fishyfishy123

I'm fit but relatively new to gravel riding - over the past six months I've done a bunch of 20-30 mile rides on forest fire roads w/ my new gravel/tour/winter bike. It 650B wheels and came with fun, cushy 47C slick WTB Horizon tires. I'm interested in doing this Oregon Coast Gravel Epic (60 miles, 6700 ft climbing) and am wondering if people think those Horizon tires or my 40c Teravail Cannonball tires would clearly be a better choice. The organizers state people need 38C tires minimum, and the WTB website says the Horizons are for Road and Hardpack. It'll be 50-60 F and probably damp. Cannonballs seem like the safe choice for traction, but Horizons have so much more air and would be so much smoother on those 20 tarmac miles.

Any other folks in the PNW considering this year?

https://www.mudslingerevents.com/ore...st-gravel-epic
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7359645
https://www.wtb.com/products/horizon
https://teravail.com/products/cannonball-tire#/

Rolla

The info sheet says, "The Gravel is 3/4 inch and larger for 65% of the course."

If I had the choice between 47s and 40s, I'd take the 47s every time. I love my WTB Byways (they're like Horizons, but with small side knobs), but for that course, I'd probably spring for something knobbier. One answer would be the Cannonballs, but in 47c width.

fishyfishy123

Thanks very much for the reply! I would obviously love to not buy a 3rd set of tires, but I also don't want do go do an event and have to struggle with my tire choice all day. Sigh.

Rolla

Well, here's the deal: you might struggle anyway. So maybe approach this ride as a "shakedown cruise." Do it for fun and to learn what works and what doesn't, then make adjustments next year or next ride. Having a whole assortment of tires just so you can pick the perfect pair for a given course is a rich man's pursuit; and you still might choose wrong if the weather changes! Sometimes it's more fun to just make do with what you got. Added bonus: bragging rights at the finish, when you roll in on your 40s like it's no big deal. As long as they're tubeless, you'll be fine.

fishyfishy123

Totally - that's my philosophy. I loved doing my first century ride event on a 70s univega w/ 12 gears. So would you choose the struggle of knobby 40s or semi-slick 47s? Sounds like you're leaning to 40s?

Rolla

Whoo. Having never seen that terrain, I don't want to go out on a limb. I think the "struggle of knobby" is overstated; the Cannonball has a subtle enough knob profile that it should roll just fine on both pavement and dirt. The 40 miles of 3/4" gravel just depends on what it's like. You might appreciate the traction benefits of knobs if it's rutted or loose, but the float of a 47 is nice on everything else. You'll likely feel beat up either way, so run as low a pressure as you can get away with.

Here's an OLD review of the event, from 2013. Not sure if the course is still the same at all, but some called it "mostly dirt, with a little gravel." If it rains, that means mud.

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/oregon-...l-epic.875934/

blazin

Not sure you’re cut out for gravel.

blazin

To actually be somewhat helpful, I think it depends on what your priority is or what you’re most concerned about. If you’re after comfort first and foremost go with the 47s. I think the 47s, even without knobs, would offer similar traction in all situations except mud. I would choose the 40s, however, because they’re likely to be faster.

fishyfishy123

Hah. Maybe I should say my wife would really love it if I didn't buy a third set of tires... this year. There have been lots of recent sports equipment purchases. Did you know longboarding is really fun?

fishyfishy123

I found a YouTube video from a sponsored team that did the ride last year, and it looks pretty hardpacked in most of the footage:

Koyote

Just my philosophy, but: if you're not seriously in contention for a podium finish, then it's mostly about testing yourself and having fun. You can do that with any reasonably-appropriate tires.

fishyfishy123

Thanks for the feedback - always good to remember - I guess just making sure both tires are in the ballpark. The guy who made the video was kind enough to quickly reply to my inquiry about the course last year, and this is what he said (for thread posterity):

I used a 38mm gravel king sk+ with 34 psi front back(I was running tubes at the time) and they handled great. I would choose more knobby if you know it’s going to be wet, and less knobby if it’s been dry for awhile. The gravel is pretty well packed/there’s a decent amount of pavement too. Hope this helps!

Koyote

Yeah, the problem is that I prefer to have my setup ready-to-go a week before a big event. I don't want to try mounting different tires a day or two before a race, and find that I have problems with air retention or something like that. So, swapping tires for changing weather conditions just doesn't work for me. But at least it sounds like you can choose either option and be okay.

Remember: in a typical gravel race, your tires will usually be perfect for maybe 30% of the route. For another 35% they'll be too wide or too knobby, and for the other 35% they won't be aggressive enough. (Okay, I'm making up the percentages, but you get the idea.)

dwmckee

Nice video! It looks like 40MM all the way on day 1 at least. IMHO of course. It looks flatter than teh climbing elevation suggests.

fishyfishy123

That's a great way to think about it, thanks!

fishyfishy123

Yeah, I'm only doing what they did on Day 1 of the video. 40mm Cannonballs are what I'm leaning to as well.

chas58

LOL. I did my first century on a Schwinn Collegiate (5 speed). I couldn't figure out why it was so much work. Steel is real, but cast iron crank set and solid steel rims (chromed), and lord knows what kind of tires I had...

Personally, I can do about anything other than mud (or wet grass) on slicks. 3/4" could be a lot for a 40mm tire. Its about not getting flats, and being able to ride the tire pressure you want. a 47 or a 40 at 40psi is gonna be about the same. But if you want to go low, you'll need the 47. If you don't go low - it may be a wash.

I do find when going hard in a fast pack, I often can't choose my line like I can when I'm solo. In those conditions, a 47mm tire can be a life saver.

fishyfishy123

Oof - my legs are burning just thinking of pushing the chunk of metal around! These are old logging roads and from the video they all looked hard packed. Fully laden logging trucks couldn't roll well on 3/4 inch loose pack either, so I'm not putting too much emphasis on that one number. The guy in the video was rolling with 38mm and didn't mention any width issues. Definitely hear you about the 47s giving buffer around others, but I think the ride spreads out pretty quickly. I'm still trying to convince a buddy to join.

justin1138

I’ve done this ride twice, both with 40mm Ramblers and no issues at all. Most of the ride is hard pack, some deeper/looser sections here and there.

Have fun out there, it’s a great ride!

fishyfishy123

Perfect - thanks for letting me know!