Continental Terra Speed and Terra Trail
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Flats suck out there - I met a guy last year that had to put in a tube after being on track for a top 100 finish and had 5 more flats with the tube - I gave him one so he could finish (he was carrying his bike). I'd like to hear from people running those on flint rock before making a choice to use them for DK this year. I used SK+ last year too and they definitely had a ride quality and rolling resistance penalty for the flat protection.
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Thanks for posting the article, it's a good read. I was surprised they used 3.5 Bar for there testing (around 50psi), seemed like a very high pressure for gravel when most people are running low 40's for 40mm tires. The only tire on the list I have used is the Panaracer SK (mine were the plus version). The continentals having snake bite as a weakness seems more of a problem for B roads than A gravel. Probably not a good tire choice for rough courses like Dirty Kanza.
They did test all the major brands though. Tons of good info in there.
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I might have to order a pair. Not gonna lie, just by looking at them I wouldn't have guessed they were fast. Knobs != speed in my brain.
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Me too. Interestingly, the G-one All around is faster than the Speed, and The aggressive Terra bite is faster than the bite. Certainly, if you can hear the knobs, its slowing you down though.
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Flats suck out there - I met a guy last year that had to put in a tube after being on track for a top 100 finish and had 5 more flats with the tube - I gave him one so he could finish (he was carrying his bike). I'd like to hear from people running those on flint rock before making a choice to use them for DK this year. I used SK+ last year too and they definitely had a ride quality and rolling resistance penalty for the flat protection.
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I'm trying to make sense of that, since they weren't in the test, but the graphic shows 25w with a tube, since the Speed was tested with a tube, then it would still be faster. Which I guess would put the Speed around 18-19w tubeless.
#32
Gravel Rocks
What tires was he running? I also have the Terra Trails, which are also good, more aggressive and only a touch slower than the Speeds, and still have the 43mm SK+, but I really don't like those. lol I'm going to be talking with some local folks who have done DK to get their tips too. My biggest goal is to keep mechanicals to a minimum, mental game is strong and training should support a good effort out there.
#33
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if you start digging in with these results and BRRs numbers, it looks like the casing makes a 2-3w difference (road perf v the next step more durable) and the knobs add 2w per “step”.
Last edited by jfranci3; 02-13-20 at 09:12 AM.
#34
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Heads up, these are 38c tires marked as 40c. They measure 38mm across on my Stans Grail 20mm int rim. Unless you are a 25mm interior wheel, you're not getting 40mm.
Gk SK 43c measure 43mm on these tires, so the sizes was quite visibly different than what I was expecting.
Gk SK 43c measure 43mm on these tires, so the sizes was quite visibly different than what I was expecting.
Last edited by jfranci3; 02-16-20 at 11:45 AM.
#35
Gravel Rocks
#36
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Just got a ride in on these -
They ride really nicely, roll a step better than my GK SKs, and you won't instantly flip over if you touch mud or snow like you do with the GK SKs. I'm give them 4-stars out of 5 so far, the ****ty sizing (marking vs actual & avb sizes) is the only downer.
They ride really nicely, roll a step better than my GK SKs, and you won't instantly flip over if you touch mud or snow like you do with the GK SKs. I'm give them 4-stars out of 5 so far, the ****ty sizing (marking vs actual & avb sizes) is the only downer.
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Heads up, these are 38c tires marked as 40c. They measure 38mm across on my Stans Grail 20mm int rim. Unless you are a 25mm interior wheel, you're not getting 40mm.
Gk SK 43c measure 43mm on these tires, so the sizes was quite visibly different than what I was expecting.
Gk SK 43c measure 43mm on these tires, so the sizes was quite visibly different than what I was expecting.
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Good feedback, and good to know on sizing.
FYI, I have seen tires stretch over time (i.e. a couple of days vs new) and some are noticably bigger at max PSI. Personally, I can not fit a 40mm tire that measures over 40mm, so this would work for me. Looks very interesting. Wonder if they will come out with a variety of sizes like Schwalbe (don't see how they can not do that given the growth in this area).
