Fast Road Bike Tires on a Gravel Bike?

[@outdoorbros_]

What’s your favorite road/gravel tire in that ~40mm range? 👇🏻

[@coralsaddiction4598]

Surprisingly Bontrager GR1 or its current equivalent from Trek.

[@AxelEkwall]

Tufo Speedero is awesome!

[@stephanmuhlbauer31]

Continental Terra Speed

[@jaylumbago559]

So far, it’s the Challenge Strada Bianca HTLR, but I would like to try the Pirellis in 40mm, have them in 32mm and really like them.

Super impressed by Challenge Strada Bianca HTLR 36 mm, they are also doing them in 40. I assume that one will be the ultimate dry champagne gravel tire to rule them all.

[@walshman70]

2 years ago I got my wife a 3T Exploro and put 40 mm slick Panaracer Gravelking tires on it. She rides almost entirely on asphalt. This bike has given her much more confidence and she's leveled up her riding as a result. This move makes a lotta sense for many riders!

[@EEKaWILL]

Ss or sk?

[@marco_espejo]

Ok I’ll be that guy. Paul Walker wasn’t in Tokyo Drift.

[@erikewald7264]

I've been enjoying this approach for a few of seasons now. R.H. Snoqualmie Pass @ 44c, Barlow Pass @ 38c, Challenge Strada Bianca 40c's, and WTB Exposure "36's" that fit out more like 39c's. Throw in some Pana GK SS 43's in there as well. They all have been a pleasure, for the many reasons you talk about in this post. They all provide the "all-road" performance and comfort that keeps a smile rolling.

[@markreams3192]

I have a Sage Titanium gravel bike with two sets of wheels. Both are Roval Terra CL’s. The road set had Conti GP5000 32mm. If they were available in 35’s I would have them. They measure 33mm on this wheel set. The ride is quite comfortable at 58 & 60 psi. They roll as fast if not faster than anything I’ve ridden. I just finished the 100K loop at El Tour de Tucson at a 19mph average. I’m 70 yo. I started out over 50 years ago with Continental 220 cotton tubulars inflated to 160 psi because they would hold it. You felt every little imperfection in the road and we were led to believe this made us faster! They were quite loud when you had a blowout. It’s good it didn’t happen very often. It could have caused hearing loss! Lol. With empirical data available today on the the superior performance of wider tires and ideal pressures there’s no reason to ride skinny tires unless that’s the only tire that fits your bike.

[@allemyr]

They are availible at 35mm

[@mtbco]

^^ Yes, they are available and they are amazing. I’ve got them on two diff wheel sets and love them.

[@Chince02]

Been riding 45mm road tires and a 125mm crank since last year. I love it 😂

[@luisll5171]

125?

[@Chince02]

@luisll5171 I also run 150mm handlebars

[@clipsandstrapsjounal]

I went 35 on these Pirelli's and yeah brilliant. Could have gone 40 but fancied a smaller tyre for once. So far zero punctures, confidence inspiring grip, and feel fast, yet comfortable.

[@georgedickinson8822]

I have been running the Rene Herse 35mm slick on my gravel bike mounted to ENVE 3.4 for a road set up. Great ride with those and perfect for the poor surfaces that I see on streets and paths here. Just mounted the S-Works 35mm Mondo today and will see how those ride.

[@JonathanHair]

Gravel king slick is my go to all road tire. Decent for road use, and works well on smooth gravel and dirt road rides. I run 35C on my winspwce gravel wheels. Measure about 38mm.

[@EEKaWILL]

Why not go with the semi slicks if you're doing gravel?

[@JonathanHair]

@EEKaWILL no need. These work well enough. I find gravel is more about volume than tread. I have Conti terra speed 40s for rougher stuff or mud

[@CarlinTran]

I'm excited to move from my 28mm road bike slicks to 35mm slicks on next year's new bike

[@flexboss]

Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass 35mm. Measure 38-ish on my 21id rims. Suuuper smooth, very grippy and light. I love them. Best allroad tire I’ve ridden by far. Highly recommend.

[@valentingautier6689]

Winch casing do you use? I run RH snoqualmine 44 wirh ultra light casing but i'm considering going to standard bon jon...

[@XXXENOWRAITHXX]

Conti gp5000 AS comes in a 35, would’ve went 40 if they had it. It has the best wet grip performance on BRR.

[@akcalder92]

I got the same ones for the same reason, wet grip. I love them. I am on my Crux riding mostly on mixed surfaces.

