found it good on pavement but the transition from the smooth center to the knobs in the side made me feel VERY unstable cornering on gravel. Again I'm coming from MTB background so traction was more in my bailiwick. Sold the Salsa and built a Gorilla Monsoon with Schwabe Thunderburts Addix’s. Love them but have been intrigued by the G- Ones as the T a are a little noisy so I agree noise is lose of energy. I’ve always liked the G-Ones and recently had a chance to get a Sate w 650b-38 G ones and feel like they fly on pavement close to a road tire and I was surprised how well the cornered. I have a short steep hill that is my traction test and the TBs kill it but I feel I give up a little on the road. The G-Ones nailed the climb and the road. If I rode pure gravel im not sure the TB isn’t the best I’ve ridden (including slicks and various knobs). If I mixed road and trail I have yet to find something better then the G-One.
That about sums it up for my experience with the G-One and the TB. The TBs corner slow on pavement due to the tall side knobs, but they corner great on dirt. The G-one is a surprsingly good tire (and comes in different tread configurations to meet your needs). Seems like every tire review I read on road.cc, they compare the test tire to the G-one as their benchmark.
ljsmith wrote:Just keep in mind that you can’t judge rolling resistance by tread pattern. Casing design and rubber compound have a much bigger contribution. For instance the Schwalbe Thunder Burt, a mountain bike tire, has less rolling resistance than many smoother threaded tires such as the Compass Bon Jon Pass. I would guess the fastest mixed surface tire is the Schwalbe G One Speed because Schwalbe makes some of the fastest tires and the G One Speed tests very well at Bicycle Rolling Resistance.
This is a good pick for fastest, the G-One is pretty quick. I don’t think that’s true about the Thunder Burt and Compass...they’re kind of close on a big drum test, but all bets are off IRL. I’m not a fan of Compass at all, but it would def be faster in a lot of conditions ... and totally bad idea in gnarly stuff despite some of the odd fairy tales its fanboys would have you believe about its robustness on tough stuff. It’s really hard to compare tires for gravel rolling resistance because surfaces vary so much. and with compass, there have been some odd discrepancies in test results. There’s not much tire there, though, and they are def fast on smooth stuff and pavement.
...also, one of the other posters made a good point about larger GKs not being a serious tradeoff for the faster portions of the course while being a real boost on the soft parts. I had to swap out GK-plus 700c 43 front for a GK non-plus 50mm 650 front part way through Kanza last year and it def felt faster on the big rocks and just as fast on the hardpack. Ive also raced G-One speed 2.0 in the old Liteskin version on a mostly-hardpack race with a long patch of soft sand. The previous years on 40s I sank in and felt like I was losing 50-75 watts, but with the speeds, which measured something like 52 on my wheels, I didn’t even notice the soft parts. it was a big advantage and there was little drawback accept aero. You can also split the difference and mullet it with a larger tire on the rear where most of your weight is, and a smaller one upfront for less drag and less RR on the fast sections.
I’ve been happy with the G-one allaround for mixed-surface riding, but I haven’t tried many other tires. Works great on my usual mix of crappy pavement and maintained dirt roads. Agree that the Conti RaceKing is surprisingly fast for a MTB tire. I had them on my 29er “gravel bike” for many years.
Realize that there are 4 casing layups for the Compass tires - extralight, standard, endurance, and endurance+. Rolling resistance between the four should vary quite a bit because of the difference in the suppleness/stiffness of the casings.
The 38c extralights that I have on one wheelset are extremely supple and ride like cotton casing tubulars, i.e. smooth with very low rolling resistance. I'd be surprised if there is a smoother or faster tubeless gravel tire out there. At lower pressures in the high 20's and low 30's, the extralights are exceptional on gravel and dirt roads. Mine have a couple thousand miles on pretty tame terrain and have held up well. I wouldn't use them at DK, however.
The 44c Compass Endurance layup set that I have on another wheelset I'd rate as average. They ride way differently than the extralights and I don't think they are any faster rolling than standard casing gravel tires like ones mentioned above.
