Great video, finally someone who recognizes the many benefits of wide tires. I’ve been on 2.1 or 53mm tires for 3 years now and they are a huge advantage on the rougher roads I prefer. If I could add a few points to your very informative video. 1) Tread patterns add much more friction to roll resistance then the actual width of the tire does. 2) You don’t need a really aggressive tread pattern to enjoy 99% of the rough roads/trails. Soft wide rubber with a modest tread does a shockingly good job of getting you through some really sloppy and rough terrain. From my experience you can dial back on the aggressiveness of the tread pattern and still have a great ride but in so doing eliminate a few of the negatives on your list ie excessive roll resistance, weight and mud clearance. From what I see in the video your conditions are very similar to mine and for that reason I’m suggesting you could dial back on the size ie 2.25 to 2.1 and get a smoother tread pattern. The tires you are using are more appropriate for a full on mtb that would be going way faster and on much more difficult terrain then you would do on a gravel bike. If you dial back your tread pattern a bit you’ll notice that they roll about the same as everyone else’s normal gravel tires yet still offer all the benefits of the bigger tires with very minimal negatives. It’s all about finding the sweet spot for your terrain.

@RobertMcD

2 жыл бұрын

I hear you. I ride the Kenda Small Block 8 tires on one of my bikes and I think they would be a really good wide gravel bike tire option

@whirving

2 жыл бұрын

This is exactly what I've been doing on my mountain bike. I use a fast rolling 29 x 3" tire and have not trouble keeping up with other riders on the easy smooth trails or pavement but have the flotation and stability the wider tire provides for the rough stuff. Unless it gets really nasty, then smoother, fatter tires work fine.

@seryjnymeteopata2162

2 жыл бұрын

@@whirving +1 from a fat bike rider. there are very fast fat bike tires, that have rolling resistance almost as low as standard 2.1/2.25 mtb tires and a ton of floatation to get you through the sand and mud.

@the.communist

2 жыл бұрын

Youre riding bigger tyres than i do on my hardtail.

@seryjnymeteopata2162

2 жыл бұрын

@@the.communist because it's a fatbike, not a gravel bike :)

I think this just highlights the versatility of a big clearance gravel bike. You can put road, gravel or MTB tyres on it and use it for all different types of riding.

It’s super fun. I had some 2.1 tires on my Secan and they expanded to 2.25. Rolls over everything. Great for bikepacking

That's some serious speed in the woods on that bike. Big thumbs up.

Very interesting David. Did my first single track on an Open Up with 650b x 2.1” last night and was amazed at the tyres’ performance. In fact, I think I’m going to just leave these on the bike from now on. Nipping around on 700 x 38 has been fun. But the versatility of the wider tire and the fact that the drop off in speed on road was substantially less than I’d expected are total revelations.

I’m a fan! As someone who rides 29+ on my “gravel/adventure” bike, this concept has a lot of merit if you’re not racing or doing the Strava KOM game.

@philiphalpern3246

2 жыл бұрын

What kind of bike do u ride?

Great explanation, thanks. Looks like the right tool for the job on some of the rougher roads you ride. My take was to try to pick the fastest xc mtb tire. RR is on par or better than most all smaller gravel tires. There is an aero penalty at 2.2 wide but not too impactful at 17mph. My local routes are similar, and my gravel bike with 650b x 2.2 race kings is fun, smooth and fast. For me, better than my carbon xc hardtail.

man, you really build yourself a super dope bike with that highend steel frame, carbon fork and cheeky suspension through stem and seatpost and now, tires. it looks so much fun to ride and still fast enough. thanks for sharing, excellent video!

