My guide to choosing the best gravel tyre. How wide and what tread pattern is right for you? 

- go the widest your frame can handle, regardless of road/offroad - think about how much puncture protection you need. a massively reinforced tire will be slow and sluggish to accelerate, as weel as harsh riding due to the thick sidewall - choose reinforced sidewalls if you often ride offrad with sharp stones, otherwise a lighter nimble tire is fine most of the time because: - tubeless is your friend, will seal punctures and has less rolling resistance especially at low pressures - a wide slick run at low pressure grips surprisingly well offroad, as long as you are mostly on dry stuff and adjust your cornering speeds depending on conditions - if you are in muddy terrain, you kneed far spaced knobs - large shoulder knobs can squirm on the road when cornering fast - 650b will be a bit nimbler and lighter than the same tire/rim size in 700c - go 650b if you want BIG volume (2.0" MTB tire and up) - go 700c for 32-45mm for max compatibility and big selection of road, gravel and touring tires, as well as wheels - 30 - 35mm tire for quick and nimble handling, mostly on road use and hardpacked forest roads - 35 - 45mm tire for allround use - 50mm/2.0 inch tire for more offroad oriented use (there are still very quick and not too heavy tires in this range, especially slicks like the schwalbe g-one speed that fly on pavement and grip well offroad as long as its dry and the pressure is adjusted) - 2.1" 650b MTB tires for more offroad oriented use and cushion of stones and roots with low pressure - 2.1" and up 650b MTB/touring tires for slower paced, multi day touring focus and lots of baggage on the bike

Best video I have seen on this subject. Thank you very much.

great content, David! appreciate this a lot, very informative! subscribed! cheers mate

Just had my first ride on the wtb ventures. All road miles but I’m impressed with low rolling resistance. Wednesday is gravel and single track test.

Schwalbe x-one’s and tubeless oh and tyre pressure just as important. Nice video again Dave.

I have to say David your videos just keep getting better and better. Really informative and easy to watch. I’m sure dragging a tripod (I presume that’s what you use) round with you is a bit of a pain but as a viewer they’re really good to watch. Cheers.

Thanks, David - great video for gravel newbies like me. One suggestion, maybe links (or at least descriptions) of the tires in your post. Thanks again!

well done. informative video. understandable terminology. covered all the basics. and the video editing was entertaining.

I got some WTB Byways, and I have to say, surprisingly grippy even on loose, rocky terrain as long as the tire pressure is not too high. Very happy with them, and they just glide on tarmac.

Just mounted WTB Raddler 700c x 44 and Nano 40 on my 2018 Diverge for the San Francisco Bay Area terrain. Can't wait to test them put!

Knobbly tyres all year round for me on my gravel bike and CX bike.....I've recently converted both of these bikes to tubeless (and 2 MTB's) and it's a no brainer...Stan's sealant seems very good. I'm running WTB Resolutes (700x42c) on the gravel bike (good tyres) and Vittoria Terreno Wet (700x38c) on the CX bike (great tyres) as they suit the riding I do, which is singletrack, hero gravel, rough gravel, bridleways and byways etc with minimal tarmac. Both tyres shed mud well when you change surfaces too, which is always a bonus. Prior to going tubeless, I used to run cheap and cheerful Schwalbe Rapid Rob and Smart Sam and they were pretty good.

Just FYI, I have to plug my favorite gravel tire of all time (So far 😁). The Panracer Gravel King Slick in 700c x 38mm. This tire amazes. Run it high pressure, it flies on pavement and hardpack. Lower the air pressure and it handles chunky gravel surprisingly well. Only thing it doesnt do well is mud, but most intermediate gravel tires do not do well in mud anyway. I am eyeing a set of 45-50mm chunky gravel tires to keep on a second wheelset for those rough trail, muddy adventures. Looking especially at the Schwalbe Ultra Bite for that duty, but very hard to find in stock atm.

Such a friendly dude!

I like the Schwalbe G-One all rounders; they work well on crumbling asphalt, crushed limestone and concrete. They roll fast.

Excellent video !