I used to think the 43c GK SK's that I have on another wheelset were smooth and fast rolling until I tried the Compass extralights. I have some G-One All-arounds on the way now and am interested to see what those feel like.
Does the TB test results transfer to real world? The TBs don't seem to loose anything on a straight'ish gravel ride. But if the hills get serious the weight can start to add up. For road riding they corner pretty slow. In spite of the test results, they are not fast on pavement (but not as bad as I expected from a mtb tire).
Fat G-one Speed. They are a nightmare if it is wet. Flotation + mud = danger. It is similar to riding on ice. Other than that, they are amazing (they originally were developed for beach racing).
I often use a larger tire on the front (50-55mmm) for flotation and steering, and a smaller tire on the rear (40mm) for efficient power transfer and lighter weight.
The large GK's are kinda slow and noisy (Not sure about the smaller ones though). While a heavy tire doesn't seem to affect my speed too much on a long ride, it does cut into my endurance.
I think @nellborg is right. The Compass extralights are going to be the fastest on the road and work fine for [at least] light-duty gravel. For races that might involve bigger rocks etc. I'll err on side of caution and use 38mm G-One Allrounds. To be fair, my only flats on Compass have been from man-made artifacts, such as nails in a construction zone. I'm sure a sharp rock can rip them open, though, so I'm considerate.
I use the 44mm Snoqualmie Pass (EL) right now but also have used the 38mm Barlow Pass (and will again when I wear out the SPs). I don't think there's much difference in rolling performance, but the Barlow Pass do feel more neutral handling on my [gravel] bike. The 44mm have a definite difference in steering feel (trail?), but I enjoy the extra cushion for the commute and mixed-surface. And surprisingly the bigger SPs are actually lighter than the BPs -- due to thicker tread on the run of BPs, apparently.
I just bought and received a pair of new Schwalbe G-One Allround tires - got them on sale from Merlin for $36 each, reg. $77 each. Model is the Evo microskin and TLE. 400 grams for the 35c and 460 for the 38c.
The casing does not feel very supple at all. I'm not certain that how stiff the casing in the hand translates to higher rolling resistance, but I would assume that it does. They are way stiffer and thicker than the Compass Extralights.
Does anyone know if this model of Schwalbe is the best/most supple Schwalbe that they make? Or was there a better one that's discontinued?
Recently I've been using the Specialized Pathfinder Pro in 38c. I have few couple hundred miles on them so far. Im using these for every ride, road or off road, here in Boulder. I'm going to race these in St George, UT in March depending on conditions.
Here's my comparison:
Coming from a GK SK 35c (really a 38) the pathfinders are definitely faster rolling with their solid center tread. Even on the road at 35f/40r psi they still feel fast, though i do run them at around 50-60 psi for road only rides.
Their cornering feels on par with the GK SK so far (though i haven't raced on them yet).
The pathfinder does NOT have as good of climbing traction off road, but i expected this.
Braking traction isn't as good off road but great on road.
The pathfinder has good suppleness when air'd down.
They don't pelt your friends in the face constantly with debris😁
nellborg wrote:I just bought and received a pair of new Schwalbe G-One Allround tires - got them on sale from Merlin for $36 each, reg. $77 each. Model is the Evo microskin and TLE. 400 grams for the 35c and 460 for the 38c.
The casing does not feel very supple at all. I'm not certain that how stiff the casing in the hand translates to higher rolling resistance, but I would assume that it does. They are way stiffer and thicker than the Compass Extralights.
Does anyone know if this model of Schwalbe is the best/most supple Schwalbe that they make? Or was there a better one that's discontinued?
it looks like the 38c uses the 100kg casing, the 35c uses the lighter 75kg casing. The casing costs about 2-3w judging by the roadbike.de test.