FYI, I have seen tires stretch over time (i.e. a couple of days vs new) and some are noticably bigger at max PSI. Personally, I can not fit a 40mm tire that measures over 40mm, so this would work for me. Looks very interesting. Wonder if they will come out with a variety of sizes like Schwalbe (don't see how they can not do that given the growth in this area).
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FYI on durability, no punctures at all, but doesn't look like they're going to last very long, guess that's the tradeoff for a fast tire. I have prob 5-600 miles on them and the rear is showing significant wear (not that the tread is very tall to start with). A lot of that is pavement tho, I was waiting on my new road bike to get built so I was using the gravel bike with the Terra Speeds for all of my normal riding.
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Thanks for many information! I'm interested in these tires, but not sure what size should choose.
My bike is CX and real max width is about 37/38 mm - so probably 35c is the best option but... you wrote, that 40c is real 38c.
I use DT R460b 18 mm inner width rims
My bike is CX and real max width is about 37/38 mm - so probably 35c is the best option but... you wrote, that 40c is real 38c.
I use DT R460b 18 mm inner width rims
#42
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I'd say get the 40c and mount them dry on your wheels. They mount easily with just a floor pump box they come in isn't that hard to open, keep everything in new condition , and return in perfect condition if the fit isn't great. Won't be a big deal to the retailer if you need an exchange. Mount the rear. Make sure there's +2mm of clearance to the side of the seat stay.
Another idea would be to buy one 40c, try it on the rear, and if it doesn't work run 35c rear / 40c front. Most CX forks can take the 38mm tire no problem - the restriction is trying to allow road gearing, a road Q-factor/chainline crank, a seatstay, and a wide tire in the same space.
Last edited by jfranci3; 02-19-20 at 10:03 AM.
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Another idea would be to buy one 40c, try it on the rear, and if it doesn't work run 35c rear / 40c front. Most CX forks can take the 38mm tire no problem - the restriction is trying to allow road gearing, a road Q-factor/chainline crank, a seatstay, and a wide tire in the same space.
#44
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Received a set of 40mm terra speeds today. They mounted/sealed very easily to my new GRX wheelset with my floor pump. They've been holding air for a few hours with no sealant so far. They measure out at 38 currently, pretty excited to get cassette/rotors swapped and try out.
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Received a set of 40mm terra speeds today. They mounted/sealed very easily to my new GRX wheelset with my floor pump. They've been holding air for a few hours with no sealant so far. They measure out at 38 currently, pretty excited to get cassette/rotors swapped and try out.
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#46
Gravel Rocks
Terra Speeds mounted in Enve G23 (23mm internal width) measure 39.1mm. By comparison my 40mm WTB Nano TCS tires measure 41.5 on those wheels. As I remember the Gravelking SK+ 38mm tires measured 39mm on these rims too.
Looking at the two tires unmounted, it's clear the bead to bead width with the tires spread out flat is narrower on the Terra Speeds, by 4 to 5mm. I doubt they will stretch out over time (if they did they would be weaker I would think). They should probably not be called 40mm tires dimensionally from what I can see but they may well ride as well or better than 40mm tires.
Looking at the two tires unmounted, it's clear the bead to bead width with the tires spread out flat is narrower on the Terra Speeds, by 4 to 5mm. I doubt they will stretch out over time (if they did they would be weaker I would think). They should probably not be called 40mm tires dimensionally from what I can see but they may well ride as well or better than 40mm tires.
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Man, so far so good. Quick Review:
Specs: Did a nice mixed route 50 mile ride yesterday so I got a good feel for them. Each weighed 405g. That's 75-100g/each lighter than my other tires (Terreno Dry 40mm and GKSK 40mm). They measured 38.7mm on my 23mm ID wheels. They set up tubeless very easily, big bonus there.