Compromise I think is the optimal descriptive when it comes to gravel tyres, such is the variety of terrain you’re drawn to when enjoying exploring in a gravel bike. It’s easy to say “go big” to cope with any eventuality but there is always the likelihood you will be on tarmac for any given amount of time, during which a big spongey tyre will be sluggish (not that it’s all about speed). I’ve experimented with a few tyres - Conti 5000 32c, Hutchison Override 35c, WTB Exposure 36c slick, Specialized Pathfinder 38c, Schawalbe G-One Bite 40c and Specialized Pathfinder 42c. I’ve settled on the 42c Pathfinders for the vast majority of the time with the Conti GP5000’s on my second wheel set for faster road stuff, but still capable of a bit of light off road. Anyway, another great upload David 👍🏻

Great looking bike and some beautiful trails in your area! Tubeless is great for off road riding, but my Schwalbe bite tyres leak sealant through the side walls which I’m not impressed with! At just over 2,000km in the last couple of months they already look really worn. I must say I expected better than that for the price!

I’ll throw in some input. I have two gravel bikes , a 3T Exploro and Cannondale Topstone Alloy, and about six wheel sets between them with various tires. These are all set up on tubeless on Hunt X wides gravel rims, Mavic XA pro carbon 27.5 wheels, Token Aero 700 carbons. WTB Riddler 700x45c...great grippy tire that is very predictable, good on light singletrack fast on tarmac, very supple, but durability is less, I can smell the burning rubber riding up the street back to my house. Got more punctures than any other tire also, but they sealed up fast. Still, really great tire, especially in mixed seasons where you may hit some damp leaves. Pathfinder pro in 700x38c...fast on road, fast on hard pack, fast on gravel, a fast tire. Little hard, not so supple, durable as hell and super long wear. Cornering and braking is a little loose, especially on sandy stuff. Also, a little bigger than 38. WTB Byways in 650x47...big comfy floaty tire great on straights...and I mean straight...gravel road. Doesn’t pick up mud, but for me only work well on road, hard pack, gravely roads with large sweeping turns. Ended up with stitches in my leg that time I thought I could singletrack with these. Very comfortable and good if you have big straight fast fireroads or trails. Soma Cazadero 650x50... one of my favorites, got these on after the previously mentioned wipeout to ride on the 3T on mixed trails, and they are absolutely wonderful. Light, supple, very grippy in every condition , very durable so far, a tight tread in the center allows them toroll crazy fast on road despite its big size. They roll as fast as the byways and have much more grip in breaking and cornering. They are spot on 50c wide. Too bad they don’t offer these in more size options, I would love a tubeless 700x40 size. Gravelking SK 700x38 and 700x43... they’re ok...they feel ok, a little sketchy in off camber areas...wear is ok, they were the most leaky to mount, I didn’t notice much different in the 38 vs 43 in rolling resistance so I’d recommend the 43. They’re kinda a middle of the road for me...they feel as heavy as the pathfinder but don’t seem to roll as fast, maybe slightly better braking. I also quite a few punctures with these. I can’t quite see the hype they have except they do have awesome colors and can be found for some great prices, but they’re just ok. Conti GP5000 TLE 700x32... these actually ballooned up to almost 34mm for me on my 21 internal aero Token rim, but I put them on my Exploro to see if I could have one bike to rule them all. Fast, they sound really cool on road, and can handle some straight gravel roads pretty well. Not punctures so far. Not as comfy I expected, stiffer than my tubed 28c wheelset on my road bike. Not as fast as I would have hoped, despite the big aero wheels I definitely require more effort to hit high speeds on flats than my Cannondale Supersix running with GP5000 25c or 28c tubeless. Corners feel grippy though. These may be a good option if I feel like riding someplace with horrible roads for that extra comfort and pinch flat safety, but I would likely size down to 28c.

Good video - I think we have to say that there is almost too much choice, its difficult to know what to choose. At the moment for my Trek Crockett I've got 40c WTB Byway on a set of wheels, plus 32c Panaracer GravelKing SK on another. I also have a few sets in the shed ready for use; 35c Continental Cyclocross Speed, 31c Vittoria Terreno Dry, 33c Vittoria Terreno Mix, plus a 33c Challenge Baby Limus for muddy conditions. And finally, when I ride my TCR on less smooth Tarmac roads I'll use a wheelset with 30c Schwalbe G-One Speeds.

I’ve been running the panaracer gravel king SK+ 43s for a month now, love them. A little heavier but it would take a bullet to puncture those things lmao.

Speciaalized Globe Pro 2007 allows 50mm tyre, I fitted drops and mini Vs and it's the perfect lightwieght all round bike that you can fit guards/rack and even a front rack on the carbon fork mount. You can pick up the Expert as well and gte a machine that is more versatile than most machines made in recent times

If your rims are made precisely (not too loose or too tight), Rene Herse tires are amazing. They offer casings from super-light and super-fast to pretty tough but not brick-like. Ted King and Lael Wilcox run them.

