Excited to give these a try when my Gravelking slicks die. Great tire but a more jack-of-all-trades sounds nice. And I'm glad they changed the ugly dark brown that I'm currently rocking. Panaracers are excellent tires that are made even better with the competitive pricing!
Thanks for the review. This tire needs to be discussed ... it's the unicorn. I've been riding this tire (in 38c) on pavement, hardpack, streambeds, rock gardens, and loose technical gravel for roughly 12 rides over the last month. Normally a light knobby rider (Conti SpeedRide, Schwalbe G-One), I was as surprised as anybody at how capable this tire is. It didn't seem like you really put this tire through its paces. For instance, why do you find this does not inspire confidence for cornering (3:08) or isn't good for super-gnarly (3:21)? That was also my opinion from how the tire appeared and my first ride, but once I tore it up on the trails, it was a totally different story. I tried to make it slip on loose corners, but it grabs. It's been hands down the fastest gravel tire that I've run off road and gives up almost nothing on the road (versus a slick 28c). Climbs like a beast, too, as long as you keep your butt planted. It stacks up favorably against the incredible Rene Herse offerings, but much cheaper. I'll hop off my soapbox now. Keep up the great channel!
Well my corning reason was based on all the tires ive reviewed on this channel. The WTB ventures or Byways have more aggressive shoulders so its easier to feel more confident corning in dirt. I agree all tires have a learning curve and I woulda probably liked these more if it was the sole tire im riding for a few months. When things get chucky I just usually swap tires cause my lack of skills haha.
@@pisto_run_cycling I've got about 18 months on these tires and 2k miles, 85% off road. The rear tire was rotated to the front, so I gave them a close inspection and there's roughly 500 miles left. If you are one of those people that likes to scrounge every mile out of your rubber, you could probably safely squeeze 4k miles on these. I hover around 200 lbs and rarely skid on downhills. Historically, I've gotten about 1.5 to 2k out of gravel tires (WTB Riddler and Schwalbe G-One) and 2.5k out of road tires.
I have a set of these in 38c, and I couldn't agree more with what you said. To add, they are a bit harder to set up because of the thicker sidewall though.
I ride these in 32mm. They're shockingly grippy for how fast they roll. Like you said, I wouldn't take them on gnarly stuff but I don't ride gnarly stuff anyway so whatevs. Very fast on road rides as well. I ride mostly road so 32 made the most sense for me. They actually performed shockingly well in muddy patches!
Love these in 32 paired with my Enve 3.4AR. Aggressive group road rides are sublime. Best kept secret is wider tires are sweet. Many feel you lose speed. It’s all mental. But what is a fact is, when you’re comfortable you’re actually faster.
Interesting. I have WTB Byways in 41mm on two bikes. But I just got some SS+ tires delivered in 35mm for my project Frankenbike. I'll put them on tonight and may ride them tomorrow. So we will see.
I recently switched form the SKs to the SSs (same width 700x38c). I've found the SS to grip better while cornering on loose stuff. As others have said, the SK was good back in 2015, but the tire tread profile needs and update.
Agree with you in the review. Hang the SK to try this ones and while I did have a lot of skepticism at first I master to ride them in lose hardpack sliding, but slowly gain confidence. Not too much to say, will see how is with puncture resistance after all.
Which do you prefer? I was waiting for the SS after using the SK's, but got tired of waiting ang got a set of Terra Speed's. Terra Speeds blew me away, by far the best tyre I have used. Super fast on road and trail.
Apparently the Byways on bicycle rolling resistance roll slower than these tires. That said they tested the SG2 compared to the standard SS so take that as you will. These are definitely next on my list of tires to get for my gravel bike once I go through my Resolutes
I would concur with your review. I have a set if 35c on my Defy with a set of Fastword 45. Those are great all around tires for winter riding (80% road and 20% gravel). You need to drop the PSI a bit lower than with G-One Tire since they are not as supple. Anyway they are fast on pavement and good companion for easy gravel riding.
the GK + range puncture protection is well worth the weight penalty IMO, had some SK+ on since November to now (they still going strong) with ZERO punctures, putting about 100km a week minimum onto them an all kinda terrain. Were as i had several of the regular GK (slick and SK) and I was forever dealing with sealant firing out of holes. GK + range all day, looking forward to trying these!!
