If you’re interested in gravel biking, you’ll want to make a few upgrades to your bike. Most importantly, you’ll want to make sure you have the right set of tires. You should look for the fastest gravel tires on the market, and you should also seek out tires that can handle the challenges of gravel riding. These are some of the factors you should consider when you’re selecting tires for your bike.
How Large Should Gravel Tires Be?
Tires for gravel bikes come in an array of sizes, which can be overwhelming to cyclists selecting gravel tires for the first time. It’s common to see both 27.5″ and 28″ tires in a variety of widths.
The ideal size of tires for your bike will vary based on a number of factors, such as your height and weight and the size of your bike. You’ll also want to consider that some tires expand with use. You should look closely at your options so that you can find the tires that best suit your needs.
What Brands Should You Be Looking At?
There are a number of manufacturers producing high-quality tires that are perfect for gravel bikes. With that said, there are a few brands you’ll want to pay especially close attention to.
Schwalbe offers several tires that are perfect for gravel biking, as does Challenge. Some of the other brands you should look at include Compass, MAXXIS, Donnelly, and Panracer. If you choose to buy tires from one of these brands, you’ll have plenty of choices, and you’ll be able to pick out tires that are built to last.
How Much Pressure Should Your Tires Have?
When you’re riding on a smooth surface, such as a cycling path, you’ll want your tires to have as much air pressure as possible. When the air pressure of your tires is high, it’s less likely that your tires will deform when you’re on your bike. You’ll have a higher roller resistance overall.
If you’re used to thinking in these terms, then you might be surprised to know that the opposite holds true when you’re buying tires for gravel cycling. This is especially true if you want the fastest gravel tires available. You’ll want tires with less air pressure so that they’ll be able to roll right over the bumpy and uneven ground that you’re riding on.
Of course, you can adjust the air pressure on the tires you’ve already chosen. If you’ve found high-quality tires for your bike, but you’re not getting the speeds you want when riding on gravel roads, lowering the air pressure could help you to reach the speeds you’re shooting for.
What Are Some Other Factors That Can Improve Speed?
When you’re shopping for tires, you’ll want to look for a tubeless system if speed is your top priority. Tubeless tires will have less rolling resistance than tires with tubes, which means they’ll be noticeably faster.
If you’re worried about mishaps slowing you down, you may want to search for tires that offer an extra layer of protection. For example, if you buy tires that have puncture protection, you won’t have to waste any time patching a tire. You’ll be able to cycle for as long as you like.
You’ll also want to search for tires that have tread. Because you’ll be riding on a bumpy surface, you’ll want to select tires that are able to generate some grip. You can get excellent performance out of tires with fairly shallow tread patterns. Tires that have a diamond pattern can also provide the kind of grip that you need.
Lastly, you’ll want to look for tires that have consistently received rave reviews from other cyclists. If you’re a part of a gravel riding community, talk to community members and see if any of them can provide you with recommendations.
What Can Slow You Down?
There are qualities that can make tires faster, and by the same token, there are quite a few things that can cause you to slow down. Tires with larger shoulder knobs aren’t going to work well on dry surfaces like gravel roads. You’ll also want to avoid any tires that are prone to issues. For example, you should avoid tires that have issues with the sidewall detaching from the tire bead.
If you know what to watch out for, you should be able to avoid tires that will cause you to travel at a slower speed. You’ll be able to focus on finding high-quality tires that were designed with speed in mind.
What Is The Main Thing You Should Look For?
When you’re shopping for the fastest gravel tires, you should prioritize reliability above everything else. You need to make sure you can count on your tires to deliver a consistent level of performance.
When gravel biking, you’ll want to make sure you’re able to cycle at your desired speeds for as long as you are on the road. You should be able to predict how your chosen tires are going to perform.
How Can You Find The Best Gravel Tire?
The secret to finding the best tire for your bike is to explore lots of options. Look closely at your choices. Try to read plenty of reviews. Ask people to give you recommendations. Find tires that were designed for bumpy surfaces.
Picking out the perfect set of tires won’t necessarily be easy, but you should be able to find tires that are able to deliver the speeds you’re looking for. You’ll be able to race across gravel roads and have a great time when you’re on your bike. Take your time and select tires that you’ll be happy with.
If you’ve been searching for the fastest gravel tires, these are some of the qualities you’ll want to keep an eye out for. You should make sure you’re fully satisfied with the tires on your bike before you start gravel riding. If you find the right set of tires, you’ll be able to ride at a high speed while maintaining firm contact with the road.
