Rolling resistance of Gravel Tires! Is your tire "fast?" bicyclerollingresistance
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,863
Bikes: too many of all kinds
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1147 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times
in
335 Posts
Rolling resistance of Gravel Tires! Is your tire "fast?" bicyclerollingresistance
I've been waiting for this for years. Now we can see how some of our favorite gravel & CX tires stack up with road and mountain bike tires. Obviously there are a lot of factors besides rolling resistance to make up a fast tire, but this is a good data point for decision making.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...gravel-reviews
Seems to match up well with the TOUR tire test, with most tires being about 25-27watts rolling resistance, with Conti Terraspeed and Gravel King Slicks being noticeably faster.
I'm looking forward to seeing this list grow.
For reference - here is the TOUR test: https://www.roadbike.de/rennrad-part...eifen-im-test/
And the Grand Fondo test: https://granfondo-cycling.com/the-best-gravel-tire/
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...gravel-reviews
Seems to match up well with the TOUR tire test, with most tires being about 25-27watts rolling resistance, with Conti Terraspeed and Gravel King Slicks being noticeably faster.
I'm looking forward to seeing this list grow.
For reference - here is the TOUR test: https://www.roadbike.de/rennrad-part...eifen-im-test/
And the Grand Fondo test: https://granfondo-cycling.com/the-best-gravel-tire/
Likes For chas58:
#2
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,863
Bikes: too many of all kinds
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1147 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times
in
335 Posts
The Dutch Test (Bicycle Rolling Resistance)
TOUR - The German Test (Rolling resistance @ 50psi, tubed, 30km/hr)
The Grand Fondo test (DE/UK?)
TOUR - The German Test (Rolling resistance @ 50psi, tubed, 30km/hr)
The Grand Fondo test (DE/UK?)
Last edited by chas58; 07-09-20 at 08:51 AM.
#4
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,532
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10897 Post(s)
Liked 7,384 Times
in
4,144 Posts
Interesting that the 4 gravel tire tests I just looked at on BRR all measured narrower than the stated width.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
Likes For mstateglfr:
#6
Full Member
Interesting that the 4 gravel tire tests I just looked at on BRR all measured narrower than the stated width.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 902
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 439 Post(s)
Liked 999 Times
in
428 Posts
I was really surprised the Pasela PT tires at 38c actually had less rolling resistance than the GravelKing TLC, since I was debating between these two tires for my 2nd wheelset (posted a thread about which to choose). The TLC tires seem to be a tad wider in actual use, could that account for the discrepancy?
#8
Senior Member
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,416
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 928 Post(s)
Liked 1,594 Times
in
1,020 Posts
I really don't have a gravel bike per-say but it looks like I have transitioned into one with all the changes I have had to make in riding on my country roads. I have been through many brands of cheap tires and have found the best tire for my rides. The tire is not on your list but should be considered. The center ridge offers little resistance on pavement and there is just enough grip on the sides to help in soft terrain. About 30.00 USD...
Continental Tour Ride Urban
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....AC_SL1000_.jpg
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,468
Bikes: Co-Motion Cappuccino Tandem,'88 Bob Jackson Touring, Co-Motion Cascadia Touring, Open U.P., Ritchie Titanium Breakaway, Frances Cycles SmallHaul cargo bike. Those are the permanent ones; others wander in and out of the stable occasionally as well.
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 427 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 339 Times
in
229 Posts
Interesting that the 4 gravel tire tests I just looked at on BRR all measured narrower than the stated width.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
The info is neat and all, but I think it really misses on the market, which is tires on the wider end of what they will test and some even wider than that.
The category is cx/gravel tires, but limiting testing to 32-40mm tires and having many(most?) at 37mm or smaller is missing out on a lot of the market.
Tires that are 37-45mm wide is where the gravel market has moved to with so many frames at all price levels being able to handle wider and wider tires each year.
Oh well, it isnt my work and very few others are doing it, so beggars and choosers kinda applies here. But the site does exist to get views and clicks- I just think tires that are more all around gravel oriented would be beneficial.
It is common for manufacturers to have tires that measure narrower than their rated size. They do this to offer a lighter tire at an advertised width. But we are all smarter than that.
#11
I like bike
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Merry Land USA
Posts: 662
Bikes: Roubaix Comp 2020
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 267 Post(s)
Liked 283 Times
in
191 Posts
I was really surprised the Pasela PT tires at 38c actually had less rolling resistance than the GravelKing TLC, since I was debating between these two tires for my 2nd wheelset (posted a thread about which to choose). The TLC tires seem to be a tad wider in actual use, could that account for the discrepancy?
The TLC's "20.8" number is at what they call low air pressure which for the measured width of that tire (36.5mm) is 36psi. The Pasela PT's "20.6" number is at 60psi and it measures 35.2mm wide. So, you can't really compare these numbers. These tires are not far off in width but they consider the sweet spot for a touring tire to be at higher pressure due to road use, whereas gravel tires need to handle bumps so they are using lower pressures.
The Pasela at 45psi is 23.6 watts which shows it is inferior for rolling resistance compared to the TLC: more psi but more watts compared to the 20.8 watts at 36psi on the TLC's. The TLC on the road would be run at a slightly lower pressure than the Pasela due to the 36.5 vs 35.2mm width, but that is only 1.3mm difference in width which will be minor psi difference, so the TLC should be a better tire overall for rolling resistance.
I wish they would just use absolute psi values for the gravel tires, it gets confusing trying to understand the data they way they do it now.
Likes For scottfsmith:
#12
Full Member
Unfortunately when you are comparing touring and gravel tires you can get misled from how data are presented on that site.
The TLC's "20.8" number is at what they call low air pressure which for the measured width of that tire (36.5mm) is 36psi. The Pasela PT's "20.6" number is at 60psi and it measures 35.2mm wide. So, you can't really compare these numbers. These tires are not far off in width but they consider the sweet spot for a touring tire to be at higher pressure due to road use, whereas gravel tires need to handle bumps so they are using lower pressures.<...>
I wish they would just use absolute psi values for the gravel tires, it gets confusing trying to understand the data they way they do it now.
The TLC's "20.8" number is at what they call low air pressure which for the measured width of that tire (36.5mm) is 36psi. The Pasela PT's "20.6" number is at 60psi and it measures 35.2mm wide. So, you can't really compare these numbers. These tires are not far off in width but they consider the sweet spot for a touring tire to be at higher pressure due to road use, whereas gravel tires need to handle bumps so they are using lower pressures.<...>
I wish they would just use absolute psi values for the gravel tires, it gets confusing trying to understand the data they way they do it now.
Not to be harsh on BRR -- they cannot possibly account for everything, they do a good job with what they can do, and they do provide useful information. But as with everything else, mind the precision, and don't take the numbers too seriously.