Great video content as usual, the production and presentation skills here are top notch.Interesting topic as well, love your stuff. Nick-Brisbane, Australia.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nick glad you enjoyed it

I live in between the Peak District and Sherwood Forest, In one direction I have miles of smooth flat trails and in the other; lots of hilly, rocky, old limestone roads, I ended up converting a 27.5 hardtail mtb into a 29er gravel bike just for the rockier routes, took a bit of trial and error to figure out what tyres were best, ended up with Vittoria Mezcal, similar tread pattern to WTB Nano but a hell of a lot cheaper

I have considered getting wider tires for my gravel... but I LOVE LOVE LOVE riding my 29 stumpie in the woods. It's a totally different experience. So I keep each tool for it's intended uses.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Nice. That's the key thing really, riding a gravel bike and a mountain bike are different experiences in my view

@Atlantis109

2 ай бұрын

​@@davidarthurGreat video! What is the frame size in the video? R version or T? How tall are you?

Very informative video. Keep up the good work 👍👍👍👍👍

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍

Quality watch that one! Cheers Dave 💪

I have been riding 700c x 50mm Panaracer SKs on my Secan. Definitely wider is better on the typical mix of 'gravel' surfaces we get in the UK.

Of course, terrain will define what tire size/tread is necessary. I am not sure if you have reviewed CushCore in a previous video. I am new to gravel riding, but I change my wheel size, tires and tread pattern based on the terrain. I recently tried CushCore inserts during the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder (which I used Pathfinder Pro 42's). It was a huge improvement. However, I think a 45 or 47 tire would have been more comfortable.

As someone as far towards MTB over gravel/road, I do appreciate these big tires for gravel...but...IMO, you are getting the worst of handling from a drop bar bike with the rolling resistance of a mtb. Volume and comfort can be similar with a less aggressive but still wide tire, think a 2.1-2.3" Mezcal, Icon, Aspen or Recon Race. A Barzo is close to that, but the fastest rolling MTB XC tire you can get I think would be the best for this setup.

Raceking 2.2 Black Chili protection…magic. Cant recommend it enough. Best of all worlds.

I use my mountain bike for the rough stuff and gravel bike for gravel and road, between both I'm sorted but can't decide which I enjoy more😁

Totally agree, I am running 2.1" Schwalbe Tunderbirds on my Koga Beachracer for a few years now and love it. I use the bike for gravel, road, beach and MTB single trail riding. The most versatile and fun bike I own.

Great video as always, David. Keep up the great work. I am thinking about getting a Strael or a Secan (based on your reviews) but am undecided between the two. I live in London - terrible roads - and am thinking about commuting to work - about 15 miles. This would be my main bike.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks David. Strael would seem to fit your needs better unless you have any desire for some gravel action? The Secan is pretty good on slick tyres if needed

@davidmolloy5220

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidarthur David, I appreciate the prompt reply. I’m’gravel curious’ - at 53 and being a big guy am not going to be going for any KOMs. I guess I thought the Secan might feel a little more sluggish.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

I would say it’s sluggish, it all comes down to tyre choice - the frames are pretty similar tbh

That is some pretty impressive single-track, Sir! Love the footage 🙂 Great analysis as well!

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

I use 50mm 700c schwalbe g-one speeds for years now. its the max that will fit my frame and fork. they still roll okay on the road but its enough volume to go down to ~1.6bar and float over those pebble/rubble gravel roads that are very tricky on 40mm tires. never had a rim strike or other problems with those. next bike will definitely be something that clears a real 2.25-2.4" mtb tire. the bigger the tire the more you feel its draggyness at higher speeds i think. on the road i just settle for a constant relaxed pace and not try to charge for KOMs. than its really fine and comfy and still not slow when looking at average speeds. still much faster to get somewhere even on pure open roads than using the mtb.

How're you getting on with the Redshift stem and Seatpost? I use these on my Secan, also with fat tyres 🙂👍

I’m building my own gravel bike from scratch and it’s 27.5in tire and I’m currently looking at carbon forks with disk brakes any suggestions that I could get and fit a 27.5in x 2.10 mtb tire?

