After a few years at 38mm, I finally maxed my frame with 45mm Conti Terra Speeds, and after my first race this season, it was great. The comfort alone was worth it, but the handling improvements were great. Smashed some real chunk descents filled with ruts and puddles.
I switched to 45mm Terra Speeds this year, too. Love them. I was even able to ride up +15% in the mud at gravel Nationals this year, while many others were off and pushing.
I’m running 47-55c tires on 700c wheels on all of my gravel bikes. Favorite tires include the Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge (55c) and Oracle Ridge (48c), and the Vittoria Terreno Dry in a 47c.
Historical correction-going full circle. Gravel riding was a real and small thing before the industry/racing and the UCI took over. It was actually an alternative to the racing zeitgeist. JFF/all road riders cared more about comfort than speed. As far back as 2008, Bicycle Quarterly had articles about the merits alt/wide/650B tires We learned long ago that with many wider tires, there is a very minor speed drop off-if any. However since 2019, roadies came in to the new gravel racing scene and brought their road racing narrow/aero zeitgeist with them. Now, Dylan is fighting this uphill battle with them. We can't help Dylan unfortunately-only cheer for him. There are too few of us, and we are probably on the side of the road, making coffee, vapping, or or a setting up a tripod for great landscape photo. 2 very different worlds. Next Dylan might learn that a 650B tires might offer more benefits for racing than drawbacks.😳 Love Dylan's passion and content. Best wishes to him.
I am in my late 50s and running the the Maxxis Rambler 650x74 tires on gravel and love it. I am running a 700Cx35 tire on the road. Both wheel sets for my 2023 Giant Revolt.
I'm in my 50s too. Been on the bigger tire bandwagon for several years now and the smallest I'll run on any road or gravel bike is a 35mm. Speed + additional comfort=win-win
I run 50mm front (vittoria terreno mix) and even on rough asphalt it's not much slower than 32 (pirelli cinturato velo). Found out to my surprise by comparing watts and average speed. Gravel definitely could benefit from wider tires, but for compliance and confidence.
Dylan always holds my interest - one of the best. I realize this is about what's fast, but for most of us it should also be what's fun. I almost always include some single track in every gravel ride I do (roots, rocks, off camber slick mud etc), and Rambler 700x45 is money at 23F and 26R (psi). I'd ride the 50's, but any mud on the tires scrapes the fork. Those Pathfinder Pros look fast, but don't see much/any centerline braking traction on mud?
You did a great job editing and letting Dylan talk. Really good editing, no dead time and tons of useful information. GJ. Now, what were the results of your helmet testing - was there a difference and was it repeatable?
Everyone talks weight and aero, but PRESSURE to the GROUND matters. If you're sinking into the gravel, it's slow. When I ride mountain bikes with my sister, she is much slower because she doesn't ride. But she has 27.5+ tires and weighs 60lbs less than me and if we ever ride through grass, she absolutely! Leaves me behind.
One thing I've found is that it's impossible to keep consistent power over a given section, and thus basing the results on speed for a given power yields unreliable results. The workaround is to ride a section at a given cadence, using the same gears for each test run. It's much easier to maintain a set cadence, so you get up to speed before hitting the start point for your test section, hit the lap button, and ride at the same cadence (which results in the same time for each run, as well, since you're using the same gearing) for the segment. Hit the lap button at the finish of the segment and see what the avg power for the segment was. Lather, rinse, repeat with the different tires on test. If you ride the same segment at the same speed, in the same position, the lowest power required wins.
I also understand the Dylan’s bike handling skills are most likely far beyond the average cyclist such as myself. While the pursuit of speed on gravel often comes with a decrease in traction. Ive tried the Pathfinder Pros myself and found while the work good on straight lines and super fast on tarmac, I could not get them to hook up on technical turns… Being as such, I would love to find some more reviews on grip vs speed, Im currently experimenting with Pirelli Cinturato M in 45 and Rene Herse Manostash Ridge in 44c, and just finished off a pair of Terra Speeds which are horrible in wet conditions.
I ride the Rene Herse Manostash Ridge in 44c tires, and I love them. I am not looking for speed so much as I want a smooth, comfortable ride. If they are also fast, that's a bonus. I was running Gravelkings SK tires, and they feel like wood compared to the Renes - and they come from the same factory. Although, of course, the SKs have little knobbies - that tend to throw dirt and grit. The Rene Herse tires give a wonderfully smooth ride.