[@pauljozefak7540]

Same here … running the 35s on my 3T Exploro RaceMax for mixed use riding. Yet to have a flat after more than 2000km including rough gravel at times.

[@JoelWhite]

I did a group ride with 3 others on road bikes and me on my Crux with Sworks Pathfinders last weekend. To me, this tire makes more sense on the Crux than a true slick like the Pirelli PZero in 40. I certainly was at a bit of a disadvantage in city line signs sprints compared to the others on 28s and 30s, but when the road got rough I felt like I had the advantage. Likely offer similar comfort (casings will play a factor for sure) but I'd venture that the SWorks Pathfinders would have a significant advantage when you hit the gravel sections if turns are involved.

[@OutThere42]

Those sworks pathfinders are 42mm right?

[@jackbutler4254]

Vittoria Terreno Zero Lite is a personal favorite. Loved these for offseason rides. Kept me upright, supported confident dirt road/gravel path handling, comfortable for the long rides and a bit of extra work when jumping in a group ride.

[@marksandoval5361]

I think that it's perfectly normal that Road bikes should fit 40mm tires, Gravel bikes should fit 56mm(2.2in) tires, and Mountain bikes should fit 2.6in tires. For the recreational rider, I think we have much to gain from lower pressures. And here's the interesting part, I think all these tires should be mounted on 30mm internal width rims. Sram Zipp just released i32mm XPLR rims for Gravel bikes. Getting that rim wider will allow for even lower pressures. I would love see you build up some i30mm rims for Road/Gravel bikes and provide some reviews. It doesn't have to be expensive. Mount some aluminum i30 XC rims on some gravel hubs. I've been running 700x47 Pathfinders on i30 rims at 26psi for my 160 pound weight and I'm loving how they ride.

[@Davidkaisermusic]

I see lots of the fast pros and semi pros in the Midwest still riding slick gravel tires. Ted King also often uses them. They definitely have a place

[@originalkontrol]

These caught my eye a few weeks ago, and have finally decide (with your last little nudge,) this will be my next road tire. I have a gravel bike with a 650B wheelset for tougher tracks, and currently run 28c on the road wheelset. Can't wait to try the 40's! One of my fastest seasons was on 38c Hutchinson Override tires. I was in better shape then...

[@billydeewilliams8909]

Absolutely love the 700x40 Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR on my Trek Checkpoint. There's a reason why it's one of Bicycle Rolling Resistance's most highly recommended tires. And they're pretty cheap too.

[@mister_ray]

I am running 40mm Schwalbe G-One Speed tires on my Trek Checkmate SLR 9 with SRAM Red XPLR. The bike is fast on and off road.

[@tacconelli]

i've gone through 2 pairs of g-one speeds 40mm. very lovely tires!

[@MrJacrider]

Our go-to tire is the RH 38mm slick. On our 24mm internal rims, they measure just over 40mm. Run them at 40psi. Unless we are riding an 'event' with single track or sandy patches, we ride these for 90% of our riding - road, gravel, trails, etc. Simple.

[@JoshHerodOutdoorAdventures]

I just switched over to the Panaracer gravel king slicks on my gravel bike. Very comfortable on the rough roads and so far seem to be suitable for light gravel. Definitely transformed the way the bime feels compared to the chunky gravel tires

[@justsomedude7556]

I been using P Zero Road TLR in 35mm on my CheckPoint for my road wheels for a little while now and they have been great. The P Zero Road versions have just a bit for puncture resistance versus the Race but don't give up any speed using them. I thought about grabbing some of the 40's, but they are still hard to find, and the 35mm are more abundant, so I stuck with them.

[@SamHoliday-i1e]

I run Rene Herse slicks on all 15 bikes. On my MOG I have 38s but I've tried 55s and they both ride well. I've used 43s on BWR CA and BWR AZ and had not issues. Unless it's a muddy course I would use the slicks over and tread pattern any day.

[@alexarsenault-ouellet6909]

Hey I’m about to buy a MOG. Do you feel it can serve as an all-road bike? Is it any good on paved surfaces?