Also, 45mm will not punish your errors as easy when your bike handling is off. Based in northern Spain. Hardback Unboundish gravel is rare. Cervelo Aspero + Hutchinson Tundra. Really good chunky technical gravel tyres.

Isn't the Barzo more of a MTB front tire (very grippy)? I have the Barzo up front and the Mezcal on the back (as recommended by vittoria)

Got a used Salsa Fargo with drop bars and 29+ tires. We are clearly beyond gravel territory, but when I originally saw the post online I told the previous owner "keep the tires, sure I'm not going to go around with those massive 3.0 inchers". He insisted to leave them on the bike, since he didn't have another one where they'd have fit, so i bought it with this massive donuts onboard. From there, I completely changed my mind. They're not as slow as I expected in terms of rolling, but aside from this, they just give me this sense of "almightiness" in any situation. Trails, tarmac, bikepacking, extremely long days on the saddle (I'm talking 300+ kms long days), the bike just goes and I never feel any real pain. Shame 29+ are getting less and less popular in the last couple of years, with many nice models getting discontinued. I hope to be able to replace my WTB Rangers with something comparable when their time will come. PS: They just look sick.

@marcellolorusso419

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidross8233 I should admit, aside from full-on bikepacking setups they do not excel in anything compared to other more purpose built tire types. But they are great all rounders for drafting behind roadies (as long as the engine can keep up) as well as for taking the 20% offroad climb on a hardpack trail. In the end, I'm ok with sacrificing a little bit of performance (though less than you'd expect) in favour of the widest possible set of capabilities. I like to think of my bike as a Range Rover on two wheels.

@zayas0001

2 жыл бұрын

Fargo owner with 29 2.2s here, and agree 100%. Fat tires for gravel is the way to go - unless you make a living racing your bike :)

@marcellolorusso419

2 жыл бұрын

@@zayas0001 sure, forget KOMs but get ready to go everywhere. I just hope 29+ keeps carrying on as a concept though signs are not good.

@Hiddendivergance

2 жыл бұрын

29+ is for real men. I think it will make a comeback once people realize this.

Which tires would you suggest for a marin 4 corners ?

David, what is the width of your drop bars? Thank you

Wow dual Barzos TNTs (grey sidewall) on gravel. I would have gone dual Mezcals with the lighter tan sidewalls or Barzo/Mescal (my standard XC setup).

I’ve just squeezed in some Maxxis Ikon 650 2.2 on a open mould 696 carbon, looks nuts but great ride.

my tip to everyone that cant find clearance info from their manufacturer: go to your local bikeshop and ask for shot / worn out tires at the sizes you want to try. my lbs was very friendly about it.

I have been running a gravel bike with 42-45c tyres for a few years. Last year I built a monster gravel bike from a hardtail frame and a rigid front fork. This was to run wider tyres. I now ride with Kenda Rush 2.2” tyres. The ‘normal’ gravel bike has been relegated to road duties as this monster gravel bike just does everything better!

@gregoryjacobson9858

7 ай бұрын

same. I made a gravel bike out of an old Trek frame and carbon fork. 27.5x1.9 (48mm) Gravelking SKs. Love the set up.

Few other pro's for the wider tyres. Lower pressure enables tubeless sealant to work more reliably - so less stopping to plug or tube up. The extra lateral grip makes riding out of ruts a bit easier and safer. They have less dynamic rolling resistance on soft ground such as sand, mud, grass - instead of cutting down into it they tend to float over the top. In terms of suspension, yes it helps, but it's not enough for many of us. Understand it's an experiment, but as others have suggested, those Barzo's too much tyre for those dry conditions (650B G-One Bites in 2.1 work well around Cotswolds in all but winter) . One other thing, highly recommend giving tyre inserts a go - being able to drop pressures even further is very nice 👍

In the market for a gravel bike but I see some Canyon Grizl can only go up to 50mm :( so another thing to consider. We have lots of shitty washboard roads here in Colorado too.