Really? I've read loads of customer reviews and loads of them have complained about punctures. I currently ride with wtb raddlers which are great but puncture all the time and I'm fed up with having my bike covered in sealant so I looked at these but the reviews put me off and now I'm begrudgingly looking at some marathon plus. 👀😬
If you ride any rougher stuff at all, the + casing is the only way to go with Panaracer gravel tires. Non + models have always fallen apart on me at around 1000miles, with the casing splitting and allowing air to escape between the casing and tread causing the tire to balloon up. Absolute trash. On the flip side, the + casing versions have been some of the most durable tires I've ever ridden.
I'm considering this tire in a 35 to replace a Byway 34 on the back of my Diverge. I like the Byway but love to experiment with different tires. I'm running a Pathfinder 38 up front and love it. Just can't fit one in the back. So dang close to fitting without rubbing. A 35 that runs big would be perfect.
I'm currently using some decathlon road tires in 28 which are fine for most of what I do but there are several good gravel path in my area. I really like how the bike handles and didn't want to stray away too far from my current setup so I didn't want to get something too big or too aggressive. I did consider standard gravel kings slicks but I heard from your review and other people that these wear out really fast, at least in terms of thread pattern. So after watching this review and some other I ordered a pair of SS in 700x32. It's probably not going to be as grippy as a bigger version but will most likely be much more capable off road than the one I currently have without compromising handling too much. I'm really curious to try these.
@@pavsyn8915 it feels the same as my previous mid range road tires on road so no loss here. In terms of comfort it feels the same so not great. It's surprisingly grippy on gravel and dry dirt, very confidence inspiring. But they are harsh on bumps and rocks. They size at 31mm on 17c internal rims. So overall good grip even on loose gravel but uncomfortable on rough terrain.
@@Jennifer-wr9si I’m currently mounting these to my allroad build and using them to commute on / mild gravel. I am running tubeless and being in California I don’t have basically any truly wet riding on this model
I haven’t , I’m gonna do a review after some more miles on the america classic kimberlite tires they are similiar in design, and you can watch my wtb byway review again similar design
For 75% road and 25% hard packed, dry gravel would you go with the Panaracer SS Plus or the Panaracer Slick Plus? Mainly wanting to maintain low rolling resistance, fast speed on road but still have decent grip on gravel. Also, any sealant weeping issues these? I’ve read some horror stories with sealant weeping on Contintental Terra’s which also seem like excellent tires but pricey and hard to find...
It go with the slicks for you based on your needs, just run them down on pressure for the grip in dry gravel. Ive been testing the panaracer sealant and havent had an weeping issues
@@LockedinCycling Oh thanks. The GK/SS are likely to be my next tires; either in 38 or 43 mm width. I wonder if the plus version is worth the extra weight and the loss in compliance.
@@hansschotterradler3772 I have the plus version of the GK/SK 50c and although big thorns still punctured them the big advantage was that after 1600miles there was still no visible tread wear. Unfortunately the rear one wasn't mounted properly with a tube and the rim wore through the sidewall. The front was tubeless and had no issues.
@@jack.3991 I had the non-plus (minus??) version of the GK/SK 38c before switching to maxxis rambler. The SK's lasted me 4000 miles with not flats; I did switch back/front after 2000. I had already 2 flats on the ramblers with less than 1000 miles, one of them required a new tire, the other I could fix with a stans DART. Definitely going back to GK.
@@hansschotterradler3772 They are very good. I have a new set ready to be mounted. I have no doubt they would have lasted much longer if it werent for the massive loads in my panniers over the rear tire every day and the sidewall getting trapped between an inertube and rim in the wrong place.
I didn’t personally ride in the rain with this, but I have in the slick verison , this one in theory should be better but always remember dropping pressure and taking corners easier is the key
I've been thinking of using these tires in a 38c on my 700c mountain bike which I am using in my first triathlon (minus the running). I expect most people will have road or Tri bikes. I'm okay with not being the fastest. What size mm tire do you recommend for my set up?
They are grippy and fast and thought at 120 tpi they would be supple, but I think wtb tires are more supple. The tan walls are just paint, not different rubber. Still like them though
I’ve ridden both but so far apart I wouldn’t give u a definite answer but the byways do corner better in looser dirt I do remmeber but these are better for more hardback and street
Love how quiet these tires are on pavement in 650bx48. Great cornering as noted in the video, and the ride is very smooth on road and gravel.
