Vonruden

The BG Rock N Roads are a little too big out back on the Sachs.




Which 38's would you choose for road and gravel. I'll probably be riding more road (70/30) versus gravel on the Sachs, as my Surly Krampus or Hunqapillar will be used on the narly stuff.

Which would you chose as a fatter tire option, Soma Supple or Compass Barlow pass? Also considering Gravelkings, however may be overkill for the road. Opinions welcomed.

NormanF

Schwalbe Marathon Mondial in 40 c... I have the predecessor Schwalbe Marathon Dureme in 40 c. Bruce Gordon Rock n Roads would be too big for my bike so I had to size down.

Barrettscv 

These tires are fraternal twins, flip a coin.

Vonruden

Thanks, another I forgot to consider. I have the Marathons in size 35, very durable tires, may have to mount em up for a quick spin.

Vonruden

Tread pattern is a little different, I do have the Barlows on my Weigle and love em, just never went off road.

gomango

I ride the Somas 75% off road.

No flats.

They roll like nobodies business on packed gravel.

Big puffy, comfy clouds.

Saw them recently at Universal for a great price.

Also, don't forget about 700 x32/40 Gravel Kings.

My fav cheap tires.

noglider 

I just looked at a picture of the Gravel King tires. They have big knobs. Don't they slow you down on hard pavement?

gomango

They roll surprisingly well.

The SK's knobs aren't as large as the RnRs.

Vonruden

Thanks Grady! I'm thinking of giving the Gravel King 40's a shot, just a little worried about clearance. Good to hear the feedback on the Soma's as well.

gomango

As much as I like the Compass tires, I don't like paying $75 for a clincher.

I get excellent performance out of the Somas and GKs at a much lower price point.

I have 700x32 Soma SLs on my McLean and that is a dream ride.

Teaming up Reynolds 531 tubing and those big Somas make for a serious combo for an all day jaunt.

Again, flat protection seems excellent so far.

Panaracer nailed it with the GK and the Soma Vitesse tires. imho

pcb 

I ride both Barlow/Supple V. and don't notice any performance difference due to tread/casing differences---but I'm not especially attuned to ride subtleties. They are both fabulous tires. The 42mm SuppleVs on my Wraith are tons o' fun. Whichever is cheaper usually gets my $$, and that's usually Soma.

Note that IME the SuppleV run at least 2mm undersized, barely reaching their labelled width on 25mm rims. That's both frustrating (what the fudge?) and useful, giving you kinda in-between sizing options. But you may need to size up a little on the SuppleVs.

I haven't tried the Gravel Kings, since I have a few other compact-knobby tires that I rarely ride. I don't tend to hit the trails when they're really muddy, and I've been very happy with the smoother treads on my local trails.

Also haven't found any of the Schwalbe Marathon Supremes ride as nicely as Compass/Grand Bois/Soma supple alternatives. 28mm Schwalbe Ultremo ZX/Ones ride as nicely, but not the wider Schwalbes.

pcb 

Oh, and the Sachs, of course, is sexy as hell.

gomango

It really is one of the nicer examples I have seen.

Would love to ride one.

Would love to own one.

My buddy races his Sachs CX frameset and I have first dibs.

I've been waiting four years for him to move it on.

It'll need a total refresh by the time I get my mitts on it.

As for the Somas, I totally agree with PCB on the sizing.

One really needs to be careful nowadays due to rim width.

Chrome Molly

I have had poor luck with flats on Compass tires. Something seems to pierce the casing about every 40 miles. Smaller stuff that continental tires have no issue with. They ride very little better than panaracers IMHO. Better sure, but a far cry from the transformational product they are billed as. Not worth the $ by a long shot unless you must have skinwalls and then an expensive compromise vs better and cheaper tires that are not skinwalls.

The 28c vittoria corsa open Gplus will be my next 28-32 range tire. The conti 4000s2 in 28's are fantastic.

For larger tires it is hard to beat the clement xplor MSO 40 for road and gravel duties. They are very popular at the gravel rides.

Vonruden

Thanks Paul, good tip on the sizing.

a3inverter

+1 - I have a set of 700x42 Soma Supple Vittesse tires on my Double Cross. Super Plush ride.