I've changed my full mtb tyre(2.25inch) to a hybrid one (1.9inch) with smooth middle part. I use lower pressure on terrain and have the advantage of the side pattern, on the other hand on road I pump it really hard and I just fly with the birds. Case closed

45m wide is plenty wide for me. Anything wider, I’ll get a mountain bike

3T also mke the point that how fast you are as a rider makes a difference, as a given tyre witdth on a given road will feel more comfortable if you're riding faster, which basically means that fat, slow, middle-aged me will need a bigger tire to have decent comfort on a given road than some world tour professional.

I could only fit 27x2.0 on my eScultura with Maxxis Rekon Race XC tyres on wtb Kom rims. Things bullet proof.

My bike fits a 47mm but ive been running 40c Nano's and they seem about perfect

One of my favorite tires to date on my secan is the raceking protection, but they come up narrow, more like 52 mm. What was the inner rim width you used with these?

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

These Hunt wheels have a 26mm inner width which helps. Continental tyres do have a tendency to come up narrow though

I'd be interested if the Vittoria Mezcal would be more optimal with the solid center tread. I run the Barzo on my xc mtb and it's a grippy beast

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Chose this because the trails are usually this dry and have half an eye on the winter mud where I reckon these tyres will be amazing

Been looking at MTB tires for my Canyon Grizl. My eye is on Vittoria Mezcal, it seems to have decent thread for both grip and great rolling resitance. Barzo seems a tad too agressive

Nice bike!

Oh Nooooo 4-5 Ounces of difference! Great video 👍🏼

I'm intrigued what size tyres you put on what sized rims? I've got 42-622 on my gravel bike and my local shop have told me that MB 29" tyres won't fit onto the wheels.

@davidarthur

Жыл бұрын

You need to go down to 650b wheels to use mtb tyres on this gravel bike, not all bikes have the necessary clearance though

The Conti Raceking 27.5 x 2.2 weigh only 490 grams and provide low rolling resistance...

How would you handle a ride if you where going bike packing for few days, you would have to increase the pressure for the extra weight I presume?

@davidarthur

9 ай бұрын

Yes I normally increase rear tyre pressure a little bit just to be on the safe side against punctures

This is my debate currently re: race bike for TransRockies Gravel Royale in August. My gravel bike with 45c max clearance or my hardtail with 2.1-2.25 tyres. My future will be a gravel bike with wide tyre clearance such as the 3T or Lauf Seigla....so yes, wide is better in my opinion.

I just put 32mm GP5000 on my hunt 48 limitless and they measure 34.36 mm. The outer rim measures 35mm 😉 Very comfortable.

If your tires feel draggy, you clearly applied the wrong tires; put some supple tires by Rene Herse on your wheels and you will be flying, both on and off road, Rene Herse tires are just as fast on road, makes no difference 👍 nice to see the Secan again.

What's your go to size today? I'm still riding 40mm. Is 45 the new standard?

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

My feeling is that 700x45mm is the most popular setup right now and probably the best all-round compromise of speed, comfort, weight and control

if i replace my hardtail with a trail bike i might need to consider one of this

So let me get this straight: Cotswolds has hilly roads, flowy singletrack, and long gravel paths for bike riding? Gonna have to start packing my things for a visit!

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

best place in the world :)

Is that Cranham Woods Dave? Save me searching your Strava!

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Yes bits of it are. Lemme know if you want a guide

it completelly depend on where you ride ...for simple things a 40 mm tyre can be satisfactory and confortable for most of the rides just adjusting the pressure

So.. mtb tire 29 can fit in 28inch wheels?

@Digi20

2 жыл бұрын

yes, 28" and 29" wheels and tires are identical, you can use 29" mtb tires on your 28" gravel/trekking/road wheels and vice versa. generally up to 50mm tire width the 28" marketing name is used, and from there onwards it gets called 29" and the width is stated in inches.

Hi David- I'm guessing you've gone tubeless at those pressures?