[@SamHoliday-i1e]

@ that's why I bought the MOG. I plan to start selling all my other bikes because the MOG has everything I need. I have 2 sets of 3.4 ENVE wheelset, 1 with the 38mm for road riding and the 55mm for gravel. In frame storage and the UDH derailleur mount. I run XX SL T-Transmission with CeramicSpeed pulleys and a 46T Oval Absolute Black chainring mounted to Easton EC 90 SL crankset. With the 38mm it weighs 15lbs 14oz (7.197kg) which is pretty light for a gravel bike and lighter than most road bikes. Before buying the MOG I looked at the newer Frey but it does not have the UDH derailleur mount option which is a big Negative. ENVE could have made it UDH compatible but for some reason it's overlooked this which I believe was a BIG mistake! The other thing was the ability to put on wide tires. It's says it will fit 50mm tires but I put on 55 and still have 3mm of space on all sides of the tire. I think they are required to have 4mm to officially say it will fit 55mm tires. If its really muddy I would use 40-45mm tires. On the road with the 38mm that measure 41mm rear & 40mm front do to the 25mm internal width 3.4 SES AR wheels. I use to ride 32mm on the road but the 38mm handle just as good, if not better, but I run them at 33psi rear & 31psi front and are much smoother the 32mm. I think you live is Canada so you will love the MOG. I hope this is helpful. Just curious what size frame are you? I have a 52cm frameset that I used for less than 250 miles but got a 49cm which fits me better because I have a short inseam and needed the greater stand over clearance.

The advantages of wider tires pan out at certain point, there is no rule that would just say "wider is always faster in all cases" (although the internet discussions are certainly full of people claiming this BS). Specifically regarding 40 mm or wider _road(ish)_ tires I don't think there is any sound powermeter-backed test that would prove this tire to be faster than, say, 32mm of the same tire on reasonably nice roads. 32-35 is where the benefits kinda max out unless you're on a really bad asphalt road. But yeah, "should have been repaved years ago" is a 40 mm territory.

[@davidgaines8607]

I've watched different content like from GCN and others , where data and results seemed to suggest that wider isn't per say faster , but it really isn't slower either , and the bike industry is a couple years behind in terms of tire clearance (maybe out of loyalty to aero)

[@davidbee9563]

Panaracer Gravel Kings originals or SS are my favourite road tires. The SS are a bit quieter. I am running 35 GK on my road bike with TPU tubes. I was riding the 38 SS tires on my commuter but now winter is here switched to 27.5x 2.2 light knobbies. I was running 650x38 GK on my road bike that came with 23c tires. Twice the volume, half the pressure with the same speed and it felt comfortable to push harder on light gravel roads.

[@jakew8553]

Love the video, would love to see a video of gravel trails you ride in California. Much love

[@davidgaines8607]

This is the way. I'm about to make the jump from flat bar bikes to a road bike (for hand and wrist comfort and longer distance) . I ride in town a lot (neighborhoods) and when I do , I split time between road , sidewalk , and path (call it urban style) . Ain't no way I'm bunny hopping off a curb on 28's so I'm getting a "tire clearance" road bike and maxing out the tires with road wide boys. Mainly for rim protection and puncture resistant, but handling as well. I'm not chasing group rides or milliseconds of time. I like the option of riding aggressive and would just continue doing the flat bar thing but at 50 and my job beats me up too ... I'm hoping drop bars will correct some issues with discomfort.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

I’ve been riding the GP5000 AS TR in 700x35 all season. On 50mm deep 25mm ID hooked rims and Chris King hubs. On a Giant Revolt. I love it on the road. But it takes me 3 minutes to switch over to my gravel wheelset with 47mm Pathfinder Pro’s. I was gonna get a Fray or Caledonia-5 for road training but I’m not totally sold on the relative value proposition.

[@nkantar]

I’ve been super happy with 35mm Conti GP5000 ASTRs, but these may be next. I’m a heavy rider with a 90/10-or even 95/5-road/gravel split, and this range feels great on my Trek Checkpoint SL 5.

[@shinhochulp]

I’m riding P Zero 32’s that measure a little over 34mm on my Open Upper. Love the ride. I’m not any slower. I’ll have to try 35 or 40’s next time.

[@sccxvelo]

Tough call between clement/Donnelly mso xlpor, schwable g1 all around, specialized pathfinder, kenda flintridge, or Vitoria terranio dry for CA riding. Depend on conditions for the ride is the best I can say. Pathfinder or terranio dry for dry-hardpack so it should work for tarmac. As the the others have knobbier tread. Using 32-34 maxxis refuse in rear and 36-38 terravail cannonball in front for everyday riding. Just enough width for the smoother dirt and comfort with durability but still fast for tarmac between dirt sections.

