# Best Gravel Racing Tires?



## MNdag (Apr 24, 2014)

I am looking to do a few gravel races this year. I am lost on tires and need some opinions on what would be a good quality set of tires. I plan on using my cyclocross bike, which had 700x30c tires on it. What are a good set and do I stay with the same size? Thanks for the help


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

"Best gravel racing tire" is a very tall order. Best for whom or what?
I prefer the Challenge Strada Bianca open tubular (clincher) in 700x30. Is it the "best"? I don't know but it is the one I chose to use.


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## Manning (Jul 8, 2010)

Highly dependent on the chunkiness of the gravel. In the areas I ride, you'll pinch flat in the first mile on 30's. The racers around here use some vittoria road tire (no tread) in 38. I'm wanting to try the 38 specialized trigger. Looks perfect to me.


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I agree with others that it depends on the gravel. In the early gravel races where we often see wet roads from thawing ice/snow, I run CX tire because there are often sections of sand or two-track that don't treat slicks well. Usually file treads are adequate.

It also depends on how much gravel roads you're on and how much is paved. In some races by me, I'm looking at anything from 30% to 80% of the race being gravel. For the 30% gravel race, that section is also very hard packed gravel, though very bumpy. I'll run 28mm maxxis refuse for that race and just be careful on my line choice through the really bumpy sections. Many will just run 25mm through that but I'm not on the lighter side of things. This race actually has a peleton for much of the race where as some of the races with more gravel get shattered up quickly and there are bunches of small groups along the route instead of a big pack.

I've run standard 32mm CX tires for a long time before gravel tires became more common with no issues with flats. I would run sealant in the tubes but never had to use it.

As much or more important than the tire would be getting the tire pressure dialed in. You want something to take the sting out of the gravel. Generally, there's not much high speed cornering in gravel races since the corners are really drifty no matter what ties you have from the rocks rolling around so take it easy in the corners and race on the straight sections. Usually hills and cross winds are the key feature of the gravel races by me. If it rains, it's a hellish grind fest; bring the big boy legs and have a beer that tastes good with dirt at the finish.

I think the clement MSO is the best looking gravel tire on paper though the new challenge gravel tire looks great. My choices are more limited so I run a maxxis raze in 32mm for chunky or loose gravel and the maxxis refuse 28mm for hard pack gravel. If I think it will be slick, I have some maxxis mud wrestlers with the center tread worn down to near bald that work well for navigating the muddy ruts that form.

I think a good rule of thumb is the softer the gravel the wider and softer you should run the tires. If you're a sloppy line chooser then you'll need to account more for chatter bumps and pot holes as well (make sure you don't get pushed into these by other racers).


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## Enoch562 (May 13, 2010)

I hear a lot of good comments on the WTB Nano 40's in N.C mountains. I found a good deal on some Kenda Happy Mediums in 40 so I'm testing them out now.


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## BluesDawg (Mar 1, 2005)

No way to answer without knowing the clearance of your frame. If the tire someone recommends won't fit in your frame, it isn't a good recommendation.


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## TurboBikeGeek2 (Mar 3, 2015)

If they fit, the knard 41 is low and rolls well real smooth and great feeling
almost like a Panaracer


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

The answer is, "it depends."

How much do you weigh? How much clearance does your frame/fork have? Are we talking kitty-litter gravel, hardpacked dirt, etc.

I ride dirt/gravel on everything from 28mm road tires to 40mm knobbies. Horses for courses, and all that.


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## single1x1 (Mar 26, 2005)

I agree with Gravel Bike, depends, where I am in western WA I'm usually using a decently sized file tread, had good luck with Contispeed 35 tires last year with tubes, and not very many flats, this year I'm trying the Trigger 38's setup tubeless so far so good, but not many rides on it yet. Tubeless might be better performing but at the pressures you often run on gravel 40-55PSI it's not always much better then a lighter more supple tire, like the conti speed tire and a tube, especially if you get the latex tubes, but I don't ride in a area with lots of thorns and I ride fairly light and weigh under 170#. If your a bit heavier or live where thorns/goatheads make flats numerous if you run tubes, then tubeless is much better.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

Two of us today did a long closed pave road, with an added section of chucked up graded gravel. The Pave was chucked up as bad.

Me 210, him 195 in the pork dept.. Me, Giant TCX with 42C Speed rides @ 65fr/75rear lb air. Him, Optimo CADO with 35mm Speed rides @ 85 lb [I told him to go lower especially front, but he did not bleed any off]. 

BTW; 42C Speed ride = 38mm 35C Speed rides = 33mm

I think for this ride the 35s the better choice being the rougher stuff we were able to pick lines around. So I don't think he would have pinched with the smaller tires unless he smashed the edge of a hole that caught him off guard at lower pressure. He had no extra tube so he did not take the chance. I had one extra tube...


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

35mm at 85 lbs? Does he just like a harsh ride? Just because it says max PSI 85 lbs, doesn't mean you should ride it there. Especially off road.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

spookyload said:


> 35mm at 85 lbs? Does he just like a harsh ride? Just because it says max PSI 85 lbs, doesn't mean you should ride it there. Especially off road.


1st gravel ride for him, and with the tires. I suggested he bleed off air.

Roadies. ;O

I was on a club ride where a guy got two flats, one front one rear 30 minutes later. I was around him for the last one, that was when he said it was his second flat. He was 165 lbs on a carbon bike and was running 23s with 125 lb air. I was 220lb myself then and told him I was running 25s with 85 front and 90 rear and did not remember my last flat. He would not budge. I fixed his rear quick for him, and told him I'd fix any flats for him the rest for the ride if he would try 80/85 lb of air. He could not fathom, nor would he do it. And he had wide rims on too. 

Roadies...


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