FANTASTIC RIDE AND TIRE REVIEW! MUCH APPRECIATED !!!
Excited to give these a try when my Gravelking slicks die. Great tire but a more jack-of-all-trades sounds nice. And I'm glad they changed the ugly dark brown that I'm currently rocking. Panaracers are excellent tires that are made even better with the competitive pricing!
I've been using GKs in 28c for winter riding (even in snow) and I definitely want to see how well the would hold hold up.
I tried these and I have more confidence cornering than my continental and schwalbe road tires.
Thanks for the review. This tire needs to be discussed ... it's the unicorn. I've been riding this tire (in 38c) on pavement, hardpack, streambeds, rock gardens, and loose technical gravel for roughly 12 rides over the last month. Normally a light knobby rider (Conti SpeedRide, Schwalbe G-One), I was as surprised as anybody at how capable this tire is. It didn't seem like you really put this tire through its paces. For instance, why do you find this does not inspire confidence for cornering (3:08) or isn't good for super-gnarly (3:21)? That was also my opinion from how the tire appeared and my first ride, but once I tore it up on the trails, it was a totally different story. I tried to make it slip on loose corners, but it grabs. It's been hands down the fastest gravel tire that I've run off road and gives up almost nothing on the road (versus a slick 28c). Climbs like a beast, too, as long as you keep your butt planted. It stacks up favorably against the incredible Rene Herse offerings, but much cheaper. I'll hop off my soapbox now. Keep up the great channel!
Well my corning reason was based on all the tires ive reviewed on this channel. The WTB ventures or Byways have more aggressive shoulders so its easier to feel more confident corning in dirt. I agree all tires have a learning curve and I woulda probably liked these more if it was the sole tire im riding for a few months. When things get chucky I just usually swap tires cause my lack of skills haha.
How was the rubber long term.. did it wear faster than other tires you've use?
@@pisto_run_cycling I've got about 18 months on these tires and 2k miles, 85% off road. The rear tire was rotated to the front, so I gave them a close inspection and there's roughly 500 miles left. If you are one of those people that likes to scrounge every mile out of your rubber, you could probably safely squeeze 4k miles on these. I hover around 200 lbs and rarely skid on downhills. Historically, I've gotten about 1.5 to 2k out of gravel tires (WTB Riddler and Schwalbe G-One) and 2.5k out of road tires.
i am riding this tyre on one of my gravel bikes in 32 mm. tubed. this is one of the best tyres i ever had 👍🏻😊
What does it inflate to? On what mm ID rim?
I have a set of these in 38c, and I couldn't agree more with what you said. To add, they are a bit harder to set up because of the thicker sidewall though.
Yea you can see in my install shot they beaded right away but had alot of extra sealant leak during mounting the my last gravel kings
I ride these in 32mm. They're shockingly grippy for how fast they roll. Like you said, I wouldn't take them on gnarly stuff but I don't ride gnarly stuff anyway so whatevs. Very fast on road rides as well. I ride mostly road so 32 made the most sense for me. They actually performed shockingly well in muddy patches!
These are on my touring bike (in 32c). I really like them.
Love these in 32 paired with my Enve 3.4AR. Aggressive group road rides are sublime. Best kept secret is wider tires are sweet. Many feel you lose speed. It’s all mental. But what is a fact is, when you’re comfortable you’re actually faster.
Craving to find that one, the only available are 28 & 35c, ship from Japan seems way too pricy
Interesting. I have WTB Byways in 41mm on two bikes. But I just got some SS+ tires delivered in 35mm for my project Frankenbike. I'll put them on tonight and may ride them tomorrow. So we will see.
How did It go
Super excite! I got some 28c non plus on the way for the hillclimb state black label v2 build that will venture to some rail to trails.
Think I'm going to run a sk in the front and a ss in the back this season 🤔
Nice combo!
I’m probably going to steal that combo...
I’m curious of that combo too! Anything to report?
Hi. How did your combination work? You tried it.
Clueless choice
I recently switched form the SKs to the SSs (same width 700x38c). I've found the SS to grip better while cornering on loose stuff. As others have said, the SK was good back in 2015, but the tire tread profile needs and update.
What about on wet pavement? Have you tried them on wet pavements while cornering?