[@jasonjarvis2198]

I've been riding 35 or 38 mm Panaracer GravelKing slicks for 5+ years now on Checkpoint ALR and they're great, especially tubeless. I prefer the 38s over the 35s, and on my DT Swiss rims, they plump up to a cush 40 at around 45 psi. I won't go back to anything skinnier.

[@gaza4543]

This is the thing, knobbies are actually no grippier on loose blown out surfaces than slicks. Slicks will actually preform better on hard pack better but it plays with the mind. Knobblies exist to jcb mud and damp courses they dig in to try and find dryer mor e solid ground , it’s a difficult concept to get your head round. Look at tyers like the furious Fred, spesh renegade. It boils down to pressure and compound on those surfaces.

[@userdjee834]

It's also how they go when they go, is it a controllable progressive loss of traction or a full break and a possible fall? Some tires inspire confidence, so you ride faster even if the avg grip is slighty lower, because you can slide safely on them

[@aaronedgeart]

5 years ago, I'd have said a 2" tire was silly. That said, I don't race and am a slower guy already. I ride my 50c tires at 20 PSI off-road and 30 on smooth tarmac.

[@cbenson513]

I just picked up Tufo Thundero 40mm for road/gravel rides on my Crux switching from 32 GP 5000's. Running Cinturado M 45's on burlier wheelset for singletrack/heavy technical routes.Edit: Looks like the Thundero 40 is basically same rolling resistance as the Pzero 40's and possibly a bit more grip. Hope I find that to be the case.

[@laughedcartman]

Can you test new Hutchinson Caracal Race TLR 40? They're 4w faster according to bicyclerollingresistance while being semislick gravel tire.

[@jeffservaas]

I am 4 weeks into a set of these. Believe the hype!

[@isitrachelorj3953]

Put some 32/35 slicks on my BOONE 6 (ultegra di 12) and it is a rocket. Not far off from my 151/2 lb emonda (dura ace di 12) with 28s.

[@joost__de__wolf]

Please, Make a video about Gravel tires on 29" mtb wheels.

[@rob5521]

35c Spez Mondos on my 2024 Sworks crux . It’s been my road bike ever since I’ve had it and my Sworks aethos gathers dust sadly

[@julmeissonnier]

They are the way of the future... Or the past!!! I used 650Bx38 Schwalbe Marathon during the summer of 1985 to ride from Florida to California spending a full month in Colorado including plenty of gravel passes and enjoyed it thoroughly. But 650Bx35 to 42 were also the go to tires of French cyclotouristes in the 1940's and 50's when there were still plenty of unpaved roads in the mountains... Oh... And by the way they also liked 46x30 cranksets and 165mm cranks to spin comfortably up the mountains... Just the "innovations" of the bike industry during the last few years...

[@hansschotterradler3772]

I ride the biggest tires my bikes allow: 28c on my road bike limited by the brakes 45c (inflate to 48 mm) on my gravel bike limited by the fork crown 2.4" on my XC bike limited by the seat stays and fork legs.

[@BlixOneAndDone]

I have a set of these in 40mm, love em!

[@thewisconsingravelcyclist]

I ride almost exclusively gravel... That Pirelli in a 40 MM will likely be the tire of choice for fast gravel in my area. Durability will be the main question.

[@stevehastie4951]

38’s at 60psi What I roll on… It’s sweet Rolls over everything

[@YounanPhoto]

Paul Walker wasn’t in Tokyo drift 😅. Sorry I’m that guy sometimes.

[@kawabus]

Just put a set of Ultradynamico CAVA JFF 42?? on my All Road/Gravel bike for mixed terrain 🚴✨✨

[@MAGAmaniac1000]

I did Paris Roubaix sportive on 25c tires on a stiff carbon bike 6 yrs ago. If I had the option of 40c damn tootin I would have been on em!

[@drill_fiend1097]

This 40c tire would make for a great commute/touring road tire

[@michaelcawley7400]

I'm curious how they would be paired with the zipp 303sw wheels

[@xgymratx83]

RIP Paul. Its been a long day, without you my friend.

[@tambosnipes1652]

Whaaaa

[@bungg1337]

I ride with my gravelbike whole cycling season with road tires or fast gravel tires. Even our sunday rides the whole season with my local cycling club. I know I need to push few more watts then the rest of the group. I find the difference minimal.