Experience: They roll with almost no hint of knobs on pavement. This was the one place I was really curious of how they roll, and they felt really fast. And of course they were fast on hard pack dirt roads. They gripped decently on looser gravel climbs, but not as great as I would have guessed (I had HIGH hopes here so take that with a grain of salt, they were just as good as any other tire I've tried). The back tire was a touch loose on fast descents while applying power. Nothing crazy but I found that a little strange. Cornering was great. I purposely went into a few turns hot enough to make my butt pucker but neither tire even so much as skidded a centimeter. That was awesome. I ran them at 38psi and I had to double check a few times to see if the rear was going flat. It wasn't, they're just that supple. Really nice ride feel, ESPECIALLY for a 38mm tire. If these prove to be durable, which only time will tell, then they have a good shot at being the holy grail gravel tire we've all been seeking.
Specs: Did a nice mixed route 50 mile ride yesterday so I got a good feel for them. Each weighed 405g. That's 75-100g/each lighter than my other tires (Terreno Dry 40mm and GKSK 40mm). They measured 38.7mm on my 23mm ID wheels. They set up tubeless very easily, big bonus there.
Experience: They roll with almost no hint of knobs on pavement. This was the one place I was really curious of how they roll, and they felt really fast. And of course they were fast on hard pack dirt roads. They gripped decently on looser gravel climbs, but not as great as I would have guessed (I had HIGH hopes here so take that with a grain of salt, they were just as good as any other tire I've tried). The back tire was a touch loose on fast descents while applying power. Nothing crazy but I found that a little strange. Cornering was great. I purposely went into a few turns hot enough to make my butt pucker but neither tire even so much as skidded a centimeter. That was awesome. I ran them at 38psi and I had to double check a few times to see if the rear was going flat. It wasn't, they're just that supple. Really nice ride feel, ESPECIALLY for a 38mm tire. If these prove to be durable, which only time will tell, then they have a good shot at being the holy grail gravel tire we've all been seeking.
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Man, so far so good. Quick Review:
Specs: Did a nice mixed route 50 mile ride yesterday so I got a good feel for them. Each weighed 405g. That's 75-100g/each lighter than my other tires (Terreno Dry 40mm and GKSK 40mm). They measured 38.7mm on my 23mm ID wheels. They set up tubeless very easily, big bonus there.
Experience: They roll with almost no hint of knobs on pavement. This was the one place I was really curious of how they roll, and they felt really fast. And of course they were fast on hard pack dirt roads. They gripped decently on looser gravel climbs, but not as great as I would have guessed (I had HIGH hopes here so take that with a grain of salt, they were just as good as any other tire I've tried). The back tire was a touch loose on fast descents while applying power. Nothing crazy but I found that a little strange. Cornering was great. I purposely went into a few turns hot enough to make my butt pucker but neither tire even so much as skidded a centimeter. That was awesome. I ran them at 38psi and I had to double check a few times to see if the rear was going flat. It wasn't, they're just that supple. Really nice ride feel, ESPECIALLY for a 38mm tire. If these prove to be durable, which only time will tell, then they have a good shot at being the holy grail gravel tire we've all been seeking.
Specs: Did a nice mixed route 50 mile ride yesterday so I got a good feel for them. Each weighed 405g. That's 75-100g/each lighter than my other tires (Terreno Dry 40mm and GKSK 40mm). They measured 38.7mm on my 23mm ID wheels. They set up tubeless very easily, big bonus there.
Experience: They roll with almost no hint of knobs on pavement. This was the one place I was really curious of how they roll, and they felt really fast. And of course they were fast on hard pack dirt roads. They gripped decently on looser gravel climbs, but not as great as I would have guessed (I had HIGH hopes here so take that with a grain of salt, they were just as good as any other tire I've tried). The back tire was a touch loose on fast descents while applying power. Nothing crazy but I found that a little strange. Cornering was great. I purposely went into a few turns hot enough to make my butt pucker but neither tire even so much as skidded a centimeter. That was awesome. I ran them at 38psi and I had to double check a few times to see if the rear was going flat. It wasn't, they're just that supple. Really nice ride feel, ESPECIALLY for a 38mm tire. If these prove to be durable, which only time will tell, then they have a good shot at being the holy grail gravel tire we've all been seeking.
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#50
Gravel Rocks
Not sure if it really matters but there is a direction of rotation arrow on the sidewalls even though the tread is not directional. Thought I would mention it for anyone who hadn't noticed. (ignore if someone else already posted, I didn't see it posted).