After a new set of clincher tyres for riding a bit of gravel. What should I get?

I’m guessing clincher may be a bit old school and my choices limited. Can’t find much on google.

I had purchased a set of WTB Riddlers but they are just too tight to seat on the rims :(

Thanks

Simon

Since I've had my gravel bike, I've run Continental Terra Trail (40mm), Panaracer GravelKing SK (43mm), Vittoria Terreno Zero (32mm) and currently WTB Resolute (42mm). I've preferred the higher volume GravelKing and Resolute tyres for the riding I do. While I haven't been riding the Resolute's very long, they're just as fast on the tarmac as the GravelKing's, don't gum up as quickly and while I've found their limit on slithery surfaces, it's beyond what I could get out of the GravelKings.

Puncture wise, you knew when you had one with the GravelKing's as sealant would spray all over your legs. I could get the front to seal by covering the hole with a finger for a bit, but always had to shove an plug into the rear; I also slashed the sidewall on one of them that I couldn't fix. I've had one puncture with the Resolute's, that I know about. The only reason I know about it was I'd had t take the tyre off to have a broken spoke fixed, and heard a whooshing of air as I reseated it again; this was with Orange Seal Endurance.

So far, the Resolute's are winning over the GravelKing's for me. Wouldn't try the Conti's again as I had multiple pinch flats. The Terreno's I ran on the road during the winter, and are utterly useless for anything (properly) off road unless it's bone dry.

All of these were on DT Swiss 24mm width internal rims.

Edit: Both the GravelKing and Resolute's have required the use of a tyre inflator to get them up, the Terra Trails went up with a track pump.

Thanks for the suggestions, I should have said I’m running inner tubes And the problem I have found is it is impossible to get my WTB tyres to seat on the rim, my old tyres must be quite a bit looser. I tried all the tricks including my compressor but with no luck, which is good In a way as I will need to easily take them off to repair punctures out on the trail.

So I guess I am looking for some tyres that are a bit of looser fit so I can get them seated well.

Other than the WTB Resolute's, which are new, I've run all the rest with tubes at some point. With the Conti's, I ended up with some Tannus Armour in the rear wheel too, but it killed the snappiness of the handling. The GravelKing SK's were pretty loose on my rims, and are hard to beat for the cost.

I've not had an issue with seating any of them either, although a few times I've had to go slightly passed the rated max pressure to have them ping onto the rims.

I hated my gravel kings, just thrown them in the bin. Never held when used tubless.

Just fitted Specialized pathfinder, which I have used before, and are very good

Pirellis are worth a look if WTBs are a pain on your wheels. The M has a decent ridge up the middle to make it a bit quicker on hard surfaces.

A lot of WTB tyres can be tight on the rims, but on plus side that is what means once mounted they tend to stay inflated fairly well (except Byways, they are the devils work with the worlds leakiest sidewalls!). Takes a decent amount of soapy water often to get them to "snap" on to the rim, but they will go.

I have found Resolutes are really good compromise of grip and rolling resistance and they're probably my favourite tyre for most of the year.

Schwalbe G-ones on the straggler just now (with tubes). Definitely a dry conditions tyre (!) but actually pretty good on forest tracks. The fixie has conti speed contacts which have a remarkably similar tread pattern to the G-ones but are a bit more robust and were cheap.

If you want really old school marathon mondials are bomb proof and grip and roll pretty good. They are a bit heavy but definitely the choice if you want zero punctures

WTB Nanos here, I specifically got the Race version rather than the TCS version for the same reason. Any TCS WTB tyres won't seat with tubes for me.

i've been using Specialized Rhombus Pro on my Diverge.

Rims are DT Swiss G540 (standard on my diverge)
Setup tubeless with stans sealant.

A standard track pump was sufficient to inflate.

seem to be a good all-rounder.
Not too draggy on the road.
Good straight line sped off road.
Seem well behaved in loose corners.
Can’t comment on mud.

https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/rhomb ... 487-187371

Thanks for all the help and suggestions, I will let you all know how I get on :)

Yes, not surprised - many tubeless ready tyres are very tight to fit but get a touch easier once on and inflated for a while, and always move the bead of the tyre to the middle of the rim when fitting if you haven't already, gives a touch more diameter to play with.

I ran G-One all-rounds with tubes for ages and really rate them, they come up fairly big, no bother getting them on either. Not for wet though, but the other G-One options (Bite, ultrabite) look good for other conditions. Hutchinson Toureg worth a shout, I have the slicker overrides and they are well built an perform well.

@Asposium I’ve been running Specialized Pathfinder Pro for several weeks and like them as an on/off road tyre but I’m building up a spare set of wheels and thinking of running the Rhombus how does it fair on singletrack