In todays blog post we are going to take a look at some of the best gravel bike tires that you can get for your gravel grinding adventures. The best I mean best recommended by other people who use these tires and would encourage their friend to try them out because they love them so much. They are in no particular order of best to least best, however we are going to discuss the attributes that make these tires some of the best gravel tires on the market. Giving you some great reasons to really consider these tires for your own setup. Doing the ground work for you so you don’t have to look all over the web for small details about each tire. Consider this a place that has it all for you.
The first tire on this list is a tire that I personally have experience with. And think it is a great gravel tire, however I used it for much more then just gravel which is maybe a little unfair when it comes to talking about the tires performance. Below is the quick list of all the tires we are going to talk about today.
| Gravel Tire | Price | Weight | Sizes | Rating |
| WTB Riddler | $47.95 | 560g | 700×37 700×45 | 3.3/5 |
| Panaracer Gravelking SK | $37.94 | 440g | 700×32 700×35 700×38 700×40 700×43 | 4/5 |
| Kenda Flintridge Pro DTC | $59.95 | – | 700×45 700×40 700×35 650Bx45 | 4/5 |
| WTB Venture Road TCS | $47.95 | approx. 573g | 650×47 700×40 700×50 | 3.5/5 |
| Maxxis Ikon | From $33.02 | 640g | 29×2.2 and more.. | 4.5/5 |
| Teravail Cannonballs | $55.00 | 467g | 700×35 700×38 | 4.5/5 |
| Compass Snoqualmie Pass | $71.00 | 378g | 700×44 | 4/5 |
| Terrene Elwood | $65.00 | Light 430g Tough 515g | 700×35 700×40 650Bx47 | 4/5 |
| Maxxis Crossmark 2 | $59.00 | 700g | 26×2.10 26.2.25 27.5×2.10 27.5×2.25 29×2.10 29×2.25 | 4/5 |
WTB Riddler
First if you want to read my review of this tire you can see it here. With over 2,500 km on this tire. I must admit that I used this tire on a bike tour which took me all over many different terrains much more then just your standard gravel. 50 percent of which would have been main roads. This tire by no means is a road tire that is for sure. One of the first things that attracted me to this tire was the tan wall that they come in, that and black. Plus for my surly Long Haul Trucker, I was looking for a tire that was 45mm as this is the max size you can fit on a LHT. And I wanted to make it out, and this was just the tire I went for at the time. As I was wanting to do more off-road bikepacking adventures I needed a tire that would allow me to explore off the beaten path. And these tires did an okay job at that, But I believe there are much better tires out there. If you are looking for a bicycle touring tire that is ore suited to traditional bike touring, check out this article here.
But anyway lets get into the nitty gritty of these WTB Riddlers. They can come in a black or tan color as mentioned earlier and a size 700×37 and 700×45. They unfortunately don’t have the best reviews out there which is why I am going to say on record that I would not recommend these tires when compared to some of the other options in this article. From riding them on the road it felt like they had somewhat higher rolling resistance than something like the Gravel Kings. These are a tubeless ready tire but I tested them out with tubes. They have a rather thin wall and when using tubes I ran into a few punctures which could have been avoided with a tubeless setup.
However the one thing these tires have going for them is the gravel cornering. It seems superior to most other gravel tires. With the way these tires are designed, they have higher tread along the outside of the tire and get smaller in the middle. For commuting and general road riding I would not recommend these tires. They seem to wear down rather quickly on paved roads and them become prone to puncture.
While the price of these tires is rather enticing from only $47.95. And the volume and tread pattern should represent a versatile combination of on- and off-road capabilities, the durability and wear life of these tires is not up to the same level as several of its peers. Overall for the price they are a rather good tire.
Panaracer Gravelking SK
If you are after a all round tire that is going to work great when it comes to gravel riding but also commuting and touring too then this is one of the better options out there for you. When I look back on my purchasing decision I kind of wish I knew about these tires at the time as they have some really positive reviews and people seem to really like these tires. When I asked a bunch of gravel riders what tire they prefer this was one of the more popular options and for a good reason.
Put simply they are good on pavement, good on gravel, good on grass, good on hardpacked dirt. So-so in soft dirt and not good in mud. But after all they are ‘gravel’ tires at the end of the day. So it seems they tick all the boxes when it comes to this type of riding. When compared to the previous WTB riddlers when cornering they aren’t as good and get a little squirmy in slow sharp turns. Also in mud they just sink and you have no chance due to the design of these tires. When you get to speed also they make a little buzz sound.
They preform rather well when rolling over medium size rocks like a mountain bike tire. Very low rolling resistance, and perform surprisingly well on tarmac. Not one hundred percent sure but don’t think these are tubeless ready. You might want to verify this before purchasing if you want tubeless ready tires. They come in five different widths all at 700c from 32mm to 43mm which is a great range for your preferred type of riding. I am really thinking about getting the 70×43 for my Surly Long Haul Trucker next. As they are so cheap and are all around better then the Riddlers from only $37.94.
