Badger6

And that means 80% of the gravel (along with the pave and the cement tractorsluis) are now mud...and I need a tire that biases toward mud. The Specialized Pathfinder Pros are not working well anymore. Problem is, I have never been in a place where I needed a (nearly) dedicated mud tire on my gravel bike, but here I am. I don't care how fat it rolls on the smooth stuff, I care that it will bite enough to let me ride without sliding all over the place.

I have some ideas in mind, but would like your opinions and experiences....not just what worked great, what didn't. Traction and control are most important, not speed.

Badger6

I should be clear- looking for something in the 42-47mm range for 700c. Will eventually build up some 650b wheels, tires for those up to 2.1" (53-54mm) would be helpful too.

tangerineowl

I think the ReneHerse knobbies are hard to beat in those widths. Both wheel sizes.

msu2001la

In my experience, narrower tires work better in mud. A 33mm CX tire will dig down into it and find traction whereas a wider 42-47mm tire will tend to float on top more and never really grab onto anything. Also those wide tires grab onto and hold a lot more mud on the treads and get super heavy, and a narrower CX tire will leave more clearance on your frame/fork to prevent mud from building up there.

Challenge Limus and Donnely PDX are my two favorites here. I've run the PDX in all but one CX race this season. It's an excellent tire that is light and still reasonably fast on pavement.

Badger6

I've use Limus in CX races, it works great...I get what you're saying on the "dig in" vs "float," and on a CX course I definitely agree. Trails are less "chewed Up," but muddy enough that I figured a bit more float would't hurt. Something to really think about, and do some testing with my CX rig.

dwmckee

+2

Germany_chris

I have RH Hurricane ridge tires in 700x42 that I like a bunch, since you're in Europe I tried the Pirelli Cinturato H this earlier this year and they got pretty loose in the wet but the loose terrain version might be better, while not to much cheaper they should be available at the LBS.

veloz

The PDX is my fave for CX races and mud. When it's not a complete mud fest, a PDX on the front and MXP on the back is great. You want the best steering and braking on the front. For gravel I'd consider the Graveling Mud version. I've not found bad enough mud on gravel roads to need more the GK-SK's although they do collect the stuff.

ksryder

The Gravel H isn't going to be much different than the Pathfinder in the mud. The Gravel M might. I've been using both, the Gravel M is noticeably slower on gravel and pavement but it's pretty capable off road. I haven't ridden in really bad mud because I avoid it but I've ridden it in some mud and it's about as good as anything.

Another reason to go slightly narrower for mud is so you have more clearance for mud buildup. In my opinion there's no really good option for mud, just some options that are less bad.

redlude97

For deep mud the BOS is superior to the PDX, so that is another option. Vittoria makes the Terreno wet in a 38mm

Badger6

The Donnellys are sold out everywhere I looked, and the Vittoria are only in 40, which is not a deal breaker. As I go back and look, I'm thinking the Vittoria Mix makes better sense, since I won't be exclusively on the muddy paths, and like I said speed isn't the object as much as control and being able to just keep moving. Great suggestion.

Badger6

I get a pro deal on Pirelli tires, so I've considered them for sure. RH would be awesome, but I have a hard time spending that much on tires.

Germany_chris

I’d give them a try mine seemed to roll well