Tires for Gravel?
 

I need a tire suggestion. Have been doing some rural rides that involve multiple miles on a rough gravel road (large gravel). I tried 28 Paselas, and blew out the sidewall on the second ride. I am looking for a tire with a tough sidewall, but I don't want to go too much above a 28 as I do long paved rides as well.

FYI - the bike is a salsa casseroll.

I know this is technically not a commuting question, but it seems the folks here put tires through a lot. And I commute some too.

Thanks

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. One of my bikes has a set of 700cx28s and the other has 25s. The 28s have over 6000 flat free miles on them, and I commute year round so those tires have seen their fair share of gravel, potholes, snow etc, although I do not really ride on many gravel roads per-se.

The best bet for gravel is cyclocross (CX) tires. Gravel and light off-road is specifically what they're designed for. However 32–35mm is the typical size range.

If you want to stick with road tires, something with a reinforced sidewall, like Continental Ultra Gatorskins would be a good choice.

But, having ridden both road and CX tires in gravel, CX tires are by far the better choice, IMHO. Their shape and tread keep the gravel from squirting out from beneath the tires. In other words, they roll over the gravel, not through it.

I roll 8 miles a day over gravel with 32s. When the road is freshly graded, that's a little rough. It smooths out over a few days to where it's mainly a non-rocky surface (not smooth but not stones). If your road commission isn't smart enough to use a gravel with a high clay content and the stones are always there, you may need to go with 35s or even 38s, if you can fit them.

FWIW, a friend who is a Clyde just got some of these:
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list...product=10-092

Not sayin' you're a clyde, but riding over gravel holds some of the same issues (pinch flats).

I have Schwalbe Marathon XRs on my touring bike, and they pretty much handle everything. Road, gravel, dirt roads, grass, even the occasional single track. They're puncture resistant, long wearing, and dependable. I've honestly never felt more trust in a tire. I understand the Schwalbe Marathon Extremes are quite nice too, but I don't have first hand experience with them.

Ritchey Speedmax 35 have been my fav for gravel so far.

one of my training loops has a 4 mile gravel section, I have fun on 26x1/8 Gatorskins

my riding buddy does it on 700x23 racing slicks just fine too.

+1. I run the same tire in a 32. They rock. Also follows with TSL's suggestion to use a Cross tire.

My commute involves a mix of roads and trails, so I tried a wider tire. I am now using the Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 x 45 and have been very happy with it. It definitely makes bouncing along the rocky trails much easier. Also, the puncture protection is great for thorns on the trails and glass on the roads.

The fat heavy tires slow me down a bit on the road, but it's worth it to be able to ride easily on gravel and trails.

Be careful, though, about fork clearance. When I installed the extra-fat tires on my Trek 520, I had to grind a few millimeters off the fork to accommodate the increased radius of the tires. After shaving off a touch as you can see in the photo, I shaved off about a millimeter more for better clearance.

My point is that fat tires on a commuter bike are great, but just be careful that your fork has enough clearance to handle them.

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...g?t=1250795382

OMG - What happens if you get a rock logded up in there - that is scary.
I think you need a slightly smaller tire.

This is a great tire for the conditions that you describe. We also have a tire called a Marathon Extreme (also mentioned above) which has our "Double Defense" puncture protection system (Very tight Vectran weave like the XR, but with SnakeSkin built into the carcass for additional sidewall protection). The XR and Extreme are fairly expensive tires, but are durable and lightweight.

Another good option (from our line of tires) would be the Marathon Plus ATB. The cornering shoulders are lugged for off-road use, but with a continuous center ridge for pavement and harder surfaces. It's a bit less money than the two previously mentioned tires, but they are heavy.

I live along and ride on a lot of gravel/dirt roads.
IMHO- regular Schwalbe marathons are the best balance of traction, rolling ease,
protection and cost.

These work pretty-well on smooth pavement too.

I wonder how long (and how fast) and how frequently.

+1 for the Schwalbe Marathon XR's.

Kenda Small Block 8 are a nice road/gravel tire. I use 'em in the winter too. 700x32 up to 700x55 and 26" sizes too.

Wide and low pressure let the tire deform around rocks, which is good for many reasons. At Higher pressure, tires are more likely to be cut, punctured, or otherwise damaged since they're forced against the rocks, instead of being allowed deformed around them. You'll also reduce the stress your wheels, frame, and your body are subjected too. Firm rubber will be less prone to being cut from sharper rocks, and last a bit longer. Narrow tread pattern (Marathon 368's and Plus are pretty narrow) tend to pick up and trap rock shards, which can scrape fenders (fingernails on a chalk board) or worse, work their way through a tire unless removed.

Go with a wide tire at low pressure that has a durable reinforced sidewall.