bampilot06

Recently picked up a checkpoint SL5. I intend to ride gravel with it but most of my rides are currently on the road. I do have road bikes, but I would like to throw the ole checkpoint into rotation and not get dropped. I know the tires are horrendous and slow, so I am thinking about getting another wheel set to run pathfinders with or whatever quick gravel tire you guys recommend.

Current thought process is a wheelset I can also use as a back up with my emodna and madone if the need for it ever arose. Also trying to keep the cost around 500.00 if I can. I have had good luck with superteams in the past so one option would be getting 45 mm wheels and throw 32 mm pathfinders on them. Or I could buy 60 mm superteams to put on the madone, take the bontrager aeolus pro wheels and put the 32 mm path finders on those.

Any ideas?

Polaris OBark

Keep the current wheels and put on Rene Herse Barlow EL

Eric F 

If you want your Checkpoint to perform more like a fast road bike, you're going to have to put the same kind of wheels and tires on it that you would put on your Emonda or Madone. Bikes are about compromises - sacrifice performance in one area in order to optimize it in another. For me, I don't ever expect my gravel bike to be my choice for doing fast road rides, but I do expect it to roll on pavement moderately efficiently and be able to handle mid-level singletrack and fast dirt road descents with confidence. My tire choice is driven by those demands.

bampilot06

Just threw WTB exposures on the 30 comp. Plan on getting paradign and swapping the gravel tires to the comp wheels.

Eric F 

Try lots of things and see what makes sense for the terrain you ride. What works for you and your riding may be significantly different than what I prefer for my riding. I suspect that my gravel bike riding leans more heavily to the MTB realm than yours.

bampilot06

For sure at the moment it will be just road. I know that it’s not gong to perform like my madones or emonda but 200 watts and only going 15 mph is kind of ridiculous which is what was happening with the current set up. That was GR1 with tires set to 50 psi…….

Eventually I would love to take it on some crazy trails, maybe next year.

Eric F 

I have found pretty significant differences in rolling efficiencies when comparing gravel tires. Despite similar tread patterns, the rolling efficiency of the Challenge Getaway Pro was a lot better than the IRC Boken Doublecross. BRR's data shows approx. 9W (per tire) difference. 18W is enough to notice. Aerodynamics and weight (among other things) also play a factor.