Light, supple, and robust: the gravel tyre holy grail/unicorn

[callmeishmael]

TL/DR: has anyone found a 40-42c gravel tyre, with a decent 'all-rounder' tread (smooth gravel through to moderate mud) that is fairly quick and supple but not too fragile?

Thank you!

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The full version:

I've been working my way through a variety of gravel tyres in the last year. I do about half my riding in the Chilterns (clay base, often quite muddy, some exposed rocks) and about half in the New Forest (chalk base, largely well-drained and quite smooth, lots of flint heads about). It's tough to find one tyre to balance the two, and I also accept the perennial trade off between ride quality and robustness. However, I do think I can do better than I have done.

I've recently used the following:

- Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M: robust, not slow, ordinary in mud, hard feel
- Terravail Rutland Light and Supple: lovely supple feel, good allrounder tread pattern, lots of punctures.
- Schwalbe G-One bite: not ideal on faster gravel, decent in the mud; tread pattern probably not right for me.

For reference, I'm not very heavy (~70kg/154lb) and would describe my riding style as fairly smooth and generally relaxed.

Any recommendations would be gratefully received!

[muttley]

I really dig the WTB Resolute (700x42) and the Nano (700x40). Really wish they would offer both in more sizes. A Resolute in 45 would be nice up front!

[Baron Blubba]

Yes! Try the IRC Boken in the 40mm width! I put that tire on my Revolt and was *stunned* by how fast it is. Quiet, too!
I've ridden them up sustained 20% loose and washboardy gravel/dirt roads and, well...I lived! Very smooth transition from gravel to pavement, they just feel great everywhere. There is no claimed puncture protection technology from IRC, but I've got a couple thousand miles on them and have only had one tiny puncture, which I only noticed when I got home and realized that the back of my bike was all gooey with sealant.

If for some reason my road bike is out of commission, I'm very happy to do the proverbial planned 100% paved ride on these tires.

[AngryScientist]

I would try the RH knobby tires in the Endurance casing.

[callmeishmael]

Some great suggestions here: thanks all. I have some googling to do.

I must admit the RH endurance had already caught my eye/come up on the radar. But at almost £100 a tyre... I'm going to take a little time to think on that!

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by callmeishmael

I do about half my riding in the Chilterns (clay base, often quite muddy, some exposed rocks) and about half in the New Forest (chalk base, largely well-drained and quite smooth, lots of flint heads about).

Sounds fun. Please tell us about these two spots some time...with pictures.

[slowpoke]

If you're in Europe, the Tufo Thunderos have been well reviewed: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...ravel-thundero

[Hilltopperny]

I have some Fleecer Ridge endurance + casings on my Cutthroat and have been impressed with them so far. I have used other Herse tires without the endurance casings and would run into problems, but these have been aces so far!

I also have a Resolute 42mm front Nano 40mm combo and they have been solid as well. They are noisier on pavement than the Herse tires that have legit noise canceling tech.

[livesadventure]

Hot take, the ultradynamico rose jff has been excellent. Fast rolling, has been plenty in wet and dry Marin single track and fireroad and no issues so far.




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[yinzerniner]

Biggest issue isn't as much for light, supple and robust, but rather finding one that's all three in addition to being good in the mud.

For mud you generally need big knobs spaced out a lot. That's not necessarily the best combo for a light and supple tire. Robust, sure.

If you're on a rocky but also muddy course, maybe the best option would be to get something like the previously-mentioned Ultradynamico or Rene Herse offerings and run them with tire inserts. The bigger knobs and tire inserts will hurt weight, but they will let you run lower pressures with less chance of punctures and also provide sidewall support.

[callmeishmael]

Originally Posted by sparky33

Sounds fun. Please tell us about these two spots some time...with pictures.

Happily.

In the meantime, these photos are taken 2 miles from my door (in the Chilterns)

[CAAD]

Continental Terra Speed 40c. Proven to be very durable so far for me. Plus they are fairly fast even on the pavement. Just enough tred to give the tire stone bite. Did a race last year with some very muddy sections, they were fine and tracked well without caking up.

[GonaSovereign]

Vitoria Tirreno Dry.
It’s not just for the dry, despite the name.
I rode them successfully at a bunch of races and rides this year, including The Rift with its chunky bits. No probs, no flats, and fast rolling.

[fa63]

I think the WTB Resolute might fit the bill as someone already mentioned. I was impressed with how well they rolled on pavement despite having reasonably large knobs.

[Wayne77]

Another vote for Resolutes. They feel pretty supple to me, roll well, and have been super durable.