[@danielgonzalez6012]

Wider is better, its more comfortable and you can ride those turns faster. When have you seen a sport car with narrow tires

[@markusseppala6547]

I wish there was 35 and 40mm gp5000s too

[@jkevincarmichael253]

Conti makes a 35 GP 5000 AS....it is heavier and stiffer than the regular GP 5000...I have a set but currently not using them, ride GP 5000 in 32 on my road bike but the 35 does not fit and prefer a wider tire on the gravel bike...this and other videos have be considering the 40 mm tire for my gravel bike for road-predominate rides. FWIW the Conti Terra Speed is great but noisy on pavement...

[@Gufolicious]

30 on my sl8 since last year, never going back

[@timdixo]

Wider tyres >32mm on road have been decades overdue denying us greater comfort and safety. Manufacturers have been incredibly stingy with rear stay clearance for too long without valid reason.

[@Killacrossova2]

Paul Walker isn’t in Tokyo Drift…

[@joshualancekemp]

I'm just now getting used to 28's... gimme a minute 😅

[@seanmccuen6970]

anyone else of the opinion that all-road style framesets handle better with the fatter tires they have clearance for? put 28's on a frame that clears 40mm tires and bike wouldn't track for s riding no-handed, for example, with those tires (bike felt fine with hands on bars). put on 30's and all that was 100% remedied for the better. that's a 2mm tire size difference. with that rationale, just bought some 32's to put on that bike for pure road riding. do 'all road'/light gravel bikes just not work as well geometry-wise with tires below marked 30mm as opposed to bigger ones they have clearance for when ridden on-road?

[@jeffservaas]

Smaller tyres shorten the trail and make the steering more twitchy. With larger tyres the geometry is in the sweet spot it was designed for.

[@riderrunco]

I run 40mm panaracer

[@tongotongo3143]

They try their naive wishful thinking to present like truth. It doesn’t work this way, you either get one or another, but never both at the same time.

[@Shadowboost]

I'm still saying the same thing about 30mm tires

[@Atomb]

Do y'all ever thank mountain bikers? You're welcome.

[@travispyle2905]

thanks

[@PhiLoSoPheR_NonSenSe]

Well, for tyres, over here, you'll have to look hard enough or order from your side of the world because all I see is Sao Vang.😂

[@nickbaumcycling]

Im curently running road setup on a gravel bike. i'm not super happy with it, going back to dedicated road bike soon. Check the vids on my channel to see what im talking about

[@bennop.2553]

Schwalbe G-One Speed

[@cdeluise]

Maxxis Velocita 40c

[@thedownunderverse]

I want to love it but not reinforced under the tread, only the sidewall protected. Bit dumb

[@cdeluise]

@thedownunderverse the 60tpi version is available with SilkShield (bead to bead). For what it's worth I have lots of time on the Exo version with zero punctures.

[@thedownunderverse]

@@cdeluise hard to find the velocita here. I’m considering the Refuse…

[@cdeluise]

​@@thedownunderverseI rode a 25c Refuse for a couple months. I REALLY didn't like how stiff the casing was. Bc the casing is very stiff the ride quality suffered badly. BUT, I used them until they were bald, zero punctures!

[@thedownunderverse]

@@cdeluise I’ve ridden them in a 32mm (tube type) and didn’t mind them. But want a 38mm (measured) slick with under tread protection but thin sidewalls for comfort and rolling resistance

[@racittaj]

370g?? 460g!

[@evdb7246]

Recycling old topics I see.

[@pandatactical4530]

Thanks for stepping up and letting us know who THAT guy is.

[@jbandt]

As someone thats on road 95% of the time i find myself looking for a fastish 35mm road tire with some durability. Ideally I'd like to find something with a little bit of file tread, similar to but not pathfinders. Right now im leaning heavily to gp 5000 as tr. Similar to the str, but with a bit more puncture protection albeit no file tread for the little dirt i do. Any recommendations for an in between tire that does mostly road but sees a little dirt?

Challenge Strada Bianca HTLR in 36mm. Shockingly supple, blazing fast on asphalt and very able on dry light gravel.

[@thedownunderverse]

And like soap on ice in the wet

[@chriscawley18]

I have prob about 1500 miles on a set of 35 mm S Works Mondo. They are a little less quick on pavement than I was hoping but they do have a very subtle file tread and feel pretty puncture resistant. And I think the weight is very competitive for a 35 mm slick. The only red flag to me is they seem to lose air really quickly sitting in the garage, although I haven't had any punctures or PSI issues while riding.

[@sativagirl1885]

RUBBER!

[@grvl307]

Tokyo Drift is the only fast and Furious movie Paul Walker doesn't appear in.. 🥲