Bikes and Wheels We’ve Ridden With These Tires
Niner RLT 9 RDO
- 700 X 33 Pro Handmade TLR on Stans Grail CB7
- 700 X 40 Pro Handmade TLR on HED Emporia GA Pro
Cervelo Aspero-5
- 700 X 36 Pro Handmade TLR on Fulcrum Rapid Red 300
Bianchi Arcadex
- 700 X 45 Pro Handmade TLR on HED Emporia GA Pro
Jamis Renagade
- 700 X 45 Pro Handmade TLR on HED Emporia GA Pro
Quick Bullet Notes (Good or Bad)
- Fast rolling
- Nice riding
- We like how they look
- Harder to mount than most other tires
- Cotton casing with nothing but file tread can be more fragile
- Sealant usually needs to be added thru the stem after seating bead due to the tire not taking shape until it’s inflated.
Our General Thoughts On These Tires
We really like these tires for gravel. They are 1 of our favorites and always have a set mounted up. We’ve also ridden 33s all the way up to 45s of these tires on various bikes. Yes, they can be hard to mount, but they are not bad if you use a bit of technique. We’ve mounted quite a few of them now and it’s usually not a big deal. It took a few times though to get the technique down.
I like the 36s as an all road tire if mostly riding pavement and occasional gravel and like the 40s for mostly gravel. I’ve ridden the 45s as well and have done a couple gravel races on them. They shine in soft gravel as you can run them really low and they just float over everything, but they do feel more sluggish on pavement than the 36 and 40s. That said, I’ve knocked down a longer roadie KOM with the 45s on our Bianchi Arcadex gravel rig, so they still roll out. I generally prefer the 40s for overall feel and our gravel is fairly tame around here. If going bigger than 40s, then I think there are a few other options to compare against, since you are probably going wider due to some rougher terrain. I have not ridden the Gravines or the Getaways yet, but we brought some in and I am looking to get some miles on them next season. Rolling resistance tests look good on them and then they have a bit more rubber to roll on, which should make them more durable as well in chunkier terrain.
Bottom Line
We love these tires and they should be at the top of your list if you want a fast and supple gravel tire. They are also much better than you would think on soft gravel if you get the tire pressure right.
Pictures of The Tires