@@Jjodoql they handle wet pavement fine. If you have a cyclist on your rear wheel, they'll be eating a big rooster tail.
Agree with you in the review. Hang the SK to try this ones and while I did have a lot of skepticism at first I master to ride them in lose hardpack sliding, but slowly gain confidence. Not too much to say, will see how is with puncture resistance after all.
Rode these for about a month before winter hit. 38mm very fast, these ans the Conti Terra Speed were my favs this year.
Which do you prefer? I was waiting for the SS after using the SK's, but got tired of waiting ang got a set of Terra Speed's. Terra Speeds blew me away, by far the best tyre I have used. Super fast on road and trail.
I know it's not bike review season anymore, but would love to see a review of State's aluminum all-road bike. Please?
I have a request for a unit ASAP probably won’t happen till they restock
Apparently the Byways on bicycle rolling resistance roll slower than these tires. That said they tested the SG2 compared to the standard SS so take that as you will. These are definitely next on my list of tires to get for my gravel bike once I go through my Resolutes
Interesting, yea Compound has a lot to do with it
I would concur with your review. I have a set if 35c on my Defy with a set of Fastword 45. Those are great all around tires for winter riding (80% road and 20% gravel). You need to drop the PSI a bit lower than with G-One Tire since they are not as supple. Anyway they are fast on pavement and good companion for easy gravel riding.
I would be interesting to do a test with GK SS on the back and one more gripping tire on the front
@@jeromesierra yea with a GK SK front would be interesting
I have these on and take them on green rated singletrack and had no issue whatsoever so it's worth pushing.
That’s awesome
thanks for the review - review is of the SS +
the GK + range puncture protection is well worth the weight penalty IMO, had some SK+ on since November to now (they still going strong) with ZERO punctures, putting about 100km a week minimum onto them an all kinda terrain. Were as i had several of the regular GK (slick and SK) and I was forever dealing with sealant firing out of holes. GK + range all day, looking forward to trying these!!
Yes my same experience with the plus range for the slicks as well
Really? I've read loads of customer reviews and loads of them have complained about punctures. I currently ride with wtb raddlers which are great but puncture all the time and I'm fed up with having my bike covered in sealant so I looked at these but the reviews put me off and now I'm begrudgingly looking at some marathon plus. 👀😬
If you ride any rougher stuff at all, the + casing is the only way to go with Panaracer gravel tires. Non + models have always fallen apart on me at around 1000miles, with the casing splitting and allowing air to escape between the casing and tread causing the tire to balloon up. Absolute trash. On the flip side, the + casing versions have been some of the most durable tires I've ever ridden.
Nice video Michael I will keep these tires in mind .
Thanks!
Can i use it in slight rocky roads in mountains?
And it can be fast rolling like slick tire?
I'm considering this tire in a 35 to replace a Byway 34 on the back of my Diverge. I like the Byway but love to experiment with different tires. I'm running a Pathfinder 38 up front and love it. Just can't fit one in the back. So dang close to fitting without rubbing. A 35 that runs big would be perfect.
It's doesn't run big in 35c. I'm not complaining, but I was hoping for a couple of mm as well.
I'm currently using some decathlon road tires in 28 which are fine for most of what I do but there are several good gravel path in my area. I really like how the bike handles and didn't want to stray away too far from my current setup so I didn't want to get something too big or too aggressive. I did consider standard gravel kings slicks but I heard from your review and other people that these wear out really fast, at least in terms of thread pattern. So after watching this review and some other I ordered a pair of SS in 700x32. It's probably not going to be as grippy as a bigger version but will most likely be much more capable off road than the one I currently have without compromising handling too much. I'm really curious to try these.
Hi @ifrit35! Could you please share, how it went with the 32s? Are they worth it? Thanks!
@@pavsyn8915 it feels the same as my previous mid range road tires on road so no loss here. In terms of comfort it feels the same so not great.
It's surprisingly grippy on gravel and dry dirt, very confidence inspiring. But they are harsh on bumps and rocks. They size at 31mm on 17c internal rims.
So overall good grip even on loose gravel but uncomfortable on rough terrain.
Good review! Can you measeure real width on the rim?
is this a good idea as an all season tire (and running with tubes)? any comments on wet road conditions?
