I'm running Crest MK3 rims with inside diameter of 23mm for gravel. I've had some stock Kenda 40mm tires on it which are now worn out. They measure out at 45mm on those rims. I'm trying to decide between GravelKing SK 35c or 38c in order to get in the 40mm width range. I'm sure 35c GravelKings would be close to 40mm but I'm wondering about tire shape VS the 38mm. Anybody have experience with GravelKing SKs on wide rims?
I'm running the Panaracer GravelKing SK 38 on DT Swiss R500db rims which are 22mm inner width. I'm running the tires about 35psi today and they are measuring 41mm.
My observation/question: I'm not sure if it's specific to these tires or this tire width in general, but I feel like the tires on these rims are squirmy and I tend to want to run them at a higher psi to stiffen them up, even though this ends up making the ride harsher and more prone to skidding out.
Has anyone experienced this on the GravelKing SK 38 or other wide tires? Are some better than others in this regard? Would increasing inner rim width help? (I want a second wheelset anyway with ~35mm file tread dirt road tires, so maybe I would move the wider tires to a new wider rim, ~25mm inner width)
brando thanks for confirming the width, are you running them tubeless? I've not heard the squirmy complaint on GravelKings before. I run about 35psi in my Kendas...tubeless. I'm inclined to go with the 38mm GKs unless someone chimes in.
Yes, I'm running them tubeless with (I think) Continental sealant. I seem to lose 3-5 psi per day (not sure if that is due to the install/sealant or the tires themselves).
Maybe my expectations are just off, as my road bike has 32mm slicks that seem really solid when leaned over, but my mountain bike tires (2.3s on 30mm rims at 22 psi) also seem sturdier than the GKs.
I have 38 GK SKs at the back and 43s at the front, tubeless. On 20mm ID rims the 38s measure 40mm. Btw on the sidewall the tyres are labeled 622-40 700x38c.
I run 30psi at the front and 35 at the back. I ride everything from asphalt to dirt roads, gravel, singletrack on them. On asphalt they do feel a bit "squirmy" at these low pressures, but that's my experience with every single tyre i've tried from road to MTB tyres. If you run lower pressures a tyre will flex more, that's just physics. Can't change that. And that flex also means more suspension. If the tyre is overbuilt and has super hard sidewalls, it will flex less of course.
On any kind of offroad surface they feel great. Again, same experience with pretty much every other tyre. Low pressure = smooth asphalt meh, offroad great.
Gravelking SKs are awesome. They roll really really well on asphalt but when you go offroad they have much more grip than a slick. I've been riding them for a few months now, sometimes down rocky singletrack, and I also bottomed out the front tyre countless times. No punctures.
