Breadfan

All I've been dong is gravel and I am not seasoned at riding the roads, but I have a Bike for MS coming up in October. I want to run street 35's or 38's on my gravel bike but I want the best rolling tires I can find. I've been reading about Rene Herse tires, specifically the Bon Jon Pass 35's and the Barlow Pass 38's are on top of my list but I don't see many others making fast wide tires, hence this thread. I'd like to know all my options. I run tubeless.

tyrion

I don't think Rene Herse has any real competition in the fast wide (35mm+) tire category. They (Jan Heine and team) pretty much invented the category.

Koyote

I ran Bon Jon Pass in the standard casing on a bike for about two years. They were fantastic. Long service life, too.

Breadfan

Very good to know. Thank you.

Breadfan

Seems to be!

Barry2 

This site might help Bicycle Rolling Resistance

Barry

shelbyfv

I like the Panaracer GK Slick.. It seems the weight is competitive with the RH tires. I'm apparently one of the few who didn't like my experience with RH. I used the 35s(Bon Jon?) and felt like the rear was too squirmy unless I pumped it up too high. In a concession to my age and declining ability I'm running GK 38s on the road at some under 40psi. Tubeless set up w/o drama. I also ran them with tubes for awhile and can't tell much difference. However, tubes for that size tire are real honkers.

Koyote

I posted earlier about loving the RH Bon Jon Pass tires, but I'm now (on that bike) running 35mm Gravelking+ slicks. The RH BJP tires gave a slightly plusher ride, great grip, and great treadlife (3200+ miles from a rear, and about 7000 miles from the front before it wouldn't remount after adding sealant- I suppose it was just worn out and the beads would not set any more).

I switched to the GKs because I wanted to try something different, and also because my fave shop had stopped setting up any RH tires as tubeless for their customers due to too many blowoffs. I never experienced anything like that, but I trust these people, so changed to GK. And the GKs are alright -- ride not quite as plush, but not bad -- and they are holding up quite well. I'll probably stick with them.

Polaris OBark

I am a bit of a fanboi, but I have this experience, too. I may be mistaken, but it seems like it got a bit worse after I decided to try them tubeless. I'm now pumping the 38mm rear tire up to about 50 psi to avoid this disconcerting sensation.

Kapusta

If you want really fast, I'm also going to recommend RH Bon Jon or Barlow Pass, but specify the Extralight (EL) Casing if you want the fastest ones.

One thing to keep in mind about the Rolling Resistance website is that all but one of the tests I've seen on the RH slick tires were on the standard casings, not the EL casing. The one I saw for an EL casing was really fast, and significantly better than the same tire with the standard.

Not great tubeless. I had no problems setting mine up my last set of Barlow Pass (the first I ran tubeless), but after about a years they started weeping too much sealant. I find I like them just as much with tubes, though.

I am giving Challenge Strada Bianca Tubeless 40mm tires a try. Getting these mounted was quite an experience. I have not inflated them yet.

chaadster

I’m a Herse tire user— though not a fanboy— and can recommend them to the OP with caveats. I run two Bon Jon EL sets and one pair of Switchback Hill 650b x 48 Standard.

The first caveat is that the Extralight casing option is probably not suitable for running tubeless; definitely not suitable in my experience as a 10 year user of road tubeless tires. The Standard casing models are acceptable for tubeless, if not the best. The issue seems to be the Extralight’s supple sidewall, which is thinly coated in rubber so quite air permeable and the fantastic sidewall flexibility probably exacerbates the problem, making it very hard to keep them sealed even with Herse’s recommended SealSmart sealant.

The second caveat is that quality control *may* be an issue; of my three pairs, one tire has a small hop in it which seems to be from a kink or pinch in the casing or tread. I’ve not heard other reports of the issue, so it may be a one-off thing, but I’ve never experienced in any of the very many tires I’ve used over the decades, so it’s strange to me, and something to be aware of so that you don’t buy a pair in a time of great need just to find out you need warranty replacements.

The tubeless issue is similarly easily addressed: use TPU tubes. They deliver about 90% of the tubeless benefits— increased puncture and cut resistance, low rolling resistance, light weight, low pressure stability— when in the Extralight casing tires. I use Schwalbe Aerothan TPU in mine, and love them.

I’ve used GravelKing Slick 38s (and still keep GK Slick 35s on backup wheels), and I think they give up something to RH’s in terms of feel, but I never made any direct performance comparisons so cannot speak to that, but Herse rubber definitely feels better.

Wildwood

I am getting ready to make this decision soon , so appreciate the real world feedback.

using biketiresdirect:
Panaracer GK slick @ 38mm = 320gram ($60)
Schwalbe @ 40mm = 480 gm ($80+) seems heavy and expensive.

There gotta be other alternatives !?!
A.Dugast is only tubulars, to my knowledge.

edit:
using Merlincycles:
Schwalbe G One evolution @ 38mm about 400gm and $33.
Pararacer GK slick+ @ 38 and $44
Hutchinson Overide HS @ 38 mm 375gm and also $45.
shipping from UK not included.

shelbyfv

The GK Slicks are $38ish at Amazon. GK Slick 38 Amazon

Camilo

Lots of favorites out there. Here's some good info

Bicycle Rolling Resistance | Rolling Resistance Tests

Breadfan

Wow. So many variables. I see a lot of hesitation running tubeless. The RH website is very adamant that the tire should fit your rim tightly. I weigh 245 and I have found since going tubeless I still need 65psi in the back. I see so many stories about weeping, blow offs, ect and I guess I got lucky. On my first tubeless attempt last month, I took the tubes outa my Terra Trails and just pumped them up with a hand pump and off I went. Didn’t put sealant in them for a week. Now I’m all paranoid about blowing off some of these lighter tires. I may go the tube route if I need to.

nick_a

I run Soma Supple Vitesse EX 700x42 with xlite tubes and I love them.

Jedneck

I just put 34mm vittoria next set up tubeless on my grail for commuting. One 16mile commute so far but 1st impressions are the road bike is gonna get 26mm when the gp5000 are replaced.

Germany_chris

All of my bikes have Rene Herse tires

Polaris OBark

If you have hooked rims, you will be fine. In most cases, you will also be fine with hookless rims (many carbon rims don't have hooks), but you have to keep an eye on things. RH suggest tubeless only for tires 35mm or wider.

t2p

Continental GP 5K AS is avail in 35mm

t2p

You are a ‘breadfan’ !

(me also)

Breadfan

Ha! Good one. I actually got the name from the song. I started out at the beginning of the year at the same weight I am now, yet I’ve biked (hard) close to 700 miles. I’ve lost inches and gained muscle so it is working.

Iride01 

Why don't you just flip a coin and ride one width for a month or so and then ride the other size for a month or so. Then you'll have some useful data you can compare if you use RWGPS, STRAVA or some other website to look at your ride data. Also make notes on those rides about how you perceived your effort on each of those rides.

And it'll be tailored to your actual conditions and you. Not just opinion and facts that might not apply to your conditions.

Kapusta

I know I recommended RH with EL casings earlier, but at your weight I would have second thoughts. A friend of mine who weighs 250 found the sidewalls wore out too fast for him. I weigh 170 and don’t have that problem, but my pressures are way lower than his.

Germany_chris

Im at about his weight and carry gear most days on my bike and I still use the extra light