Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
Tire:
Panaracer Gravelking SK 700x35. Mounts to exactly 38mm wide on 17mm internal wheel.
Tread pattern:
3 rows of ~3mm knobs with ~3mm spacing between knobs, then two rows of bar-block knobs on the rest of the tread surface. Sidewalls are smooth.
Construction:
Panaracer makes no mention of tpi (that I can find) but they are as supple as your usual Panaracers. Dual-compound tread, "anti-flat casing" is bead to bead. Tubed or tubeless, limited to 70psi tubed or 60psi tubeless. Actually alarmingly light for such a big, treaded tire-- 380g.
Performance on pavement:
Surprisingly good. The width, suppleness, and tread combine to give a little bit of resistance in what I call the "transitional phase" between say 13-18mph. At least more than a smooth tire, anyway. Above 20mph, they cruise along as if they were 700x25 slicks.
Performance on firm and smooth gravel:
We have little in the way of gravel here, but we do have hardpack/loose-over-hard dirt in the shape of fire and access roads. The Gravelkings feel exactly the same on hardpack and loose-over-hard as they do on clean pavement. Have taken them up some fairly steep dirt trail, and even out of the saddle, they are firmly planted.
Performance on deep or soft gravel:
Can't say. I also haven't taken them into sand, but don't really plan on it.
Durability:
Too early to tell. Ordinarily I don't even start to think about any review/opinionating until I've god a good amount of miles on them, but straight out of the box they have thoroughly impressed. Even riding right through fields of visible tribulis terrestris, they didn't pick up a single thorn.
Ride:
Running them tubeless @ 60psi, haven't even thought to tinker with pressures. They are exceptionally comfortable on road and off. They outroll the Maxxis ReFuse TR that they replaced, despite mounting 6mm wider and being covered in knobs.
I didn't buy them specifically intending them for gravel, as we don't have that here-- they're intended for pavement (and those vast sections of what we dare to call pavement) and scrabbly SoCal hardpack... and washed out hardpack. It's far to early to say they're perfect, but at first blush they sure look perfect.
Just mounted these on 24 mm inside width rims and they measure 38.5 mm. They are more difficult to get over the side of the rim than 35 mm Schwalbe G-One. Lots of mounting fluid had to be used before the bead snapped into place at about 55 PSI.
Performance on pavement: I'm spoiled by Schwalbe G-One's and they don't roll as fast, noticeably more rolling resistance. Some noise.
Performance on loose gravel: front washed out once in a hairpin turn while descending through loose gravel. I thought I was going down but it grabbed as suddenly as it let go and I snapped upright. I think the side knobs grabbed. There seems to be a no-man's land between the center knobs and the side knobs where there is little or no traction and the tire either has to be leaned hard or kept upright. Did not inspire confidence in aggressive turns. Hooked up nicely when climbing, even out of the saddle on steep/loose.
I feel that the Panaracer Gravelking SK needs to be run at a lower pressure than the comparable Schwalbe G-One and I will be experimenting.
-Tim-