Spreadsheets - see the tires tab
https://sites.google.com/view/allroadbicycles/components/tires
Challenge Gravel Grinder (46mm)
Center file; side lugs
420g; 120 TPI; combines a fast-rolling diamond center with aggressive shoulder knobs that only bite when the terrain gets soft, muddy, or a bit sketchy. They're more as a high-speed, race-specific gravel tire rather than your bulky, more durable exploration tire. Fragile. Very expensive for general use
Donnelly X'Plor MSO (42 and 50mm)
Donnelly EMP (47mm)
Donnelly EMP Tubeless Ready 650b Gravel Tire - 650b x 47
Smooth-rolling center knobs and aggressive shoulder lugs. 536 grams; The tread pattern offers above-average traction with surprisingly low rolling resistance. As you roll this tire on its side, the combination of a more open tread pattern and aggressive side knobs offer incredible cornering capabilities. 38s - the EMP is ace on dirt, especially dry dirt, and anything smoother and harder surfaced, as far as gravel goes, is fine. That said, there are faster rolling tires with more volume, and comfort for the rider, than the EMP. I’d like to see a 42-45-ish millimeter EMP and even a 650B X 50, like the Donnelly MSO Grannygear tested out, would be a fine addition to the line.
Kenda Alluvium Pro (45mm)
Low profile center knobs, side lugs; 514g; 120 tpi; The Alluvium Pro is a semi-slick tire featuring tightly packed hexagonal-shaped center knobs and a directional side lug tread pattern for cornering stability. The initial unpacking and feel of the tires left me with the impression that they were well-built, with what felt like very stiff sidewalls. My initial feelings were a bit mixed. The tires felt quite supple straight away, proving that even though the sidewalls appeared stiff, these tires had the right amount of feel to them due to their 120 TPI casing. The hexagonal nubs that make up the central tread section rolled quite well and as fast as other semi-slick tires I’ve tried. The nubs act like siping that you would find on car tires, allowing each hexagon to flex/grip independently with the terrain rather than just roll along it as most file-tread patterns do. The biggest question mark for me was the cornering feel, and I honestly never completely figured it out. The Alluvium Pros felt vague in corners, and at speed I was never 100% confident if the side lugs were going to hold or let go. --- The last time I was writing about the Kenda Alluvium Pros I was musing about the ride quality. I was thinking they were a bit on the stiff side, ride quality wise. First of all, I came to really trust the tire’s handling on hard and dry dirt. I never came to feel like I was on the limit with the tires traction wise. At speed on dusty and sun-baked roads, the Alluvium Pros hooked up and tracked really well. Really well. I still was not blown away by the speed they offered but I cannot say they were slow. I suspect that the stiff casing was dulling things down a bit. Let’s put some perspective to this because I did like the Alluvium Pros quite a bit. Who would I recommend this tire to? Well, how about a bigger and heavier rider? They would not have to run 45 psi just to keep the rims off the rocks. Or how about a loaded bike such as a bikepacking rig? Or maybe a bike that is ridden 100% off road and in harsh conditions; sharp rocks, etc. There the ability to run lower pressures and remain durable would be a plus. Running these on a 25mm rim at 25psi could be good fun.
Kenda Flintridge Pro (45mm)
533g; The Flintridge shifts from the fast rolling center to the grippy transition and shoulder knobs for control in loose rock and even mud. First off, I love the way they look. Kenda calls the sidewall color coffee, and I really like coffee. The look is purposeful yet classy, and darker than other tan sidewalls I’ve ridden.
Panaracer Gravel King SS (2024): 43 or 48mm
Panaracer Gravel King SK (2024): 43 or 48mm
https://www.thebikesmiths.com/products/panaracer-gravelking-sk-tlr-27-5-inch-650b-tubeless-tire?variant=51782883901600
Panaracer Gravel King SK+ (2024): 48mm
Pirelli Centurato H Classic (Tan) (45 or 50mm)
designed for compact terrain and the hardest surfaces. The tread features low, tightly packed knobs and an elevated ability to adapt to the terrain, offering a large contact area and therefore excellent feeling while riding. 120tpi. 550g.