Main consideration - manufacturing tolerance. As in, will it install tubeless securely, will it hold pressure (or will the side walls leak and the beads be loose), will it hold off flints and thorns, and is it true to size. After that, will it grip if you lean over, is the sidewall nice and supple, and is it light and rolls well. Challenge and WTB seem very fast but poorly made, Vittoria and Schwalbe seem extremely good.

I think it's interesting that we don't really talk about running different tyres front and rear on these bikes. I've started doing it recently and am loving it. eg. Semi slick in the rear, small knobs on the front. I'm running a Sawtooth front/Snoqualmie Pass rear combo at the moment. It's great fun (and the Sawtooth is surprisingly grippy).

WTB Riddler is ridiculously slow on paved roads and it's wear very fast (after 500 km the worn is clearly visible)... I felt the Resolute is faster despite the fact it's more knobby. After several attempt (e.g. Mitas X-road, Vittoria Terreno Dry) I went back to the Panaracer Gravelking SK 700cx38 which has become the gold standard for me, but in the meantime I laced a secondary 650b wheelset with WTB Resolute tyre for the more agressive terrain.

Hi David, Thanks for the video - very helpful. I have a Specialised Diverge A1 Sport, which currently has 700c x 28 Gatorskins on it. I'm doing more bumpy canal paths and gravelly footpaths at the moment, and feel like I could do with some bigger tyres for a smoother ride. I'm probably doing 60% bumpy canal paths (often with bits of bricks and tree roots sticking up) and gravelly footpaths, and 40% smoother roads and cycle paths. Gators have been pretty bullet proof, so ideally something similarly hardy! What would you recommend? Many thanks!

I’ve been using a tyre that gets no exposure at all - Giany Crosscut. I think it’s made by Maxxis and came on my 3YO Giant Revolt 0. Approx 2000 miles including serious off-road trails in Scotland and the notorious Dirty Reiver and ZERO punctures. Unfortunately Giant don’t/ won’t supply any more otherwise I would buy another set.

Thanks for the review. Tubeless is essential and it helps if you know about the tires “DNA” not just the size and tread pattern but the TPI and what internal rim width it’s designed around. Just a thought.

So how do you know when a tyre is worn and needs to be replaced? I’ve got the G-1 Bites you showed in the video. Are those horizontal cuts in the knobs wear marks?

Grip, Compliance, Rolling resistance, Puncture resistance, Aero drive, Tyre width... and even a lot of things to consider but I made it simple, how much you want to pay ... set your budget limit, find the minimum size and maximum size your rim and your bike can take , filter on your budget you will drop a few by that, get in mind the gravel rides are most fun when all rounder type of terrains come to play, then search on your supply , retailers, local bike shop, ask them about the availability of what you have in mind, bear in mind if you want tubeless and if you want a first perfect ride pay for the 1st load of your tyres, or thrust your skills but consider the plus money for tape and extra liquid if you fail ... then you will be there.

Hello and good video. I have a Giant Revolt 2, which I bought in 2016. The tyres that were on the bike were 35c, but I kept getting punctures with them, so I changed them to 35c road tyres to commute to work. After a long layoff from the bike, I want to get a bit more adventurerist with the bike. After watching a lot of videos about tyres, I bought a pair of Michelin Power Gravel tyres 700x40c. I just need to put them on the bike. Do you think I made a good choice, I know nothing about Gravel biking or tyres, and I'm trying to learn by watching videos like yours. Great channel. Thanks Steve 👍

Have you ever tried the S Works Pathfinder Pro?They’re awesome in my book. Really enjoy your videos thanks you

I find the Specialized Pathfinder Pro works very well for me

Thank you for an informative video David. One thing that wasn’t covered as well as rim size, volume, tubeless, pressure and tread was the suppleness or otherwise of gravel tyres. The sidewalls and also tread cap are very influential on ride feel and also grip. There is a trade off of course between a more supple but generally less puncture resistant tyres and a heavier, less forgiving ride with greater puncture protection. However, with tubeless I think you can get away with a more supple tyre which also has great ride quality even at higher pressures because the chance of punctures that don’t self seal is very small and worth the trade off!

