redlude97

I personally think the MSO is the best mixed terrain tire. I've done everything from long gravel rail trails to racing dry cyclocross races on them with decent results. I've run treads similar to rambler and its just a bit too slow on pave for an all arounder to me.

redlude97

Also, has anyone tried the new vittoria terrano mix in 38c? That could be a pretty fast all around tire

chas58

Yep, the MSO is a good choice for mixed terrain and loose surfaces. I'm surprised you thik the rambler is slow. The Ramblers take about 20 watts each. You can do maybe 2-3 watts better with some tires, but not much.

The MSO on the other hand is a bit draggy, fairly heavy, and a bit wobbly on a fast turn with good traction. Then again, a lot of my gravel here is smoother than our asphalt - so I want a fast hard pack tire for that - but then it changes quickly to chunky gravel around the next bend. Ramblers do both. Personally I want to be able to dive into a hard dry turn and not have the tread distort on me. Something like the GK-SK, Rambler or G-one do that well. MSO not so much.

chas58

I have a friend that used them for the 200+ mile C2C. He liked them for a long fast dry course like that.

Caliper

I was looking for something narrower than the 38mm Rambler to go with a future aero wheel purchase. If there was a 32-35mm Rambler, I would be looking there since I love my 40 and 45mm ones... Will probably end up with a G-One Speed at this point.

redlude97

Thats probabaly the difference in our experience. When I refer to speed/rr I am mostly referring to pavement performance. We usually have to ride significant road prior to getting to gravel or single track and the solid center tread rolls faster to me than a rambler. We also arrnt dealing with much dry hardback and I'm pulling the MSOs out for damp and or muddy conditions where squirm and deformation are exactly what I want. Otherwise I just ride high volume slicks even on easy single track ie compass switchback hills or gravelking slicks. If I want a burly tread for railing turns I'm usually pulling out my cyclocross bike and a cross wheel from the quiver so I'm probabaly not the best guage of an all around tire

chas58

Good info. I checked out some reviews of them and the Resolute does seem to have a lot of advantages over the Riddler (gosh, those names are so confusing). I'll have to add it to my shortlist. Thanks for the feedback!

vinuneuro

Based on this thread, ended up buying the GK SK's and then returning them for the Vittoria Terrano Dry's. Hoping they'll be a decent step up in cornering over my G-One All-Around's.

chas58

Let us know how it goes. What did you not like about the G-one? no bite in turns?

I don't know that side knobs really give any additional traction, but they sure do make breakaway characteristics different.

One of my favorite all time tires was a Panaraces Mach SS I bought in the '90s. Very fast with smooth (diamond) center, yet with lugs for hard bite when cornering. I could do anything on that tire - and it taught me to have a smooth cadence on tough mountain bike climbs.

Witterings

Interested to know why you took them back ... did you try them 1st????

I was running 38mm GK SK's last winter and they performed as well as my friends MTB's with much bigger knobbly's in the winter mud, I switched them for Vittoria Voyager Hypers for the summer and had a nasty accident turning from concrete farm track to gravel path which I think was largely due to lack of grip so switched the tyres back to the GK's.

I do get the odd ping of gravel but I'd say it's not nearly as bad as the Hypers were.

Interested to hear how you get on with the Terranos as well when you've used them a bit more as we're probably all searching for that ever illusive perfect tyre for every condition .

shoota 

Good call.

vinuneuro

Didn't use them. Too many reports of the SK's flinging gravel, particularly small crushed limestone like the trails I ride on.