Tell me about gravel tyres.

Mariner · Post by **Mariner** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:49 pm

My 100km ride route has maybe 10kms of very muddy rooty uphill off road riding and a short rock garden descent or long lose gravel decent the rest is just wearing my knobbly tyres out. My other set of tyres are BA 2.2 ‘summer tyres’ with little grip and very exciting in the wet. Having just priced up new MTB tyres at in excess of £100 just wondered how Gravel Bikes get on as they almost by definition would be on/off road and still encounter the same conditions I ride but apparently without knobbly tyres.?
I want to replace a worn set of MK2s 29x2.4 and 2.2 so I guess I should be looking at 28/700C size?
Just wondered if I was missing a trick?

johnnystorm · Post by **johnnystorm** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:02 pm

Buy cheaper tyres!

On One were selling Smorgasbords in a folding tubeless ready format for 13 quid each.

Gravel tyres like the Nano, etc will be faster on the tamer bits but if you find summer tyres a bit hairy so too the gravel ones. Although as they are a bit thinner you'll float less so you might grip more but that's another story.....

Decent tyres dont always have to cost the earth.

Bearbonesnorm · Post by **Bearbonesnorm** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:02 pm

want to replace a worn set of MK2s 29x2.4 and 2.2 so I guess I should be looking at 28/700C size?

Why would you consider replacing the 2.4 and 2.2 with a 28c? ... I think I might be the one missing something here.

johnnystorm · Post by **johnnystorm** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:06 pm

Bearbonesnorm wrote:
want to replace a worn set of MK2s 29x2.4 and 2.2 so I guess I should be looking at 28/700C size?
Why would you consider replacing the 2.4 and 2.2 with a 28c? ... I think I might be the one missing something here.

Euro 28" innit?

SixPotBelly · Post by **SixPotBelly** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:13 pm

Most grippy gravel tyres are 120TPI and do seem to wear fast. 1500km seems to be the life of a Microskin G-One on the rear of my bike, for example. You could look at 60TPI versions, though there aren't many of those that are tubeless. If you just want longevity and aren't bothered about weight, or a nice supple feel, it might be worth considering a trekking tyre. Something like a Marathon Mondial Evo will last forever whilst coping with the terrain you describe. Available in a nice fat 50-622 / 28x2.0 too. (But you'd have to really want that longevity not to fit something lighter and faster.)

Bearbonesnorm · Post by **Bearbonesnorm** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:42 pm

I'm with you now ... sorry, I thought your 28 was referring to width as in 28c x 700c.

jameso · Post by **jameso** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:43 pm

wondered how Gravel Bikes get on as they almost by definition would be on/off road and still encounter the same conditions I ride but apparently without knobbly tyres.?

'Gravel' - aka road and dry-ish dirt or stony ground where a semislick or smooth tyre works fine

There's a few exceptions, the Nano 40 (or 2.1") is actually pretty good in the mud but you could wear off the centre tread fairly fast. TBH I think its then an even better all-round tyre .. Geax Saguaros are similar, good on road yet predictable in the wet, within reason. Last well too, I got >3000 miles from a rear. A 'very muddy rooty uphill' would test them though.

Tell me about gravel tyres.

Tell me about gravel tyres.

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