Ooh I do love a 'which tyre' video👍 Dave, any chance you can get your hands on the Continental Terra Trail tyres for review. I would love to hear your thoughts. The cream sidewall ones look lovely but aren't available for sale yet. Cheers👍

Interesting video on rubber.....!! What what model Fairlight is that...? looks decent :)

I prefer tubes over tubeless. I run a 700c with clement xploro 36c, great for my riding. Probably 80% hard pack, 15% mud and 5% rocks. The bike is harsh over the rocks but they are such a small part of the ride it’s not worth having something more draggy. These tyres perform great on the road and hard surfaces. Commute on them and wear has been fine. Had 1 puncture in about 1000 miles. They come off rim so much more easily than tubeless which has been a massive waste of time for me. Don’t forgot aswell, tubeless will likely not seal most punctures that aren’t tiny. So you’re average glass cut it’s a gamble if it’ll seal. Off road tubeless is more comfortable but I just don’t feel like it’s worth it. You’ll likely need a fancy bike pump or compressor to set it up too. I like less stuff in my shed, and he weight difference is negligible on a 36c also. Oh and once that tyre is glued on and you need to put a tube in, in the middle of nowhere cause it didn’t seal, yeah good luck with that. There’s also the problem that you don’t know how old sealant is when you buy and older sealant is less effective.

Another very useful video, I have ordered for 650b wheels with WTB ByWay 47, now I am wondering whether I made correct choice !! My ratio will be 60/40 road to gravel.

Nice video boss👍🇲🇦

still waiting for a 700x50 knobbly with a proper shoulder. a 50mm Raddler (if they made them) up front with a Venture in the back would be great

I don't see gravel roads there, those are two tracks an fire roads, In Michigan we have more gravel roads then paved roads, but we also have freeze thaw cycles, that creates pot holes, sure they can an do plow the roads, but not while they're frozen 4 to 6 months of the year, and most of that time they are covered with packed snow if we're lucky.. I ride all year, but on gravel roads in winter an spring to train for MTB. I ride on Specialized 42cm Sawtooth tires with tubes at 35 to 40 lbs, never flatted, I go up to 30 mph with no studs on snow packed roads with no problem, the Sawtooth tires grip like studs. In spring they do well to until the trails thaw out then they get ridden very little. I did add Red Shift suspension stem/seat post, (amazing stuff) the pot holes are much better now.. LOL I wish are roads looked like those.

Just had my first ride in Surrey on the 650b 47 Mm WTB Ventures, the tread pattern drives me nuts, it carries sand and small grit. I’m either going for the Byways or the Resolute.

I’m curious about the Ritchey Speedmax Anyone tried them? Any new tyres I see seem to be based on those

my only concern... is the time or the kms / miles a tyre can last, I recently change mine they last like for 10.000 km that I rode on 2020... i was on tubeless but starting this year I made my mind and buy a new ones , to many liquid loss and micro punctures I guess because I found bubbles on the side walls and on the tread in the middle of the tyre, maybe I reach a point when I wear them to much and they reach peak of performance, I wonder if worth the money (spend more) on some how repair tyres, like get a vulcanization, because they have a few darts and then I wonder... how many darts can handle a good tyre?

Great video! That's actually the topic I'm most interested in at the moment! I recently switched from 35c Schwalbe G-One Allround to the Panaracer Gravelking SK in 40c but I'm kinda disappointed by their performance tbh. They have alright grip in dry conditions but they aren't very supple and more importantly - they loose grip almost instantly even in slight mud - even more so than the G-Ones. I almost crashed a few days ago cause I lost grip on a dirtroad which was still a bit soaked from rainfall of the day before. So, I'm thinking about changing to the WTB Resolute however I'm not sure if that's a bit overkill - I live in the city so most rides come down to a 50/50 dirt & Gravel/tarmac ratio. The WTB Raddler is actually another tire I strongly concider. Still not sure, tho, which one is the best for me. It has to perform alright on the tarmac in between dirt and Gravelroads but I definitely need a tire which gives me enough grip and confidence on loose Gravel, Dirt and the occasional Mudpuddle or even just a soaked dirtroad.

David, great video. When you say "low pressure" with tubeless - what pressure do you suggest? I'm 62kg, riding similar tracks to those in your video, on Riddler TCS Light 45C (on a lovely aluminium Ribble) - what sort of pressure would you go for?

Great Video! Do you have a few websites that sell tires in the USA? Thanks!

