rdf37

Added a portion to my (5.3 miles to 5.9 mile)s short ride today. On the addition, there is a very steep (about 14% grade) but very short section (about one fifth of a mile). It is usually just heavy gravel which made me think it would be a very hard accent. Well, I was not only correct but apparently the city laid a bunch of dirt on top of it and we got rain, making this section a gravely, muddy, and very slippery section. As I saw it approaching I almost turned back but thought what the heck...if I have to dismount so be it! It has been 9 years off the bike and I finally getting back on it so what does it matter, I gave it a go! I was begging for another gear but I had none! I was begging for the short climb to end, but it seemed an eternity,. I decided to come out of saddle and power up it and I made it! Huge success for my moral! As I topped the mud and gravel my smiles and joy were extinguished when I looked and saw the screw for my mount for my light had shaken lose and was somewhere in the mud.....I could have went back down but I thought better to go on rather than risk having to walk up after I managed to ride up climb!!!! Very pleased with new bike so far and the tires did great
All in all it was a great ride and now I have the baseline for that climb!!!!
Thanks for reading
rdf37

Eric F 

What tires are you using?

rdf37

I am using WTB Nano TCS Light, 700 x 40c, Tubeless

manetzki

I dont like WTB, they are little pit over priced? I suggest more vittoria terrano.

Eric F 

Which one? The Terreno comes in a few different models.
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What makes one tire better than an other varies widely with how they are being used, and the preferences of the rider. For me, I want tires that roll pretty efficiently on pavement and hard dirt, and also handle well on singletrack and fast downhills when things are a little loose. I have stayed away from the Vittoria Terreno because they do not test very well for rolling resistance (even the smooth-center "Dry" model) compared with many other tires. I've tried a few different tire setups, and I found that a combination of a fast-rolling tire on the rear, and a grippier tire up front gives me the performance I'm looking for. Currently, I'm running Tufo Thundero 40 in the rear, and Tufo Swampero 40 on the front, and I love them for the kind of riding I do. I have also used a combination of the Pirelli Gravel H and M, and liked it a lot, too. I did not care for the Challenge Getaway Pro (light and fast, but vague handling and fragile) or the IRC Doublecross (good handling and durable, but heavy and slow). For a recent muddy event, I used Pirelli Ms on both ends, and it was really good when rear traction was slippery, at the cost of a little bit of rolling efficiency on the paved segments. All that said, my preferences, reasons, and the way I want my bike to perform might be totally different than yours.

rdf37

Maybe they are, but they are competitive for my use. And besides that, they are what came on the bike and they seem to do well so far.
rdf37

Eric F 

I haven't ridden the Nanos, but the tread pattern looks like it would be good for traction in loose/muddy conditions. It sounds like that matters to you. No need to switch if they're doing what you need, for the terrain you ride, and you aren't finding that they're limiting you in some way. What might be great for one person might be lousy for someone else.

I'm one of those weirdos who tries lots of different options, mostly because I like expanding my personal knowledge base, but also in the hunt for improved performance for the kind of riding and racing I like to do. I've been running 40s, but there has been a lot of noise about the advantages of wider tires for gravel racing that has grabbed my curiosity, so I have a pair of Tufo Thundero 48s on the way to me to give it a try and see if it makes sense for me.