Loading…
Volsung wrote:the biggest Panaracer Gravelking slicks that your frame can handle.\nYep
Wider is better if you are cruising. I think a lot of gravel riders here go for comfort.
And, you are right – there is a lot of different gravel in this part of the country.
Much of the year I’m on “gravelless” gravel – in the summer/fall our roads are hardpack dirt. I’m on a 28-32mm tire on these roads.
Winter/spring the roads are either torn up or freshly graded. That means washboard, dirt potholes and fresh V5 gravel. I’m on 40 mm that time of year.
Or if it is summer and I am throwing in singletrack or a chunky ride, I’ll use the 40mm tires.
The advantage of smaller tires (28-30mm) – light weight, responsive handling, acceleration, road feel. Under the right conditions, I like smaller tire. But I can swap out. If you can only have one tire, bigger is more versatile.
Jan Heine (not unbiasedly) likes to claim that tread doesn’t make any difference (not including mud). I find that they have much different breakaway characteristics, but if I’m not sliding, the traction isn’t a lot difference between the two.
chas wrote:Wider is better if you are cruising. I think a lot of gravel riders here go for comfort.
And, you are right – there is a lot of different gravel in this part of the country.
Much of the year I’m on “gravelless” gravel – in the summer/fall our roads are hardpack dirt. I’m on a 28-32mm tire on these roads.
Winter/spring the roads are either torn up or freshly graded. That means washboard, dirt potholes and fresh V5 gravel. I’m on 40 mm that time of year.
Or if it is summer and I am throwing in singletrack or a chunky ride, I’ll use the 40mm tires.
The advantage of smaller tires (28-30mm) – light weight, responsive handling, acceleration, road feel. Under the right conditions, I like smaller tire. But I can swap out. If you can only have one tire, bigger is more versatile.
Jan Heine (not unbiasedly) likes to claim that tread doesn’t make any difference (not including mud). I find that they have much different breakaway characteristics, but if I’m not sliding, the traction isn’t a lot difference between the two.
chas wrote:on pavement, 28mm seems to be the sweet spot before rolling resistance increases again - although tire weight and aerodynamics goes up significantly above that size too.
But it depends on the surface. Generally I try to match the tire pressure to the surface - from 120psi on ideal surfaces (velodrome) to 30 psi on rougher gravel. Then it is a matter of matching a tire size to the PSI I want, so that I don't bottom out on the rim.