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Yup, I’m tubeless on all my bikes

hi what is your opinion of a "skinny gravel tyre"? I thought then tend to be around 32 so not too skinny. do You not think gravel really was meant to be a mix ?? road/off road, otherwise you should be using a mountain bile

Well am mostly sold on wide is comfort wide is better for this old bones... I buy comfort over speed... THEN I really like to go fast...er as possible, that's why even when I avoid single trackz we can't avoid the adventure and exploration form time to time, and THEN am not sold on 650 rims... could be ridiculous for some but I love my 700 and 29ers tyres on it wider as possible bigger as you say roll better over 'things' and then WAM and RAM can make a case for 650 almost making the same RAM for those 700 rims and 42 wide tyres BUT there is comfort, IF you can find the way to make a set and test 700 rims on something wider than 50 mm and not looking like a fat bike... well I am looking forward for that video and that bike clearance to check it out. GREAT VIDEO by the way.

How you recomend for a hardtail mtb 2.2 or 2.35 (23mm rim)?

Underbiking can be fun

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

100% agree! One of the reasons I love gravel bikes for where I live

@jediavatar

2 жыл бұрын

Please define ‘underbiking…’ I’m not familiar with the term.

@rolandovera5935

2 жыл бұрын

@@jediavatar it simply refers to riding a bike that may not have been intended or specifically designed for the conditions. Examples: riding a road bike on gravel roads or riding a gravel bike on mtb single track. And it’s true underbiking is fun. I ride my cross bike on my local mtb trails often.

@Jacob99174

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely agreed

@jediavatar

2 жыл бұрын

@@rolandovera5935 That is what I suspected it would mean. Thank you for the response!

Is this too big for a 5’1” tall woman?

You sir are blessed with these areas to ride your bike. Btw. would you consider going back to wtb senderos?

I use Pirelli cinturado gravel h in 35mm on my Sage Titanium gravel bike. The gravel I ride is fairly smooth. The majority of the time I’m on pavement. This is the only bike I own and so it’s a multi surface bike. If I want to do mountain bike trails, I’ll probably buy a mountain bike. These Pirelli tires are fast!

@jediavatar

2 жыл бұрын

How do you like your Sage? I’m having a Storm King GP made for me right now, and I’m super excited to see what David creates for me!

@markreams3192

2 жыл бұрын

@@jediavatar I love this bike. The ride is butter smooth on chip seal pavement with the setup I have now and is reasonable on hard pack gravel which is most of the gravel near me. My biggest complaint is the ease that water gets into the frame, washing out a lot of the anti seize out of the BB causing a creak. I’ve solved this by using Morgan Blue aqua proof paste to assemble the BB and being very careful when washing the bike. The holes where the brake cable enters and exits the frame could be sealed better and drain holes in the bottom of the BB shell would be helpful. The welds are flawless. My son commented that it was the best looking bike I’ve ever owned!

Sorry David but if you put a flat bar on it it'll look like my old fully rigid 29er.

@chrisprice2200

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. There’s also a redshift flex stem on there. I can see this setup, if you’re touring the country side of Iceland or similar, but if you’re out on local mtb single track, get a mtb. You’ll be more comfortable. Put aero bars on a mtb.

700x50 or 29x1.9 should be the go to max for gravel bikes. I fitted 29x2.2's on my Giant Toughroad and it was nice but you want some insurance in the clearance department.

@waynemillin7476

2 жыл бұрын

I have a Tough road sk + at 50mm and 27.5 at 48 WTB Sandaro for winter riding works great

The trend in gravel ATM is having capacity for tires up to 700 x50mm - - OK - that's all well and good - but I don't see any need for any more that 40mm or maybe 45mm. 50mm and over you'd be better off really considering being on a MTB

@glennoc8585

2 жыл бұрын

With you there

Riddlers are quite slow tyres. 2.2 cobti race kings are faster than both youbhad ridden. You chosen quite slow tread pattern.

