Hankj
Regular
- Location
- Seattle USA
Does it make sense to use a 40mm gravel tire for touring? In my case anyway? If so which do you like? If not what other large volume tires do you tour with?
My case:
I bought a 900 euro cross bike online shipped to a service shop at my starting point. Renting for a month was out of the question, and shipping my beloved highly upgraded Cutthroat (shipping as much family travel before I tour) a steep 500 euro. I'll consign the cross bike in departure city, or sell online if I have a few days.
Anyway, my touring ride is all aluminum with approximately Salsa Fargo reach, stack and seat/head angles but a fair bit longer wheelbase. It comes with 50mm Continental G-One Speeds on its 20mm internal non-tubeless ready rims (Bontrager Connection two piece). Push to shove the 50mm G-Ones would be just fine, but I'm being a bit picky. A) I'm over G-Ones. Have ridden many different versions, and there's something about the plasticky casing that feels draggy to me. Rolling resistance testing confirms my impression that these tires are draggier than they look. B) 50mm on 20mm -- they look balloony in shape in the pictures. I'm not a rim to tire width purist but the beach cruiser profile looks wiggly. C) I would love to go tubeless, but rims are really primitive profile. As such tubes, and I SO dislike tubes in a balloony tire. Smaller I can live with tubes.
On the ever-present other hand though, alu frame and fork makes me nervous about getting beat up. I find my concern about fast disappears real quick when I can't feel my hands and have searing muscle tension in my back. Plus frame has deep BB drop (which I do generally like) so 30mm-ish tires might make this bike drag its belly.
Do 40mm fast gravel tires seem like a rational choice? More speed, better rim match, still some dampening?
Riding will be roads and paved and unpaved cycle paths. If I get enough tire I might go for a dirt stage or three.
I'm defaulting to the Continental Terra Speeds as my North Star for the choice. They roll darn fast, which I like since I need all the help I can get. They are average puncture resistance, grip fine on dirt. They run a bit small for 40mm (aka actually 40mm or a hair under) and are not exceptionally plush or vibration damping.
Next contestant Bontrager GR-1 40mm. I run these on my Cut a lot, and do really like them. Tougher than the Terra Speeds at similar weight, and remarkably compliant/damping/comfortable even with a lot of pressure in the tire. Little better on dirt, probably because they blow up to 43mm wide on my 23i rims and are 6mm taller. The feel to me like they roll very close to as fast on pavement as the Terra Speeds, same on dirt but comfier, but no RR testing to confirm. Certainly they are faster than G-Ones though, my legs can confirm this. The 35mm version is a bit too small. I with there was a 38mm in this one.
Pricey idea: Challenge Getaway Pro 40mm. By all accounts roll as fast as the Terra Speeds (this is tested) and as damp GR-1s with better puncture resistance. An absolute bear to get on the first time and love to destroy tubes in the process (and then reportedly normal). But I can have the workshop fight them on. Expensive, but I'll never get them cheaper than in Germany.
I've ridden the Rene Hurst smooth tires. They are dreamy - fast and comfortable. But no matter what Hurst says they are really fragile and I just can't see taking them out on long days alone.
Also can't do Panaracer, none of them. Thought they were the right choice for a couple of years until I got tired of standing on the side of the road with sometimes two flats. I am finished with the brand.
So .... I don't know. It's hard to get out of theoretical figuring mode and imagine what I'll actually value at km 64 of the 6th straight long day alone out there on the road. Advice is warmly welcomed
Hank
My case:
I bought a 900 euro cross bike online shipped to a service shop at my starting point. Renting for a month was out of the question, and shipping my beloved highly upgraded Cutthroat (shipping as much family travel before I tour) a steep 500 euro. I'll consign the cross bike in departure city, or sell online if I have a few days.
Anyway, my touring ride is all aluminum with approximately Salsa Fargo reach, stack and seat/head angles but a fair bit longer wheelbase. It comes with 50mm Continental G-One Speeds on its 20mm internal non-tubeless ready rims (Bontrager Connection two piece). Push to shove the 50mm G-Ones would be just fine, but I'm being a bit picky. A) I'm over G-Ones. Have ridden many different versions, and there's something about the plasticky casing that feels draggy to me. Rolling resistance testing confirms my impression that these tires are draggier than they look. B) 50mm on 20mm -- they look balloony in shape in the pictures. I'm not a rim to tire width purist but the beach cruiser profile looks wiggly. C) I would love to go tubeless, but rims are really primitive profile. As such tubes, and I SO dislike tubes in a balloony tire. Smaller I can live with tubes.
On the ever-present other hand though, alu frame and fork makes me nervous about getting beat up. I find my concern about fast disappears real quick when I can't feel my hands and have searing muscle tension in my back. Plus frame has deep BB drop (which I do generally like) so 30mm-ish tires might make this bike drag its belly.
Do 40mm fast gravel tires seem like a rational choice? More speed, better rim match, still some dampening?
Riding will be roads and paved and unpaved cycle paths. If I get enough tire I might go for a dirt stage or three.
I'm defaulting to the Continental Terra Speeds as my North Star for the choice. They roll darn fast, which I like since I need all the help I can get. They are average puncture resistance, grip fine on dirt. They run a bit small for 40mm (aka actually 40mm or a hair under) and are not exceptionally plush or vibration damping.
Next contestant Bontrager GR-1 40mm. I run these on my Cut a lot, and do really like them. Tougher than the Terra Speeds at similar weight, and remarkably compliant/damping/comfortable even with a lot of pressure in the tire. Little better on dirt, probably because they blow up to 43mm wide on my 23i rims and are 6mm taller. The feel to me like they roll very close to as fast on pavement as the Terra Speeds, same on dirt but comfier, but no RR testing to confirm. Certainly they are faster than G-Ones though, my legs can confirm this. The 35mm version is a bit too small. I with there was a 38mm in this one.
Pricey idea: Challenge Getaway Pro 40mm. By all accounts roll as fast as the Terra Speeds (this is tested) and as damp GR-1s with better puncture resistance. An absolute bear to get on the first time and love to destroy tubes in the process (and then reportedly normal). But I can have the workshop fight them on. Expensive, but I'll never get them cheaper than in Germany.
I've ridden the Rene Hurst smooth tires. They are dreamy - fast and comfortable. But no matter what Hurst says they are really fragile and I just can't see taking them out on long days alone.
Also can't do Panaracer, none of them. Thought they were the right choice for a couple of years until I got tired of standing on the side of the road with sometimes two flats. I am finished with the brand.
So .... I don't know. It's hard to get out of theoretical figuring mode and imagine what I'll actually value at km 64 of the 6th straight long day alone out there on the road. Advice is warmly welcomed
Hank
Last edited:
