Tires for THIS gravel...
 

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I hope this photo doesn't upload as big as it looks on my end. I broke my leg last June on my first ride out on my Trek Marlin... You all helped me realize it was too high of a PSI. I have recently got new tires... Hillbilly Grip. If you look them up, they are just knobby and pretty aggressive. I've read that they are great for mud but squirrely on gravel... yes, they are right. I'm considering getting some other tires instead as this is the type of gravel I ride on daily. I really need some stability, am willing to take some classes too as I know it's not all about tires, but am wondering what would be good on this type of gravel/rock. WTB Riddler Maybe? Anyone else ride on this stuff? Thanks a bunch. By the way I was 215 lbs last year from 245, when I broke my leg, now in the 160's and rode 34 miles one day a couple weeks ago. Average 20 miles on this gravel daily.

I'd get the fattest file-tred or small-knob that will fit on your bike. But it will still be kind of slippery on that gravel - I think there's no getting around that.

That kind of gravel is meant for something fast and with suspension. Something that can essentially ski and slide across it while maintaining control. Something with a motor. :D

If it were me, I'd start by putting more than two wheels under me, and iron out the tire selection later.

Well, it's what I got around here. It's not always like this on every mile I ride but I do need something that might work better than my current tires for this. I rode it today with no problems, I just can't go fast and I'm okay with that. : )

I'm not sure how long the OP has been riding 20 miles/day on this stuff, but with 2" tires (or there about), I'd think riding this gravel would be a case of rider skill more than equipment. I don't see many potholes in the picture, so I'd guess your could drop the pressure fairly far down (30-40 psi, perhaps?). But if I regularly had to ride 20 miles on a road that rough, I might be looking for a clown bike that takes 3-4" tires and can be inflated by puffing into the tube.

For gravel and dirt roads I like a tire that is only light knobby or almost slick in center but has bigger knobs on the side. Let’s it roll quicker yet grips in turns.

The WTB might work fine though, just find the largest tire that’ll fit the bike. Just note that you’d be spending near or over $100 on tires for a $500 - $600 bike ? Not sure I’d be spending that, I’d rather save up for a better bike.

I grew up on gravel roads and was a happy man when the mountain bike came out. I don't think there's much more you can do than what you've got on a loose surface. But you will develop wicked bike handling skills. I'd just get the good out of what you already have. And I kinda like the name Hillbilly Grip.

I don't see that being that bad. It's no rail trail crushed but still medium/random sized gravel 30-40% coverage spread over a fine hard base that looks relatively compact. No potholes, washout, relatively consistent and no rollercoaster bumps. Worse would be several inches of fresh loose gravel or if the whole thing was medium/large pieces of various random depth. My last three gravel tires were Speedride 42, Hutchinson Overide 40 and Riddler 45. Maybe I'm wrong but I've ridden all kinds of gravel and surfaces and would use any of the three here depending on if there was a asphalt involved. I'm sure there would be some pings and shooting rocks from the tires. It's gravel, not asphalt so adjust accordingly.

The best bicycle for that road

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I ride stuff like that with 38mm tires. The key is to keep the pressure as low as you can get away with, without damaging the rims or getting pinch flats. Find the widest tires you can fit on the bike, and if your rims allow tubeless, get tubeless tires set up. This will allow you to ride with really low tire pressure. The tires will mold around the rocks and gravel rather than ping off them.

BTW congratulations on the weight loss. That is extremely impressive.

I like it!!!

I ride mostly paved surfaces now, but used to almost exclusively ride off-road, and the tire I liked was the Kenda Nevegal (on a mtn.bike). Pretty sure they would handle that.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/sear...enda%20Nevegal

Thank you so much, I am looking up those three tires. It won't hurt to at least try. It seems my daughter's tires on her Trek Cruiser seem more stable than mine (on gravel). Thank again, just what I was looking for.

Thank you so much. This is just what I needed to hear, I will do this.

I might look into a new bike in a year or so, any suggestions for this type of terrain? Thanks...

It kind of matches your name!

Yes! : )

The Hutchinson Overide is a 38c, typo on my part. It actually measures 40 on my 23mm ID wheels and that was what I was thinking. The SpeedRide is from Continental. It is not tubeless capable but a nice conforming tire.

A buddy sold his Kona Rove, purchased a Cannondale Topstone 105. Lighter, great components, takes a 40mm tire which he loves.

Looks like gravel to me :) Panaracer Gravel King, Donnelly X'Plor USH, and whatever is made by Bontrager are all popular options for the local Minnesota/Iowa gravel, which is similar to what you've posted.

Do you know what size wheels you have on the bike? That could make a difference in tire availability.

Props to you for doing 20 miles a day on that stuff - that is some serious riding!

Looks like fatbike territory to me.

You mention WTB Riddlers which are gravel bike tyres .... personally if I were riding 20 miles a day on that sort of surface I'd be looking at wider MTB tyres as opposed to heading towards narrower more gravel orientated tyres mainly because of the comfort / enjoyment factor but also the more volume on that sort of surface chances are you'll go quicker with a wider tyre at lower pressure anyway.

We regularly cover 3 miles out of a 20 to 40 mile ride on a similar but maybe not quite so consistently punishing surface and whilst I take my gravel bike with approx 38mm tyres as the rest of the ride is tarmac, if I was doing longer distances on that something like that I'd grab my 29er which I run Smart Sam Plus's on and handle that sort of surface quite well and are still semi OK if you happen to hit some road along the way.

I wonder if you're thinking gravel bikes because of the name are ideal for that sort of surface and so tyres designed for them should be as well but a gravel bike is really a bike that's probably more road orientated and "can handle" some gravel as opposed to excelling at it (and ideally not as aggressive as that) in contrast to a road bike which would be unbearable on that.

Those roads look like they were made for Paselas, the biggest ones you can run on your bike. I'm running 38c in front and 35c in back. I could go a lot bigger in front but 35 is the max in back. They've been great on roads nowhere near as nice as that your photo and on steep grades.

IMHO the 29er MTB with front suspension. Nice smooth ride, no problems.

I like this idea - I don't imagine you'd have one of those babies slide out from under you !
And just think of the workout :D