Ramblers roll very fast given their good traction on hardpack. They have not proven remarkably puncture resistant in my experience however. 5 flats with the 120tpi version at DK200. 60 tpi version more puncture resistant according to Maxxis.
I just got a set of Maxxis Re-Fuse 40c with their Maxxshield, supposedly their toughest road tire. File tread should be fast. I am generally not too concerned about traction gravel races because that's usually not the deciding factor. It's just not getting flats and rolling fast for me. We will see how they work.
Let us know. I’m curious if they roll as well and are as supple. I’d agree on the Ramblers. They are about ideal for me (fast and light), but I don’t get a lot of flats and I wouldn’t use them for a DK.
Still, my ramblers constantly get wet spots in the tread where something has punctured the carcass and then sealed up with sealant. These looked to be pinprick holes, no big deal, but I am reliant on the sealant. If I compare them to Conti 4-seasons (both run a couple thousand miles tubeless) the contis never got a puncture and were comparatively bulletproof.
Generally, a 60tpi tire is going to be more resistant to a gash, as the thread is twice as thick. I have some GP5000 tires in 110 and 60TPI versions (traditional and tubeless respectively) and the 60tpi is visibly a lot beefier.
nellborg wrote:I just bought and received a pair of new Schwalbe G-One Allround tires - got them on sale from Merlin for $36 each, reg. $77 each. Model is the Evo microskin and TLE. 400 grams for the 35c and 460 for the 38c.
The casing does not feel very supple at all. I'm not certain that how stiff the casing in the hand translates to higher rolling resistance, but I would assume that it does. They are way stiffer and thicker than the Compass Extralights.
Does anyone know if this model of Schwalbe is the best/most supple Schwalbe that they make? Or was there a better one that's discontinued?
Its a different tyre to the G-One, but the X-One Allround LE skinwall 35mm is about 330gm. Most of that weight drop probably comes from the sidewall compared to the standard Allround.
Really only suitable for non-sealed roads due to the tread, but to me they are pretty fast and supple, with very good grip hills/corners.
I just mounted the new Alluviums from Kenda. With only one ride in I think these roll at least as well as G Ones (if not better) and gave me more confidence on wet surfaces then the G Ones.
Maxxis Re-Fuse 40c TB00200900 520g, dual compound Maxxshield 60tpi. ~39mm on 23mm internal rim Maxxis Rambler 40c TB00195800 375g dual compound EXO/TR 120tpi ~41mm on same 23mm internal rim Maxxis Rambler 40c TB00200500 420g dual compound Silkshield/TR 60tpi - Haven't tried these
Brief ride on the Re-Fuse. Surprised at the grip even on fine gravel over hardpack. Ride quality, bump absorption good. The Maxxshield sidewalls are noticeably beefier than the 120tpi Exo Ramblers. I imagine the 60tpi Silkshield Ramblers are somewhere in between. Note the 100g increase in weight. That's all casing but even the tread area feels thicker and less flexible than the 120tpi Ramblers. As such, they don't need quite as much air to achieve the same squish. Ramblers were 40-43psi, Re-Fuse are at about 35-38psi to start.
If these prove to be more cut/slash resistant than the 40c Rambler Exo, 35c Michelin Power Gravel or 36c IRC Boken, 40c WTB Nano WCS, 35c Hutchinson Override I have tried, they will be my DK200 and Crusher tire choice. Big ride this weekend, we'll see how they hold up in rocky terrain .
I've ridden a few different patterns to figure out what I like versus the reviews I've read and input from fellow riders. This is just my personal preference.
Vittoria Torreno Dry 2.0 fast rolling, good corner hooking in my opinion Donnelly USH - good rolling tire, a little squishy, but plush on the gravel some bite but not as aggressive as the Torreno. I would pick the USH over a GK Gravel Slinger (SK) any day of the week. GK slicks roll nice, but you sacrifice that speed for cornering
I've seen a few tires with smoother centers and knobs outside pop up over the last few months, but I like the Torreno so much I have 2 sets on 2 different wheelsets.
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