I had those same tires (the Performance branded version, but still the same tire) on my MTB turned city bike. Great value and a decent tire, but they are a bit on the heavy side. When I swapped them out for some tires that were sub-500 grams, I could definitely tell a difference. I originally put some of Performance's Forte Metro tires on it. Loved the ride of them, but I wanted some tread with a little more bite. Like yourself, I want to be able to handle some gravel with confidence. I now have some Panaracer Paselas installed and they were a good choice.