Kenda Flintridge Pro DTC
It is a little concerning to see on some review on other websites that say that these tires do wobble a little. It could be due to user error, with the center tread wandering off line. When the beads are reseated, there seems to be an improvement, but not perfect. Apart from this little hiccup, this gravel tire has a smooth centerline tread pattern that works exceptionally well both on the road and on hard pack. While the center rolls smoothly, the shoulder knobs provide control in loose rock and mud. It features a KSCT casing that reinforces the sidewalls to help prevent slashes and abrasions while also providing an easy tubeless conversion.
Some say that these tires felt remarkably fast and smooth, the Tubeless setup was simple, and work ver well at preventing a flat. When tested on some local single track. Although they are fast and retain some single-track capability, they’re sketchy in the corners and speed upon approach had to be moderated. A great tire option that is again another option that is wide enough to work for gravel riding yet good to use on paved roads too. Priced a little more expensive then some other option, from $59.95. If you’re looking for an exceptional gravel tire that can take you almost everywhere you want to go, then you’ll love the Kenda Flintridge Pro DTC Gravel Tire.
WTB Venture Road TCS
This tire is a little beefier then most. It comes in a 47 for 650B and up to 50 for 700c. Some users have mentioned that the tires don’t actually come out to this amount of width, but this could come down to the type of wheels they are using. But still they offer wider tires then some other gravel tires on the market. And they have some small amount of tread. resulting in rather good performance on gravel but has a little more rolling resistance on pavement. Making it not the best, similar to the Riddler when it comes to multiple riding terrains, and are more suited to just gravel more so then other terrains.
If you plan to run tubeless these are going to be rather good. However it is a little disappointing to see these tires measure out to be only 44mm as reported by some users even though they are advertised as 47mm. That leaves you short 3 mm if you are looking for a tire that is 47mm or more then you will be rather disappointed. It is not a big deal but just worth noting. They are priced from $47.95
Maxxis Ikon
Originally designed and purpose built to be a lightweight racing tire, they also make a rather good gravel tire for off the beaten path bike adventures. With 3C Triple Compound Technology, high-volume casing and a fast rolling tread design, the Ikon provides exemplary performance in all riding conditions. A rather popular tire with off-road riders a like, with some rather great reviews, if you don’t believe check this out.
With such popularity comes great recommendations from many users. And with so many people who have rated these tires for them to be rated at 4.5 out of 5 is a rather good effort.
It is hard to draw a exact line between gravel and MTB tires. But these are classified as MTB but still worth including because they do MTB style of riding very well. They have great grip and incredible rolling. But some have had issues with the sidewalls, saying that they “tear very very easily”. These tires do sit rather tight on the rim which is a great thing, making them a little more difficult to install.
Teravail Cannonballs
A gravel tire that is said to be amazingly durable, they are very fast rolling, but with lots of grip in the soft stuff. This tire is the perfect mix of confidence and speed. They also last a long time due to the higher silica content. They have been used by riders of the Dirty Kanza 100 and DK100 with no problems even some reporting no puncture when it is sometimes common in these demanding races.
One of the better all rounder tires there is on the market today! Fast on-road and grippy and predictable off road. The directional, tight-knit center tread efficiently decreases rolling resistance while the side knobs increase cornering traction. The center tread’s diamond pattern is optimized specifically for gravel riding and sheds dirt and gravel debris. Also reasonably priced $55.00 at Jenson USA.
Compass Snoqualmie Pass
Classified as a all-road tire, this is one of the better tire on the market. At a much more expensive price tag however. These tires are said to provide speed and grip of the supple casing on the paved sections when climbing, and the large air volume will have you float over the rough gravel. All Rene Herse tires combine the performance of high-end tubular tires with the convenience of clinchers and the width for all-road riding. The Standard casing is a more affordable option that also offers extra protection against sidewall cuts on sharp rocks. Priced from $71.00
Terrene Elwood
A dirt road tire that is designed with a fast rolling tread and aggressive side knobs so that you can confidently take any fork in the road and still be in control when things gets rough. Coming in a range of different wheel sizes, there is one that will suit what you are looking for, with 650B and 700C options.
All over the web they have some good gravel performance reviews. And they were recommended by a few people I surveyed for this blog post. They include a durable 60a rubber compound for a long life of dirt adventures. While being tubeless ready and suitable for 17-25mm rims. They come in two different types tough and light. The ultralight 120tpi casing rolls fast and light. It’s available on the Light version. TekSheild 60tpi casing is puncture resistant and available on the Tough version. Priced from $65.00
Maxxis Crossmark 2
Maxxis say that these tires have been built for speed and revised for control. Which sounds promising when it comes to gravel grinding. Designed with open-side knob design for versatile cornering. And tightly packed center knobs for speed over hardpack. Technically consider a MTB tire but again it is that grey line which I guess this tire could be used for gravel riding. As it is that tire that is built to take you pretty much anywhere.
The great thing about these tires is that the central tread pattern does appear to have a very low rolling resistance. People are using this tire with their hardtail mountain bikes and this tire works well as a fast rolling cross country tire. Priced at $59.00
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