I've found the biggest issue with road tires on a gravel bike!
01-04-21, 02:46 PM
#1
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I've found the biggest issue with road tires on a gravel bike!
I got a 2021 Crux a few months ago, and its awesome. Its lighter, stiffer, and dare I say better riding than my current steel roadie. Despite the 38mm knobbies, its faster a lot of the climbs around here. I decided to try mounting a set of 28mm roadie tires the other day to see how it would do with a bit less tire on the road. It was then that I discovered the MAIN issue with road tires on a gravelly bike:
Yep. It looks awkward as ****. Poor thing. She won't even look at me on the bike rack.
It does ride nicely, but I do have a whole dedicated bike for riding on the road exclusively, so I slapped the knobbies back on and she's proud again:
Yep. It looks awkward as ****. Poor thing. She won't even look at me on the bike rack.
It does ride nicely, but I do have a whole dedicated bike for riding on the road exclusively, so I slapped the knobbies back on and she's proud again:
Last edited by Phatman; 01-06-21 at 07:09 AM. Reason: Found a grammar mistake and nobody called me out on it!
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01-04-21, 02:55 PM
#2
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01-04-21, 03:42 PM
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It’s got that wet cat look with skinnies on it! 
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01-04-21, 03:42 PM
#6
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Oh, I didnt think it looked awkward. There is some room in the stays and fork, but if I saw someone riding that on the road I wouldnt think twice.
Thats the whole trend right now- 2 wheelsets 1 bike quiver killer yada yada.
Just looked at it again- still looks like a nice bike with some road tires on it.
Well as long as the OP is happy.
Thats the whole trend right now- 2 wheelsets 1 bike quiver killer yada yada.
Just looked at it again- still looks like a nice bike with some road tires on it.
Well as long as the OP is happy.
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01-04-21, 03:54 PM
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I had 1.25" wide tires on my MTB commuter in the 90s. It looked anorexic.
The other drawback is that significantly smaller tires give you a significantly smaller gear. IIRC I was spinning out the big ring/small cog in places where I used the middle ring with 2.1" tires.
The other drawback is that significantly smaller tires give you a significantly smaller gear. IIRC I was spinning out the big ring/small cog in places where I used the middle ring with 2.1" tires.
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01-04-21, 05:03 PM
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Just put on some nice cushy light 32-35mm René herse or similar tyres
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01-04-21, 05:07 PM
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Or 38mm Rene Herse tires. Or 42mm. Or 48mm. Or 55mm. They have slick and knobby versions of these.
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01-04-21, 05:15 PM
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01-04-21, 05:16 PM
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My Mooney was designed a long time ago around 27" winter tires and fenders. (The canti bosses are midway between 27" and 700c.) Spent its first several decades on sewups. Rode to the coast 4 years ago on 38c/35c. Now on 28c road tires. He's an all arounder. Takes what he is given and rides them with pride. Someday I'll have to dress him in 27" just for fun.
01-04-21, 06:35 PM
#13
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The ride is kinda hard to explain. Definitely quick since the Crux is a way stiff 900 gram frame. It was definitely workable, but when compared back to back with my road bike, the wheelbase feels way long on the Crux, even though it’s a pretty short bike for a CX/graveller. I think that for some reason the tires made it feel like a slow handling road bike rather than a quick handling gravel bike.
Extremely subjective stuff though obviously.
Yeah maybe. I had the 28s laying around. I tried to put them on my roadie and they fit in the stand but rubbed as soon as I rode them, so I took them off and put them in a drawer.
01-05-21, 10:00 PM
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The issue with skinny road tires on a gravel bike is the same issue as skinny road tires on a road bike: they are skinny road tires.
01-06-21, 07:11 AM
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01-06-21, 07:28 AM
#17
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01-07-21, 06:45 PM
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My contribution to the “skinny road tires on a gravel bike” thread...
Canyon Grail SLX8 with 32mm road tires
Canyon Grail SLX8 with 32mm road tires
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01-12-21, 05:39 AM
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I agree. It looks funky. I think the 32mm Conti GP5000's are the fix if you're worried about the look of things. I've used them on my Giant TCX and they are amazing. I don't ever want to go back down to 28's for road anymore.
01-12-21, 06:51 AM
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01-12-21, 08:05 AM
#21
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Yeah, the 32mm GP5000s are a better look for sure. Do you find them any slower than a normal size tire?
01-13-21, 09:19 AM
#23
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The GP4k tires I rode in 28mm on my main road bike measured 31mm. They were light, fast, and reliable.
I wouldnt consider a 32mm tire to be abnormal. Its certainly on the wider range of road tires, but I view 25mm-32mm as 'normal' for modern road tire options.
Again, splitting hairs and stirring the pot here, I know.
I eagerly await the 32mm GP5k coming in tan wall.
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01-13-21, 01:28 PM
#24
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Stirring the pot here, but what is a normal sized tire?
The GP4k tires I rode in 28mm on my main road bike measured 31mm. They were light, fast, and reliable.
I wouldnt consider a 32mm tire to be abnormal. Its certainly on the wider range of road tires, but I view 25mm-32mm as 'normal' for modern road tire options.
Again, splitting hairs and stirring the pot here, I know.
I eagerly await the 32mm GP5k coming in tan wall.
The GP4k tires I rode in 28mm on my main road bike measured 31mm. They were light, fast, and reliable.
I wouldnt consider a 32mm tire to be abnormal. Its certainly on the wider range of road tires, but I view 25mm-32mm as 'normal' for modern road tire options.
Again, splitting hairs and stirring the pot here, I know.
I eagerly await the 32mm GP5k coming in tan wall.
I started riding road in the early 2000s, I even owned a set of 20s! It was tough for me to even consider going to 25s on my road bike.
01-13-21, 06:58 PM
#25
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Yes 32mm GP5Ks are glorious. Have them on my fendered CX bike (not a gravel build, just my rain bike) because smaller tires looked stupid with the big amount of fender clearance I had. They are one of the fastest non-TT tires out there today. Running tubeless I get better grip, braking, and comfort.