I've found the complete opposite with Terra Speeds. I've only 700km in on my current 35mm set but I've done lots of shitty weather rides and was impressed with how they performed on and off road.
My Ridley X-Knight will just barely take a 40mm in the rear. The 40's I now run are way more comfortable than the 35's I took off. Just as fast w/ the ability to roll over chunky stuff w/o fear of pinch flatting my tubeless setup.
I ride a hardtail on gravel (locked out) with fast Specialized XC 2.2's and on flats I can spin away at 25mph for 50 mile days... plus, I can ride black diamond singletrack if I want... that's PLENTY for me.
I'll still enjoy my VREDESTEIN Fortezzas and pump them to 115-120psi despite when they were released in the US early 1990s and we saw that they had a 160psi max pressure we thought it was marketing gimmick. thanks!
Personally I've found the k830 Kenda nimbus 700 x 38 ( depending on rim width) to be a good all round tire for wet or dry they have good speed and traction at least for me. I try to wear out a set of tires every year
I think we will see gravel bikes just become hard tail MTBs and the customer will have a choice of drop bars or flat bars. I would recommend the rhombus pro 47 on. Rolls great, grips great
Aren’t bigger tires heavier? Soon we’ll be riding 25lb Gravel Bikes Dylan knows more than the millions of dollars spent on gravel frame and tire design I get the comfortable, durability and rolling resistance on chunk. What happens when you’re not on chunk? Simply saying bigger is better is BS
It’s NOT faster. It may be perceived more “comfortable”, but it is absolutely NOT faster. There IS more roll and aero resistance with wider tires at lower pressures. On the alternate, high pressures can be problematic for traction/surface contact, but physics is not changed just because the tyre, wheel, frame, groupo companies want to sell you something different.
Its not faster, it weighs more and its more of a power drain. Tires for mtb, gravel and road have only changed because the types of riding conditions has changed and become more challenging.
The riding conditions on road have changed and are now more challenging? MTB stuff gets more challening, which mainly leads to more travel on forks, dropper posts etc, but the fact that wider tires work better on the road simply shows an improvement compared to the past. And the more uneven the ground is the bigger the benefit of wider tires with low pressure, its actually one of the few things that makes a difference compared to the industry throwing the 200th new bike standards your way that force you to buy a new one.(Even though not being able to fit a bigger tire could also lead to buying a new bike)
Sure, wider tires are faster when you run the lesser tires on too low of PSI. Only in the cycling industry can heavier, fatter things be marketed and believed to be faster than thinner lighter ones. All these rolling resistance tests are a giant scam. Why? Of course, because you need to buy a new bike to fit the new tires bro! Where does it end? Why aren't we racing on fat bikes? Why aren't they faster than a road bike?
I agree 100%! Also not taken into account is rider weight and pressure run. If you're under 70kg, there's no need to go above 25mm on road and 35-40mm on gravel depending on surface. The fact is, tyre weight matters, and the wider they are the heavier they are.
Dylan Johnson is a very credible guy, love his videos too.
Is he winning a lot ?
After a few years at 38mm, I finally maxed my frame with 45mm Conti Terra Speeds, and after my first race this season, it was great. The comfort alone was worth it, but the handling improvements were great. Smashed some real chunk descents filled with ruts and puddles.
Tubeless?
What pressures?
Looking at going up to 45mm from 40mm as for me the 40’s are too harsh on bumpy terrain.
I rode the 45mm Terra and loved it. I had the Pathfinder 42mm and did not like them. Not smooth at all.
I switched to 45mm Terra Speeds this year, too. Love them. I was even able to ride up +15% in the mud at gravel Nationals this year, while many others were off and pushing.
I’m running 47-55c tires on 700c wheels on all of my gravel bikes. Favorite tires include the Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge (55c) and Oracle Ridge (48c), and the Vittoria Terreno Dry in a 47c.
Historical correction-going full circle. Gravel riding was a real and small thing before the industry/racing and the UCI took over. It was actually an alternative to the racing zeitgeist. JFF/all road riders cared more about comfort than speed. As far back as 2008, Bicycle Quarterly had articles about the merits alt/wide/650B tires We learned long ago that with many wider tires, there is a very minor speed drop off-if any. However since 2019, roadies came in to the new gravel racing scene and brought their road racing narrow/aero zeitgeist with them. Now, Dylan is fighting this uphill battle with them. We can't help Dylan unfortunately-only cheer for him. There are too few of us, and we are probably on the side of the road, making coffee, vapping, or or a setting up a tripod for great landscape photo. 2 very different worlds.