I really dislike the mess of the sealant so I go with the Tannus armor with tubes

How come you didnt consider a 50mm tyre ? Would be good if you did some timed runs to compare. Another great video thanks

Had the riddler tyres, terrible puncture resistance. For instance, Covered 1000 miles on my stock giant crosscut at 1 700 x 37 tubeless tyres and got not a single puncture, whereas got 5 punctures with my riddlers on barely 100 miles.

Nice video, just a question about frame, you said that 40 or 42mm is good for everything, my actual bike the clearence max is 42mm (diverge 2019) and I'm really insteresting in the new diverge with 47mm max for clearence, is it worth that upgrade? I'm a second owner on my diverge so the warranty (carbon frame) is ending in the end of this year. Most of the terrain that I ride is the same as 8:40, with some friends on mtb.

Another great video thanks David. It is really hard to choose between sizes and patterns for the goldilocks tyre. However how much slower would you think a 45mm Raddler be than a 40mm Riddler on pavement?

The other consideration; if you need a big, beefy, knobbly and tough tire for your drop barred bike (because your local gravel is actually more like a trail) then should you actually be on a more capable bike.... Gravel is such a wide term, but the bikes themselves have such a narrow range of use.

can i put different tread patterns on the rear and front tire, or will it give some unwanted effects? eg. bontrager gr1 comp on the front and Schwalbe g-one bite (40mm) on the rear.

Tire need to be chosen to the most challenging surface. What use is a fast rolling street tire if the first touch of mud you and your bike are going down?

Great video. Have you looked into the relation of tire width to internal rim width?

What attributes would make a tire suitable for sandy conditions? I've had my front wheel wash out a couple times at slower speeds when hitting some thick sand. Maybe side knobs?

Why not a MTB29 with gravel tyres? I do this and works fine.

are clinchers tubless ready. i have a old 1988 steel road bike ive converted to gravel. i wonder i can install valve and trhow sealan in it and just go tubeless whitout changing anything

Has anyone tried the Pirelli Cinturato?

I’ll take the draggy road in exchange for a secure comfort ride over rock and rugged terrain.

Hi David. New to tubeless tyres. Can tubeless ready tyres be installed with tubes?

Gerard Vroomen recently held a seminar on tire choice, and pointed out that your fitness level also matters when choosing tires. He claimed that pros can actually be quite comfortable with 28 mm tires on pavé, simply because at 40+ km/h, they will float over many of the bumps that would cause a slower rider (or a rider who doesn't ride in a peloton) to bounce all over the place. For gravel it means that a pro level rider with an ftp of 5.5 w/kg or whatever they have, might be pretty comfortable with 35 mm 700c tires on a road where your typical 2-3 w/kg amateur will need a 47mm 650b tire, or even a mountainbike tire, to be reasonably comfortable. Hm. Maybe this kind of information should be kept secret, just to stop people from riding gravel on 23 mm tires so they can tell everyone that they are fitness gods. :)

Does the wheel determine the width of the tyre you can fit ?.

I really don't get a point why you need a narrow tires on a tarmac and hard packed roads. Why not to go as wide as your bike can? My gravel bike with the Gravelking slicks 48mm really comparable with my road bike on a tarmac. But when I need to ride offroad, that big volume help me riding almost anywhere except mud and sand.

not as simple as it seems, can get more complicated when you get more demanding, on time will drive you crazy loving or hating smaller details.

Good video. I've been running the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires (700x40) on my cross/gravel bike for the last 8 years. Once I converted them to tubeless in 2013, they really started to work well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zPZ2hyNC2Gs.html One big advantage of tubeless I found was the tires rolled faster on pavement at the lower riding pressure than they did with tubes.

re knobbly tres, I rode gravel today with slicks 32mm Voyager hyper and 28mm specialized front. Even at 20mph on loose surface it's not that big a deal and going through mud whilst not easy is still doable. Then when you have the ride home on tarmac it's a doddle. T If like many these days, you drive to our starting point of your gravel ride, then going to slicks isn't maybe worth it. The advice re tubeless, "need to" really?, sorry but you're wrong, there is absolutely no need to and the down sides are not enough for the tiny increase in benefit I can run 50mm wide tres with tubes and there's no difference in a blind test to tubeless in any way that's measureable!

A bit to much WTB in this video

Why worry about what others think? You do you. Fools will always be fools. They're less educated.

Need to give more examples instead of rambling on, only showing different two types.