Gravel King slick tires
#26
Blazer of saddles, trails
I found the GK slicks to be noticeably better at resisting cuts than other tires. For the price I'm of the opinion they're the best rolling tires, all the other options are heavier/slower or much more expensive. I've run through two sets now with no issues, there's not an even distribution of tire cuts/flats so YMMV of course.
For rides that include pavement, packed dirt, or light/small gravel, I have found these to be the most comfortable, fastest, and easiest tubeless tire.
Given their lightweight, however, they are not, not are they meant to be, the most durable tire. I have had issues with them, but these have come from doing things the tires really aren't meant for, like bunny hopping curbs. Yet I didn't hesitate to run them for a recent race that included some really rough jeep trails and singletrack (mostly because these constituted a very small percentage of the overall course) and they performed admirably and emerged unscathed. However, if you are riding predominantly chunky gravel, goathead-infested roads, or singletrack, I would look elsewhere.
#27
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I've ridden the bike many times with GK slicks..oddly enough it really didn't feel that much different with riding the SKs on pavement. I was surprised. I've ridden slower road tires(on that bike) than the SKs.
#28
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Just found that Teravail makes some good looking slicks in 700c. A 38 and 42 They look fun.
https://teravail.com/tires/rampart#TR7299
https://teravail.com/tires/rampart#TR7299
Last edited by Hmmm; 09-02-19 at 03:56 AM.
#29
Senior Member
Anyone bought a set of GK slick 28’s and or 32’s recently? I have a set of 28’s brown wall that measure to under 26 mm and I’d like to use a set in a bike that can take up to just about 30. Everything I’ve read on line says that over the past year or two they’ve been better at being true to size. I don’t want to buy another set of 28’s that are really 25+.
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
#30
Senior Member
Have the GK 700x38s on my gravel bike. At mile 4 of 40 on a mixed 50/50 gravel/pavement ride last weekend I picked up the 3/4 inch screw you see below. The sealant sealed the puncture with the big screw in it. When I pulled it out it spewed sealant, I spun the tire and it pretty much sealed up. I plugged it for good measure considering I had a lot of miles left to go. I don't see any reason to replace the tire - the plug seems solid. I've ridden GK 32's on my cross bike for several years and had no particular issues with flats or cuts.
#31
Senior Member
Well I was wrong about the plug holding. Yesterday after coming down a steep gravel descent it was leaking. I replugged it but that one didn't hold when I aired it up. Replugged it again and put a bit less pressure in and it held well enough to get back home. Patched it from the inside when I got home and it seems like it should be ok.
#32
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Ive been running gk slicks for a long while, love them. All tires flat, all tires cut its part of riding unfortunately. My current set is GK slicks + which are suppose to be better cut resistant, I caught a roof nail in one and pulled the nail out and the tire didn't leak, I plugged it with a dynaplug pointy plug and that was almost a month ago. I ran them at SBT gravel and a week of riding around Colorado, here's a pic of the nail.
#33
Reno/Seattle/NYC
How was your experience plugging the hole? I tried using dynaplugs on my GK slicks a few months ago, and even after reaming the puncture quite a bit, I had a hell of a time getting the plug to seat. When I did, it only held for a few rides.
It felt like the cut was too big for the sealant to hold, but too small for the plug to fit in. I moved on to the GK+ as well, but have had mixed luck with them lately riding with tubes.
It felt like the cut was too big for the sealant to hold, but too small for the plug to fit in. I moved on to the GK+ as well, but have had mixed luck with them lately riding with tubes.
#34
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How was your experience plugging the hole? I tried using dynaplugs on my GK slicks a few months ago, and even after reaming the puncture quite a bit, I had a hell of a time getting the plug to seat. When I did, it only held for a few rides.
It felt like the cut was too big for the sealant to hold, but too small for the plug to fit in. I moved on to the GK+ as well, but have had mixed luck with them lately riding with tubes.
It felt like the cut was too big for the sealant to hold, but too small for the plug to fit in. I moved on to the GK+ as well, but have had mixed luck with them lately riding with tubes.
#35
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I was going to get some GK slick 38's, but when I needed them this past spring, there weren't any in the U.S. to buy. So I bought some Maxxis 40mm Velocita. Seems about the same as the GK. I run GK 32mm slicks on my road bike. My only complaint is that I wear through the treads fairly quickly. I have come to the conclusion that the Rene Herse tires might be a better value from a tread wear consideration since they have twice as much tread.
Central Pennsylvania gravel is pretty nasty, I only ride the GK SK on that. I don't consider them to be slow tires on pavement.
Central Pennsylvania gravel is pretty nasty, I only ride the GK SK on that. I don't consider them to be slow tires on pavement.
#36
Senior Member
I've got a set of GK slicks in 38mm & I think they are amazing. I've been running them for 500 miles in various conditions and I can't say enough good about them. Tubeless, no flats, & just as capable as any small knob tire IMO. The only place I have wanted more is when the mud gets deep & slimy, but small knobs are pretty much useless in those conditions too.
#37
Senior Member
Anyone bought a set of GK slick 28’s and or 32’s recently? I have a set of 28’s brown wall that measure to under 26 mm and I’d like to use a set in a bike that can take up to just about 30. Everything I’ve read on line says that over the past year or two they’ve been better at being true to size. I don’t want to buy another set of 28’s that are really 25+.
#38
Senior Member
my GK 38 slick is still going strong after 2000 miles, the rear had tread worn down in the middle and a little cut up, but the front still looks new. Probably still can get another 1000 miles out of the rear, then I would need to put in a tire liner if I want to squeeze more miles out of it. My riding is 70% pavement and 30% packed dirt / fire road
#39
Senior Member
Thanks for that info. Those sound like wide rims. I’ve used mine on Mavic G40 and Open Pro which measure 20-21 mm outside diameter.
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
#40
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Yup, that sounds a bit wide. I put some 28mm tires on 22mm ID rims and ended up riding on the sidewall too much when I cornered hard.
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