Next Dylan might learn that a 650B tires might offer more benefits for racing than drawbacks.😳
Love Dylan's passion and content. Best wishes to him.
haha, let the roadies persist with their skinny tire mind set - and suffer for it
I am in my late 50s and running the the Maxxis Rambler 650x74 tires on gravel and love it. I am running a 700Cx35 tire on the road. Both wheel sets for my 2023 Giant Revolt.
I'm in my 50s too. Been on the bigger tire bandwagon for several years now and the smallest I'll run on any road or gravel bike is a 35mm.
Speed + additional comfort=win-win
74mm is pretty wide.
@@danielnolan2920😁Probably meant 47mm
@@iecrime for gravel, 35mm and above are faster, for road they're not!
@@iecrime just kidding, of course.
I run 50mm front (vittoria terreno mix) and even on rough asphalt it's not much slower than 32 (pirelli cinturato velo). Found out to my surprise by comparing watts and average speed. Gravel definitely could benefit from wider tires, but for compliance and confidence.
Ive kept up on fast road rides with 2.1 tires. Not ideal but people really think they're slow...once they're rolling they're pretty fast
Dylan always holds my interest - one of the best. I realize this is about what's fast, but for most of us it should also be what's fun. I almost always include some single track in every gravel ride I do (roots, rocks, off camber slick mud etc), and Rambler 700x45 is money at 23F and 26R (psi). I'd ride the 50's, but any mud on the tires scrapes the fork. Those Pathfinder Pros look fast, but don't see much/any centerline braking traction on mud?
I think I got it right thanks to his advice for my last gravel race!
You did a great job editing and letting Dylan talk. Really good editing, no dead time and tons of useful information. GJ.
Now, what were the results of your helmet testing - was there a difference and was it repeatable?
I've been running the 700x47 Pathfinder Pro tires on i30mm rims at 26psi. Very fast rolling while providing a very smooth ride.
isnt it 650b 47? i thought they only made 650b at that width
@@jeanhernandezrodriguez4838- the 47mm are available in both the 650b and 700c
@@jeanhernandezrodriguez4838you can’t do a simple google search?
Have 42mm Pathfinders on my Warbird and they are 🔥
Everyone talks weight and aero, but PRESSURE to the GROUND matters. If you're sinking into the gravel, it's slow. When I ride mountain bikes with my sister, she is much slower because she doesn't ride. But she has 27.5+ tires and weighs 60lbs less than me and if we ever ride through grass, she absolutely! Leaves me behind.
2015 I’m running 2.4 specialized renegades at 20 and 18psi at a local XC MTB race. 🤨😬🤯🧐(crowds expressions)
One thing I've found is that it's impossible to keep consistent power over a given section, and thus basing the results on speed for a given power yields unreliable results. The workaround is to ride a section at a given cadence, using the same gears for each test run. It's much easier to maintain a set cadence, so you get up to speed before hitting the start point for your test section, hit the lap button, and ride at the same cadence (which results in the same time for each run, as well, since you're using the same gearing) for the segment. Hit the lap button at the finish of the segment and see what the avg power for the segment was. Lather, rinse, repeat with the different tires on test. If you ride the same segment at the same speed, in the same position, the lowest power required wins.
I also understand the Dylan’s bike handling skills are most likely far beyond the average cyclist such as myself. While the pursuit of speed on gravel often comes with a decrease in traction. Ive tried the Pathfinder Pros myself and found while the work good on straight lines and super fast on tarmac, I could not get them to hook up on technical turns…
Being as such, I would love to find some more reviews on grip vs speed, Im currently experimenting with Pirelli Cinturato M in 45 and Rene Herse Manostash Ridge in 44c, and just finished off a pair of Terra Speeds which are horrible in wet conditions.
I ride the Rene Herse Manostash Ridge in 44c tires, and I love them. I am not looking for speed so much as I want a smooth, comfortable ride. If they are also fast, that's a bonus. I was running Gravelkings SK tires, and they feel like wood compared to the Renes - and they come from the same factory. Although, of course, the SKs have little knobbies - that tend to throw dirt and grit. The Rene Herse tires give a wonderfully smooth ride.
