New Gravel Tire Recommendations??

[Mzilliox]

For the person who asked...
I think i already wrote this:
Yes, i think knobby tires are more grippy on the gravel i ride.
i have ridden smooth 32 and 35mm tires and when you get on a part that is between 17-30% pitch, you are gonna walk the bike because your tires wont grab.
With the Almanzos, i can ride up it.
thats all the science i got.

if i didnt have pitchy climbs, i dont think the knobs would do much. though i do wonder about handling at speed, they could help corner at more speed...

[AngryScientist]

i honestly can not tell the difference between the amanzo and the gravel grinder race. both come in 33c. the tread looks pretty darn similar. file tread with knobs outside.

i got a gravel grinder on the way...

[Mzilliox]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i honestly can not tell the difference between the amanzo and the gravel grinder race. both come in 33c. the tread looks pretty darn similar. file tread with knobs outside.

i got a gravel grinder on the way...

bigger knobs on the gravel grinder is all i can see

[Hilltopperny]

I have almanzos on my wifes bike and a set of gravel grinder pros in 36mm. The only difference that I can see is the size of the knobs on the ggp look a couple of mm larger.

Both look like great gravel tires with the less knobby center tread and larger knobs at the end. They are pretty nice looking tires. I was out tooling around on my wifes bike the other day in my yard and the almanzos felt like a very supple and with excellent grip.

Sent from my LGL423DL using Tapatalk

[merckx]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i honestly can not tell the difference between the amanzo and the gravel grinder race. both come in 33c. the tread looks pretty darn similar. file tread with knobs outside.

i got a gravel grinder on the way...

One of them blows off the rim a little quicker than the other. I don't remember which one though.

[2metalhips]

I've been using GG race 120 tpi 38's for years with latex tubes, on Stans rims. Really nice tires.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by 2metalhips

I've been using GG race 120 tpi 38's for years with latex tubes, on Stans rims. Really nice tires.

good to hear. i'll be setting this up in the rear tubeless, hopefully easily enough. will report back with actual inflated size and ease of tubeless set-up.

i must say, the gravel kings set up tubeless with no effort at all with a floor pump.

[jambee]

I have to paraphrase Jan Heine here a little:

the only type of riding where your knobs will help with grip is on mud. Otherwise, slicks are fine.

[Jaybee]

Re: side knobs. I kinda like having some side knob on any non-paved surface. The knobs on a lot of these gravel tires are so small as to not really offer much in the way of actual grip railing a loose corner (at least when your frame of reference is the Minions on your MTB), but they do offer something the slicks don't, which is feedback. With slick tires on a loose surface, there's not a real demarcation between "locked in" and "oh ****." With some side knob, I can usually feel just a tiny bit of hookup and feel when I'm losing that hookup.

[dem]

In theory, knobs can help in only a few situations:

1) Cutting through a loose layer of stuff to get to something grippy below. Most gravel tire knobs are too small to do this effectively, but maybe dust on hard pack?

2) Paddling through loose stuff like sand. Again, small knobs gonna be pretty minimal effect.

3) Hooking onto embedded rocks, textures, etc. As someone alluded to above, this is where I notice it on 15-30% pitches. Basically I end up skittering from rock to rock on the really steep stuff. Slicks won't do it.

Fair warning on the Gravel Grinder TLR - I had two delaminate from poor vulcanization. Looked like alien worms growing under the tread. One exploded in my garage with a loud bang. The rear survived ~300 miles and the front ~750 miles. The sidewalls are also pretty fragile (as you would expect with such a light tire, so can't really complain about that.)

Retailer replaced them, we'll see if it was just a bad batch, or typical Challenge bad quality. I really like them because they are super light and roll very fast on pavement vs. the heavier/thicker small knobby options, but obviously if they're untrustworthy that's no good.

[SlowPokePete]

Wide - Bald - Low Pressure works perfect in all conditions.

Except mud.

SPP

[dem]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

Wide - Bald - Low Pressure works perfect in all conditions.

Except mud.

SPP

I guess it depends on what you mean by "low" - I don't want to run such low pressure that the tires are a dog on the pavement (like 20 psi) nor do I want to run tires much wider than 700x40, because they are also too squishy for me on pavement.

So for 700x35 to 700x40, at reasonable road pressures (45-60 PSI) some knobs definitely help in the conditions I described. Gravel riding is definitely all about compromising based on your style, mixture of terrain, etc.

Without defining things like "wide" and "low" - it is difficult to describe even subjective experiences.

I destroyed a set of 700x35 Compass/Rene Herse tires in a few hundred miles (even ignoring the fact they blew off the rim and leaked sealant like sieves) - so I definitely know those aren't for me!

[jtbadge]

Originally Posted by jambee

I have to paraphrase Jan Heine here a little:

the only type of riding where your knobs will help with grip is on mud. Otherwise, slicks are fine.

Unilateral statements regarding gravel biking are a hotter trend than gravel itself! The answer always depends on local terrain and rider experience. Riding slicks through chunky stuff in places I've lived is terrifying. Riding slicks with low enough pressure to grip on the steep, loose stuff becomes a total drag on pavement, worse than riding a knobby the whole time.

[jtbadge]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i honestly can not tell the difference between the amanzo and the gravel grinder race. both come in 33c. the tread looks pretty darn similar. file tread with knobs outside.

i got a gravel grinder on the way...

The Alamanzo is one of those 'unsafe at any speed' Challenge cotton 'Open Tubulars.' You made the right choice.

[molly47]

I have exact same tire and ridden it in woodsman gravel, road, mud and sand 800 plus miles still in great shape, love the tire..