If you could get a fast-rolling light-weight tire in 29x2.4 with a true Gravel tread (not XC) and you had a bike that had frame and fork clearance for a tire that large, I think there could be a lot of advantages to going wider.

@k04s4

2 жыл бұрын

I run schwalbe hurricane 29x2.4 on my salsa fargo it's awesome!

@alfonsolange2340

Жыл бұрын

Simple, get a used tire.

In my experience: The bigger the tires the more fun they are

Barzo are too slow and grippy even for XC MTB. They are 'downcountry' tyres. I run the faster Mezcal on the front of my XC hardtail and even faster tyre at the back.

When you get into trails all the shock is coming up through the body and the riding position is way to forward. You should just get a hardtail and been done with it 😀

Okey dokey. Rider is riding dry track. Best off road tires in a 29er size are XC mtb tires. We are sticking with the Vittoria brand. Those Barzo tires are for wet/muddy XC racing. For dry tracks and general purpose gravel the Mezcal as well as the Terreno are better and faster tires. Imho. The Barzo would not even make my list if tarmac was involved.

I keep watching these videos in the hopes that one of them will convince me to sell my road bike and MTB and get a gravel bike instead of the two. This particular video has only served to dissuade me from it.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

I still have a mountain bike and road bike as well as a gravel bike - the perfect trio imho :)

@nagylevi3827

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidarthur Well, if I'd also get a gravel bike next to what I already have, I'd have to mount it on the ceiling or sleep with it because there's no more room available :D.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

🤣

Damn, one of those Barzo tires weighs nearly as much as as my Aethos frame.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Bonkers when you put it like that!

Cool. The 1990s bike makes a comeback under a subterfuge....when the gravel and roadies added disk brakes I knew they came onto the MTB dark side...Suspension, tubeless. Come on over bros...ir's a party over here. We've been partying since the early nineties. Get you a seat dropper at the door.

Nice video David, but next time try to give us a little more useful info, like tire size vs just keep saying massive 😉

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

they are 57mm/2.25in wide on 650b rims :)

@NYCSputnik

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidarthur wow, 57, you weren't kidding that is massive 😳

Grapes need hardship to produce the best wines. Bigger tires that produce "comfort" ruin the final product. You need to ride 23mm on gravel

You can put a lighter tyre on in that size but $$$.

Get a hard tail xc mtb if you are riding on that terrain, why use a road bike with mtb tyres.

lol first full suspension gravel bikes now wide tires. just get rid of the stupid drop bars and you are all set lol

Next step, flat bars and you've got yourself a new Gravtain bicycle

Massive tires = Mountain bike wheel weight. But no suspension...My 24lb XC Intense sniper works really well on gravel rides, especially when its rough and deep. Downhills? XC bike is so far ahead they cant even see it's dust. And I dont get beat up at all...................as always gravel bikes are the latest marketing scheme.

Sorry, not for me. Too slow on open road

Oh and 650b is a joke and a marketing gimmick. 27.5 or whatever they're called are actually way closer to a 26-inch MTB wheel. So just get those, oh wait you can't buy those.

@Digi20

2 жыл бұрын

well not really. you can fit wide 650b wheels and tires to gravel bike and still have a very road like low and short geometry with a playful nimble bike. a 650b 2.1 tire is only a bit bigger than a 28mm 700c road tire. there are gravel bikes that will fit 29" tires, which is nice for touring, but the whole bike geometry generally changes to a more monster truck touring approach. thats not bad, but different.

You need to change the name of your channel Dave. Just ride gravel bikes sounds more apt. Unsubbed.

@davidarthur

2 жыл бұрын

Well you just can't please everyone can you Craig. There's loads of road content on here, I mean did you miss the C68 and SuperSix Evo videos?

@neilrobinson7965

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidarthur not sure what Craig is on about. There is loads of road content on here. I like the gravel content!