I've found the complete opposite with Terra Speeds. I've only 700km in on my current 35mm set but I've done lots of shitty weather rides and was impressed with how they performed on and off road.
My Ridley X-Knight will just barely take a 40mm in the rear. The 40's I now run are way more comfortable than the 35's I took off. Just as fast w/ the ability to roll over chunky stuff w/o fear of pinch flatting my tubeless setup.
I ride a hardtail on gravel (locked out) with fast Specialized XC 2.2's and on flats I can spin away at 25mph for 50 mile days... plus, I can ride black diamond singletrack if I want... that's PLENTY for me.
Majority of the time I have 2.1 MTB tires on my gravel. Regardless of terrain
This is actually very helpful, i never know what tyres to use
I'll still enjoy my VREDESTEIN Fortezzas and pump them to 115-120psi despite when they were released in the US early 1990s and we saw that they had a 160psi max pressure we thought it was marketing gimmick. thanks!
I just went to 42 from 38.. so much difference and definitely faster.
Has he switched from the Race Kings to the Pathfinders!
i think hes trolling
I had 42mm Gravelkings and switched to 40mm Maxxis Refuse. We don't have deep enough gravel for the Gravelking SK.
This is an old clip, we need an update for 2024 from Dylan
Will get him back on in the coming months. Have some banger content in the pipeline
Personally I've found the k830 Kenda nimbus 700 x 38 ( depending on rim width) to be a good all round tire for wet or dry they have good speed and traction at least for me. I try to wear out a set of tires every year
Tyre chat *rubs thighs*
Dj!
I think we will see gravel bikes just become hard tail MTBs and the customer will have a choice of drop bars or flat bars. I would recommend the rhombus pro 47 on. Rolls great, grips great
life line hoodie bing bong
Aren’t bigger tires heavier? Soon we’ll be riding 25lb Gravel Bikes
Dylan knows more than the millions of dollars spent on gravel frame and tire design
I get the comfortable, durability and rolling resistance on chunk. What happens when you’re not on chunk?
Simply saying bigger is better is BS
You barely have to test it. On a flat gravel road I will literally just coast by people with 40mm gravel tires while I'm on my 2.1 Rutlands.
I sense some hormonal manipulation
It’s NOT faster. It may be perceived more “comfortable”, but it is absolutely NOT faster. There IS more roll and aero resistance with wider tires at lower pressures. On the alternate, high pressures can be problematic for traction/surface contact, but physics is not changed just because the tyre, wheel, frame, groupo companies want to sell you something different.
You do alot of gravel races? What tires do you run ?
Its not faster, it weighs more and its more of a power drain. Tires for mtb, gravel and road have only changed because the types of riding conditions has changed and become more challenging.
The riding conditions on road have changed and are now more challenging? MTB stuff gets more challening, which mainly leads to more travel on forks, dropper posts etc, but the fact that wider tires work better on the road simply shows an improvement compared to the past. And the more uneven the ground is the bigger the benefit of wider tires with low pressure, its actually one of the few things that makes a difference compared to the industry throwing the 200th new bike standards your way that force you to buy a new one.(Even though not being able to fit a bigger tire could also lead to buying a new bike)
Sure, wider tires are faster when you run the lesser tires on too low of PSI. Only in the cycling industry can heavier, fatter things be marketed and believed to be faster than thinner lighter ones. All these rolling resistance tests are a giant scam. Why? Of course, because you need to buy a new bike to fit the new tires bro!
Where does it end? Why aren't we racing on fat bikes? Why aren't they faster than a road bike?
Thin light tires are faster on a velodrome. Fat bikes are faster in the snow. Context matters
@@Michael-fi6ve So then what's the optimum tire width for road and gravel?
@@Silidons91I don’t think there is a singular optimal. Probably between 32c and 2.2in
@@Silidons91 did you watch the video? He said it varies depending on the type of gravel and the amount of it
I agree 100%! Also not taken into account is rider weight and pressure run. If you're under 70kg, there's no need to go above 25mm on road and 35-40mm on gravel depending on surface. The fact is, tyre weight matters, and the wider they are the heavier they are.
Oh…. Tires
That the US spelling?