Conclusion: 4.0 / 5 Recommended. The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H (Hard Terrain) is a gravel bike tire with very low and closely spaced center knobs and slightly bigger knobs along the edge of the tire. The Gravel H is optimized to provide good handling characteristics in both wet and dry conditions on terrain that doesn't deform much (asphalt, hardpack, hard gravel roads). Ride Performance: With a low, limited amount of tread and a flattish crown to the casing I wasn’t expecting much lateral grip. However; whatever Pirelli did with the compound for this tire seems to have given this tire a bit of an over-achieving effect. It reminds me of the Terrene Honali, another bigger tire with lowered tread that had surprising amounts of grip. Now, that isn’t to say that I would be blasting corners, with high lean angles on gravel, and expecting the Cinturato tires not to give up grip. They wouldn’t be that surprising! The Cinturato does not feel skittish in corners, and I expected them to be a nervous tire in loose gravel as well. That just hasn’t seemed to be the case though. Another part of the Cinturato I was pleasantly surprised by was how well it felt in terms of ride feel. The bead-to-bead Nylon puncture protection belt seems to be offset by the use of Pirelli’s claimed 127 TPI casing construction. I mentioned it in my first impressions on this tire in the introduction – This tire feels pretty smooth. Much better than the larger volume Panaracer Gravel King SK+ 650B X 48mm tire we have on test. This is maybe more of a knock on the Gravel King and not so much of a compliment to the Cinturato. Still, the Cinturato feels better than it should, in my opinion. The puncture protection and the overall weight of this tire would usually point to a stiffer feeling ride, but that is not the case here. So Far… I’m pretty impressed by the Cinturato. It does ride well, handles well, especially for a tire with not much tread, and it is almost a ‘set it and forget it’ tire in terms of width and air pressure retention. Pirelli’s SpeedGRIP compound lives up to its name, so far, making the Cinturato equally adept on pavement or on unpaved surfaces like crushed rock and dirt. While it is not a tire I would count on for railing dirt corners, ala MTB style, the Cinturato does exhibit a bit better grip than you might think it should have based upon the minimalist tread pattern.
The only real negative I have with this tire is its weight overall. At slightly over 580 grams per tire (on our test set) the Cinturato is on the heavier end of the scale in terms of tires in the 45mm-50mm size range. But that weight is offset by the seeming reliability, stability, and ride feel that the Cinturato displays. I’ll put in another month on these tires before I give my “At The Finish“, final verdict review, but the Cinturato seems well on its way to achieving high marks in this test. “….The Cintuarto Gravel H is NOT a mud tire!“ The one problem I do have is that these tires weigh quite a bit for what they are. For ‘general purpose’ gravel, dirt road, and rough paved roads, I like a lighter tire. So, who is this tire for? My take is that these are for the rider who doesn’t care that much about tire weight because they are looking for an all-around tire that will be fast, tough, and ride well.
Pirelli Centurato Gravel M Classic (Tan) (45 or 50mm)
570g
Rene Herse Juniper Ridge - Standard casing; 48mm; 499g
Rene Herse Switchback Hill - Standard casing: 48mm; 447g
The Standard casing is our more affordable option: comfortable and fast, yet also strong to withstand considerable abuse. The Extralight casing takes the performance, comfort and feel of your bike to an entirely new level. The Endurance casing is reinforced for extra sidewall protection and puncture resistance, while retaining the speed and comfort for which Rene Herse tires are famous.
All models feature:
Clincher, folding bead
Tubeless-compatible
ISO size: 48 - 584 mm
Recommended rim: 17-30 mm (inner width), hookless or with hooks
Maximum pressure with tubes: 55 psi (3.8 bar)
Maximum recommended pressure – tubeless: 55 psi (3.8 bar)
Actual width on 20 mm rim (internal): approx. 49 mm
Actual width on 23 mm rim (internal): approx. 50 mm
Extralight casing: +1 mm width
Tubeless: +0.5 mm width
Made in Japan
Standard casing
Supple casing
Tan sidewalls
460 g
Extralight casing
Ultra-light, ultra-supple casing
Tan or black sidewalls
420 g
Endurance casing
The same ultra-fine threads as our Extralight casing, but in a denser, stronger weave
Protective belt under sidewalls and tread
Ideal for rough gravel and tough conditions
Dark tan sidewalls
520 g
Soma Cazadero (42 and 50mm)
A mixed terrain tire for a new era of riding. Gravel, dirt, asphalt. Yes please.
The Caz features a raised center for fast rolling on asphalt, with specially designed that corner well on dirt and maintain traction on the street.
In a hard to find 42mm size that bridges CX and mountain biking.
Skin wall or black wall.
Weight: 510g (700c) and 470g (650b)
Made in Japan by Panaracer.