@@Jennifer-wr9si I’m currently mounting these to my allroad build and using them to commute on / mild gravel. I am running tubeless and being in California I don’t have basically any truly wet riding on this model
Not a fan of the + version of panaracerusa tires. Less supple. But certainly better flat protection. GK SS is very durable.
Have you ridden the Specialized Pathfinder Pro? How do they compare?
I haven’t , I’m gonna do a review after some more miles on the america classic kimberlite tires they are similiar in design, and you can watch my wtb byway review again similar design
For 75% road and 25% hard packed, dry gravel would you go with the Panaracer SS Plus or the Panaracer Slick Plus? Mainly wanting to maintain low rolling resistance, fast speed on road but still have decent grip on gravel. Also, any sealant weeping issues these? I’ve read some horror stories with sealant weeping on Contintental Terra’s which also seem like excellent tires but pricey and hard to find...
It go with the slicks for you based on your needs, just run them down on pressure for the grip in dry gravel. Ive been testing the panaracer sealant and havent had an weeping issues
@@LockedinCycling thanks, good to know! Will try the slicks :)
Do these tires pick small rocks and gravel on the tarmac? I expect to do 90% road and 10% dirt and gravel. Thanks.
I never noticed that with these, the gravel king sk tires do that at higher pressureZ
Can a panaracer ss plus tlc good for a MTB procaliber 9.7 will it fit and will the ride be fast and better on and off road.
Thanks for the info. Have you verified the actual width of the tire compared to its nominal size of 43 mm?
On my 25 internal width rims in the video they were a 44 at full psi
@@LockedinCycling Oh thanks. The GK/SS are likely to be my next tires; either in 38 or 43 mm width. I wonder if the plus version is worth the extra weight and the loss in compliance.
@@hansschotterradler3772 I have the plus version of the GK/SK 50c and although big thorns still punctured them the big advantage was that after 1600miles there was still no visible tread wear. Unfortunately the rear one wasn't mounted properly with a tube and the rim wore through the sidewall. The front was tubeless and had no issues.
@@jack.3991 I had the non-plus (minus??) version of the GK/SK 38c before switching to maxxis rambler. The SK's lasted me 4000 miles with not flats; I did switch back/front after 2000. I had already 2 flats on the ramblers with less than 1000 miles, one of them required a new tire, the other I could fix with a stans DART. Definitely going back to GK.
@@hansschotterradler3772 They are very good. I have a new set ready to be mounted. I have no doubt they would have lasted much longer if it werent for the massive loads in my panniers over the rear tire every day and the sidewall getting trapped between an inertube and rim in the wrong place.
What do you recommend for 70% road and 30 gravel. ss or slick? thank you
Ss would be safe choice.
Hai, just curious about wet condition, is this still okay, at least just go back home from nowhere 😂
I didn’t personally ride in the rain with this, but I have in the slick verison , this one in theory should be better but always remember dropping pressure and taking corners easier is the key
will it fit on mtb 29er rim?
Whats the best tire pressure on it?
That depends on surface and rider weight
Can these SS Plus be mounted with tubes or only tubeless?
Yes they can be used with tubes
I've been thinking of using these tires in a 38c on my 700c mountain bike which I am using in my first triathlon (minus the running). I expect most people will have road or Tri bikes. I'm okay with not being the fastest. What size mm tire do you recommend for my set up?
That’s hard to answer without knowing the bike but I’d go 42mm so u don’t have a ton of bike drop with a huge change in tire size
@@LockedinCycling that's a good tip. I'll go with it.
4am dang gonna miss it
Haha Good morning!
They are grippy and fast and thought at 120 tpi they would be supple, but I think wtb tires are more supple. The tan walls are just paint, not different rubber. Still like them though
Extremely hard to find it nowadays
Yea all products are still hard to get
the Gravel Kings can't handle rocky terrain, however the Soma Cazadero, and the Panracer Comet Hardpack, totally ROCK!
Nice video but slow your cadence to be more relaxed. It would make viewer more relaxed
hello, are this tyre hooked rim compatibility? i need it for tubeless (wbt st i23)
are they tubelss ready?
Yes
Byways are notoriously slow. I'd only heard these seem faster
I’ve ridden both but so far apart I wouldn’t give u a definite answer but the byways do corner better in looser dirt I do remmeber but these are better for more hardback and street
It's SS+, not SS
Why you speak sooo fast?