Is there anything better than a GravelKing SK?

I'm almost settled on the choice of a 700 x 43C Panaracer GravelKing SK for my Carbonda 696.

It has a pretty good combination of low rolling resistance, low weight, and knob size for off road traction:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews

Any other tires that meet or beat them in those categories that maybe weren't listed there?

Bonus is the SK also handles and corners well on pavement. 

If you ride on sharp gravel areas try and get the GK SK+ . This has additional puncture protection so very robust without much weight penalty.

wtb resolutes are great for rides that are mainly gravel, they handle trails quite well and on 20% graded climbs they hook up without having to dance all over the place to keep the back tire wgted

They have plenty of competitors, but I think at their price point they might be unbeatable.  Only real negative is that they tend to throw up a lot of crap against the frame - especially on something like a crushed limestone trail.  

Of course you can get the slick, the semi-slick, the short knob, the short knob +, etc...

That reminds me to order some protective tape. Do you find they throw debris across the entire downtube or is it limited to one spot in particular?

I tried Gravelking SKs twice and had more puncture issues with them than any other gravel tires I've used.  Could have just been bad luck but I won't buy more anytime soon.  Currently using WTB Ventures and really like them. Has been very puncture resistant and solid traction/grip. I'm guessing probably a bit more rolling resistance than the SKs but I'm not going to be on the podium anytime soon regardless of tire...

RedRambler wrote:puncture issues with them

Did you run them tubeless? What kind of punctures?

Schwalbe Allround in 38c - the lighter version which I think is called the "super ground" now.  These measure 40mm on my 22 ID rims whereas the GK SK 43c's that I had last year measured 41 on the same rims.

IMO, the Allrounds just feel a bit more supple, feel like they roll better, seem more versatile, and don't throw up gravel like the GK's did.  The tiny knobs on the Allrounds really grip far better than one would think.  I put about 1000-2000 miles on each and had no flats or issues with either tire, though.

nellborg wrote:Schwalbe Allround in 38c - the lighter version which I think is called the "super ground" now.  These measure 40mm on my 22 ID rims whereas the GK SK 43c's that I had last year measured 41 on the same rims.

IMO, the Allrounds just feel a bit more supple, feel like they roll better, seem more versatile, and don't throw up gravel like the GK's did.  The tiny knobs on the Allrounds really grip far better than one would think.  I put about 1000-2000 miles on each and had no flats or issues with either tire, though.

but can you get them in purple?

I have not tried the Panaracer GravelKing SK, but I have fallen in love with the Donnelly X'plor MSO as a great multi-surface tire with great puncture resistance, slow wearing of tread & low rolling resistance (which is relative, as I come form a MTB not road background)  I run them old school with tubes. The first set I bought were 700 x 40, after about 2,000 miles and hardly any wear and no flats riding 70% dirt/gravel 30% road/sidewalks I replaced all my gravel tires on three bikes with them.  700 x 36 on my cycle-cross bike, 650 x 50 & 42 rear on a 26 MTB converted to gravel. Just my two cents, after having chronic issues with flats/quick tread wear on WTB Riddlers and Maxxis Ramblers on the same trails & roads.

irideiam wrote:I have not tried the Panaracer GravelKing SK, but I have fallen in love with the Donnelly X'plor MSO as a great multi-surface tire with great puncture resistance, slow wearing of tread & low rolling resistance

Formerly the Clement Xplor MSO. My bike came with them (700c x 40) and they were considered very good tires even back then. I then went 650b and have not touched the 700c wheels since then. I tried Teravail Cannonball 650bx47. No issues. I switched to 2.1 Schwalbe Thunder Burts for the bigger tire size. Love those as well.  I'm not going for podium finishes either, and both of those worked better in the sandy stuff we find in drought-prone central california. 

eric/fresno, ca. 

I'm running the SK+ 38mm tubeless and have had no issues with punctures or rolling resistance. Switched over from WTB riddlers and much prefer the SK+.

I've used the 700c x 43 mm SK, the WTB Nano TCS in 40 mm, and Vittoria's Terreno Dry and Zero in 38 mm, and I have to say I think I liked the SKs the most. I got around 2,500 miles before the rear SK wore down to smooth, and suffered only one puncture that sealed up quickly. I liked that I could run low pressures on them, typically mid to low 30s, without getting draggy on pavement, and even when pressures fell into the 20s there didn't seem to be any negative consequences. On a 21mm ID rim, they measured out to 43 mm, and tubeless setup was not overly difficult with an Airshot. Air retention was great over the course of 1-2 weeks.

My Nanos seemed more puncture prone (two punctures, including one that needed to be plugged), and they were pretty noisy at speed on tarmac.

I currently have a Terreno Dry on the front and a Terreno Zero out back, and while this setup is pretty great, there are some things I miss from the SKs. The Terreno Dry measures 40 mm and the Zero 39 mm on the same rims, and I feel like the lower volume is noticeable as far as comfort. I also feel like the SKs tracked more precisely. The Terrenos however provide comparable traction to the SKs despite being less knobby. Tubeless setup on the Terrenos was much more challenging, needing a compressor, and air retention is not as good as the SKs either.

I will likely go back to the SKs as my next tire, but may consider the Gravel King SS or the new WTB Resolute with SG2 puncture protection.

Just wanted to document something I learned that's pretty interesting, the SK's are quite different when jumping between the 38C and 43C sizes. The vast majority of websites show the 38C (or lower) tire for their product images no matter which size you're selecting.

38C:  43C:  

I love Panaracer in general so I am biased...

But its hard to beat the SK...

I currently ride SK 38 on my gravel wheels 
and
GK slick 32mm on my road wheels

they are fast rolling, durable and just damn work..

my second choice would be Vittoria terrenos
third would be specialized pathfinder pros

Im sure WTB and IRC and all the others are great, but I am a weight weenie and refuse to buy something thats 50grams more a tire over my SKs.    
 

I used to ride on the Panaracer GK slicks but now use the side knobs (SK) variant. The slicks were dreadful and both developed air pockets on the inner side of the tyres. They were almost blister like pockets that trapped the sealant which then caused deformation in tyre shape. Looked like the bonding between the rubbers had failed. Maybe a bad batch? Now running SK 1.75 rear 1.90 front on my slate and they have been superb.

I agree they do flick crap onto the downtube so a bit of helitape helps. Brilliant all-rounder though.