Teravail Washburn - Light & supple: 47mm;
Teravail Cannonball - Light & supple: 47mm; 525g
https://www.ridinggravel.com/components/teravail-cannonball-700c-x-47mm-tires-checkpoint/
Ultradynamico Rose
Panaracer Gravel King SK (2024) (48mm) [540g]
Rene Herse Switchback Hill - Standard casing (48mm) [447g]
Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready (47mm) [555g]
Teravail Cannonball - Light & supple (47mm) [525g]
WTB Venture (47mm) [555g]
I can tell you the Switchback Hill should be great; I ran the 700c equivalent a while and liked it. I preferred it as a road tire that could do some gravel. I prefer something with more grip for dirt, since I tend to slow crawl over things more than float across them. I’ve seen more high-watt racers riding the slick-style tires on gravel. I ran GK SKs for about a decade. Amazing all-rounders, and they held up well. When I switched to other tires chasing a little less rolling resistance I started flatting and cutting sidewalls, so I came back to the old standby. I recently put on X1s, and have been pleased so far.
I tried Teravail Cannonballs once, when Teravail was new on the scene. Nothing wrong with them, but I wasn’t impressed and went back to the GKs out of habit.
Pirelli cinturato M 650b 45 or 50mm wide.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/.../pirelli...
BICYCLEROLLINGRESISTANCE.COM
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45 Rolling Resistance Review
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45 Rolling Resistance Review
Giovanna Rosenlicht replied agreed
Nelson you can ride my Ravn which has the 26x2.2" Rene Herse knobbies on.
Nelson Binggeli From your list, I've ridden the Gravelking in SS+ (slick, reinforced "plus") casing and the Switchback Hill in Standard casing. I thought the GKs were great for all-road riding and they held up great until I ran over a 4" nail on a ride this Fall. The Switchbacks feel more nimble and they are notably lighter. Personally, I would second-guess using the Standard Rene Herse casing on a longer backcountry tour. Instead, I'd go with the Endurance casing.
Paul Lieberman replied Eric yes I run the endurance casing on my Ravn which I use for bikepacking. However I run RH extra light 650x42 slicks on another bike and have had very few flats, and RH 700x44 regular casings slicks on the bike I toured with last spring. The only reason I go with the endurance is fear of sharp rocks cutting the sidewalls.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/.../650bx48-juniper.../
650B x 48 Juniper Ridge TC Tire
At 75% off pavement, I'd suggest the Juniper Ridge, endurance casing. 530g. I'm running Manastash 44s endurance on the gravel and mostly mixed surface rides. The knobs break in and offer a fast and smooth ride. No sacrifices in my opinion for knobs. I like the confidence they provide in loose gravel, in the corners and on the descents. Regarding standard vs endurance, there's a small weight penalty but after ordering a pair of Snoqualmie 44s standard and comparing to the Manastash 44s endurance... there seems to be a big difference in feel/suppleness/durability. I wish now I had ordered the endurance casing in the Snoqualmie. I will do so going forward. (why did I order the slicks after giving you a recommendation of knobs? I have two sets of wheels which I exchange based on the percentage of mixed surface I plan to ride...) Such a decision for you... best to order many pairs! Good luck and have fun.
Here’s a vote for the Specialized Pathfinder Pro. This year, I’m running 47 mm tubeless. I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ve only had one puncture (that I had to patch this year!) I like to get a little rowdy on the downhill and the Pathfinder do just fine.
When I had Gravel Kings SK+, I had multiple punctures in a year on similar terrain/riding. They were also fine on the downhills.
Mine are 700cc but like Paul Lieberman said, you can take my bike for a spin sometime.
Pirelli Centurato M. https://www.rei.com/.../pirelli-cinturato-gravel-m-tire...…
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tire - 650b | REI Co-op
I love my Cannonballs. They lasted quite a long while even with a majority of miles on pavement. I rode a pair of 700x42s till the tread was gone. I’m also a huge fan of the Sparwood, which is the same tread but sort of enlarged and on plumper tires. Probably my favorite tire right now. That said, Universal Cycles has a bunch of WTB tires on sale for significant discounts right now. I picked up a set for $25/tire. Check out their Riddlers and Raddlers (if they still have any!). Surprisingly fast-rolling. I used a set of 2.4” riddlers on my Gorilla Monsoon and didn’t notice any significant lag on pavement. The narrower diameters are even better in terms of centerline.
The ventures look like a more tarmac-friendly, faster rolling Cannonball.
I run the Teravail Rutland’s and have been pretty stoked with them. I run mostly gravel and trail with minimal pavement and they are great.
The Rene tire is made by Panracer and maybe the same tire as regular Gravel King, which is great riding on smooth and dry but not the most durable of the group. The cannonball would be my choice with the “durable” casing
I'll add another vote for the Teravail Rutlands in 47c (650b X 47), I'm a big fan of them. I rode WTB Resolutes and Raddlers for several years and find that the Rutland is just as fast-rolling, is bigger (cushier), and vastly superior when it comes to tracking in deeper gravel and maintaining stability in wet, mucky situations.