Am I a gravel poser using 35mm tires?
01-06-22, 01:39 PM
#26
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I also run 35c tires as that is the max my bike can take. So far there have been very few cases when I was unhappy on it .. one time I got on some muddy rooty single track and wished for a bit more then. I have had some other times when the ride got a bit rough when the rocks got big, and I recently got some tire inserts so I could run really low pressures the next time I am on stuff like that. For pretty much everything else 35c is great, and you will have a bit more speed on the easy stuff so there is an upside.
Currently I have no plans for a dedicated gravel bike but who knows where I will be in a few years.
Currently I have no plans for a dedicated gravel bike but who knows where I will be in a few years.
I have used Ritchey cx max...not my favorite and Panarace Pasesla or something 35mm...ride well comfy. min. grip treads
01-06-22, 01:50 PM
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Currently I am running Conti Terra Speed 35c.. a good trade-off of speed vs grip for nearly all the conditions I am in.
01-06-22, 04:24 PM
#28
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I think the ultimate deciding question is this - do your tires have tan sidewalls?
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01-08-22, 02:25 AM
#29
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I run primarily 700cx38 on my newer Diverge (though I’ve got 650bx50…measuring 54mm when inflated), and 32s (measuring 35 when inflated) on my older one. Both see lots of gravel. I’ll fight someone who says I’m not graveling on those tires.
01-08-22, 02:26 AM
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01-11-22, 09:47 PM
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NO. And don’t let anybody call you poser if you are on the bike rolling along you are a biker. Anyways I have cruised many miies on 35s and 38s and 40s. Find what is best for you and the terrain you ride on. Once a Jeep road gets very rough to me that is MTB territory so I’m a fake gravel grinder lol.
01-11-22, 10:33 PM
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Dont buy into the hype. Most of the lead or faster riders Ive seen are riding skinnier tires, like 28s or 30s. Of course skill level has a lot to do with it and that most of the trails are packed dirt/gravel and only shorter segments require wider tires or skill to pick a line thru the area.
01-19-22, 02:39 PM
#34
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The fasest kid in my area uses 35mm tires, while everyone else uses at minimum 38s. Of course he's 140lbs so I feel like he's already cheating lol.
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02-09-22, 04:43 PM
#35
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I ride gravel/trails with a few CX racers that use 33c and they manage better than most riders on 42+. They reckon in muddy conditions (common here in Scotland!) their narrower tyres cut through to the grippier surface below the mud better than on wider rubber. Same in autumn (fall) where carpets of leaves on the forest trails are harder to navigate on wider tyres than on say 33c CX tyres.
02-09-22, 11:41 PM
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Before I became more selective in my routes there were many times my road bike would accidentally turn into a Graveler after a wrong turn.
So we have formal gravel bikes set up perfectly for gravel that oddly look like our old Mountain Bikes with modern components on them.
Then we have our vintage old school usually CroMo touring frames where slowly worn out, broken, and stressed parts, have been replaced with more durable components and of course wider tiers. The Franken Gravel Bike...
I don't really know what ya call a certain bike or bike type anymore. And some people are pretty selective in thier bikes and what class they fit.
I do know that all my bikes are Franken Bikes and they are all enjoyably rideable... By me...
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No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)Last edited by zandoval; 02-09-22 at 11:49 PM.
02-10-22, 03:22 PM
#38
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Before gravel riding was a Thing™ I used to ride 23s on Vermont's rutted gravel roads in mud season. If I had something wider I might have chosen it, but 23s will work.
Currently, I'm running Gravel King 35 (actual measurement closer to 37mm) slicks on my RB-T it's set up as a randonneur with "french fender clearances" of around 3mm. Also not ideal but I want the widest tires I can run and I want fenders, so this is what you get. I've ridden several gravel rides including some single track, and the tires have been up for everything I've thrown at them. I even ran this bike in a Cyclocross race with the fenders stripped off. I did crash once on some muddy single track, probably due to the tight fender clearance and some muddy leaves jamming between the front tire and fender. I would like wider tires, but I don't feel the 37mm width is inadequate. I do lose traction on wet grass and mud, so the slick road tread is more of a problem than the width, but I don't think it's EVER been a problem on a gravel road.
I run 35s because they are the widest thing I can fit on any bike I own. I was really enjoying riding gravel and trails more and more on the RB-T last fall and I'm wanting to do a lot more of it this spring, so I'm planning to get a bike better suited to that kind of riding, including clearance for wider tires. There is a lot to like about wide tires as I'm coming to appreciate, but 35s can be very capable on gravel and quite adequate off-road if you're not trying to win any races. If you like 'em, run 'em!
Currently, I'm running Gravel King 35 (actual measurement closer to 37mm) slicks on my RB-T it's set up as a randonneur with "french fender clearances" of around 3mm. Also not ideal but I want the widest tires I can run and I want fenders, so this is what you get. I've ridden several gravel rides including some single track, and the tires have been up for everything I've thrown at them. I even ran this bike in a Cyclocross race with the fenders stripped off. I did crash once on some muddy single track, probably due to the tight fender clearance and some muddy leaves jamming between the front tire and fender. I would like wider tires, but I don't feel the 37mm width is inadequate. I do lose traction on wet grass and mud, so the slick road tread is more of a problem than the width, but I don't think it's EVER been a problem on a gravel road.
I run 35s because they are the widest thing I can fit on any bike I own. I was really enjoying riding gravel and trails more and more on the RB-T last fall and I'm wanting to do a lot more of it this spring, so I'm planning to get a bike better suited to that kind of riding, including clearance for wider tires. There is a lot to like about wide tires as I'm coming to appreciate, but 35s can be very capable on gravel and quite adequate off-road if you're not trying to win any races. If you like 'em, run 'em!
02-10-22, 03:26 PM
#39
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Oh please, "Poser" no. Depending on gravel you might just need 35s. I ride a Jamis and my tires range from 28-44. It just depends on how big the rocks or steepness. Currently running 32s for my commute to work as I have half gravel and half road. Here in Virginia many of the gravel roads do perfect with 32-35 tires. So no you're not a Poser.
