destroypedal

Just got a new bike a week or so ago to add to my stable (also my first geared rig in a while). Nashbar steel cyclocross bike.

Looking into some new tires. It has Kenda k879 series 30c tires on it which aren't bad but definitely get more slip in gravel than id like. Have had one flat nice I got the sucker which I don't deem bad but I was thinking of new tires anyways.

Im mostly commenting through the ****ty streets of chicago but on weekends and nights I like to shred some gravel trails/parking lots and do some non asphalt trail riding.

any good tire recommendations? was looking at a pair of clements at a local shop but wasn't sure if y'all here had any advice?

thanks

billy

GeneO 

I really like the Vittoria cross XG 32mm tires I have. They are good on pavement and gravel. They are a bit expensive though and wear fairly fast (rear a little over a season of commuting ~ 3000 mi mostly limestone/gravel trails, some road).

blakcloud

I just put on Clement X'Plor 35's and I really like them. They roll well on pavement and they did well on gravel and single track. For me they have been great tires so far. No long term to tell you about yet. I haven't measured them to see what they really are, but I will do that tomorrow and report back.

Kawriverrat

I have Clement Explore 40s on commuter, do everything I do, cross bike. They are doing very well on the street. I also pull a trailor when I go fishing they do real well for this. Pulling a trailor I have found causes tires to reveal their weaknesses especially
when the weather turns foul.
I don't push things that hard when riding gravel with that said these tires have been the best do it all tires I've tried.

Some or maybe a lot of the improvements I noticed may be that the Clements are also the the biggest tires I've put on my bike. I didn't think they would fit but they were the only size they had left. Tried them they fit & I will replace these with the same when time comes.

ThermionicScott 

Strange as it may sound, I kinda liked those tires. Once the center tread lugs wore down, they rolled nicely on pavement, leaving the side lugs to provide traction in gravel and dirt. And riding on gravel is more about staying nimble, shifting your weight around, picking your lines, and braking judiciously than having the perfect tires anyway.

gregjones

^^^THIS^^^

Not all gravel surfaces are the same, or even the same along their own length. Dirt (gravel) changes stretch to stretch and corner to corner.

Rider technique and the ability to adapt to the changes are the most effective method of dealing with gravel/dirt surfaces.

You can't change your tires when the surface changes from river rock to crush run, or turns to plain ol' dirt.

SkippyX

We used to ride gravel trails on 27" ten speeds shod w/ department gumwall tires back in the day.

We didn't ride them quickly, though.

destroypedal

thanks for the tips! I have had much gravel experience (obviously)

going to give these tires some more time they seem to be riding well thus far.