Which tires? (gravel and pavement)
 

Hi everyone.

I'm new to cycling, and will be using my bicycle to commute to work (which i will order shortly).

My route includes long two-lane roads, with mediocre pavement. However the roads are somewhat narrow, and the shoulders are gravel.

I'm looking into buying these tires in 700x28c

However I'm concerned, how well would they handle occasional driving on the gravel shoulder (for example if a large car tries to pass me and there isn't enough room on the pavement). Do you think these tires could take that use no problem maybe once or twice during my commute?

Otherwise, the come stock with more knobby tires meant for CX (here) at 700x32c.

Notice they do have an inverted tread.


So my questions are

1) Can those road tires handle the gravel shoulder when I need to use it?

2) Is it even worth getting those road tires, or will the stock Ritchey tires be near as good because of their inverted tread?


Thanks!

I've found that width contributes more to stability on gravel than tread. If given the choice between a larger tire with minimal tread, or a narrower tire with more aggressive tread, I'll generally take the former.

Of the two tires you mentioned, though, I'd opt for the Ritchey's.

For gravel I actually like 70x35c tires, perhaps even wider if your bike can accommodate them along with fenders (if you use fenders). I've heard great things about the new Schwalbe Dureme tire, but they are quite pricey.

I can't speak to the Ritcheys specifically, but in my experience cyclocross tires aren't a really good bet for road riding.

They're designed for racing on the grass or in the mud. Thus, they have no (or very little) puncture protection, and the compound is very soft, so they wear quickly.

The Gatorskins, OTOH, will wear for 5,000 miles or more, and are known for their puncture resistance.

I ride Continental GrandPrix 4-Seasons in 25mm on the 4½ mile dirt and gravel jeep road to my family's summer cottage with no issues. My other bike, with 34mm cyclocross tires, is only a smidge easier to handle on the same road. Mainly I can corner a bit faster and they break loose less often when climbing out of the saddle.

So then, to answer my question, will the road tires I selected handle a bit of gravel fine?

How much tire clearance does your bike have? Personally, I wouldn't want to ride gravel (or dirt) on 28mm slicks.

Continental Ultra Gatorskin Road Tire, in 28 width, the sidewall is reinforced, its largely a slick tire,

so It will survive the small stones, of say 1/4 minus gravel , OK for a reasonable amount of time.
Cannot make any guarantees that the handling skill of the rider will go up due to a tire choice.

I would use extra caution in those sections if I were you..
a wheel that goes out from underneath you is not a good thing.
Its the transition that will be a problem , if you are forced off the road ,
and hit the gravel verge, with a drop off, no skinny tire will help
if the front wheel starts ploughing gravel..
and the steep transition back onto the pavement may steer the front wheel
instead of your hands,
not unlike dropping a wheel in the slot along side the light rail tracks.

So No that tire wont make any difference , nor will many..

consider standing your ground and staying on the pavement ,
another route or a Mountain bike.

Like i said, its not for a long time or anything. It would only be in an emergency when I need to get off the road ASAP, or when a large vehicle tries to pass and I either get on the shoulder or get clipped.

So say 30 seconds twice a ride max. I just don't want to get a flat from it, or fear the shoulder because of flats.

Practice that maneuver a lot , so you survive your avoidance technique.

Vittoria Randonneurs or Schwalbe Marathons.

If you go with the gatorskins--i know that PBK usually has some good deals (although i don't know about the 28mm ones)..

But this site has them a little cheaper:
http://www.o2gearshop.com/catalog/pr...c=1&zmap=34647

like i said, im just wondering about flats. Will a road tire get flats as soon as it goes on gravel?

I'm not concerned with my technique as that can improve. But since this is for commuting i can't have a flat every time i need to move to the shoulder.

It's the 28 part that will have you risking pinch flats, not the tire choice, within that size
other than going to a 37 wide tire then you can get into another Continental The Travel Contact,
also with a Gator skin sidewall feature.

But I'm guessing it's a road bike and 28 is all you can fit.

No.

It's a cyclocross, comes with 32 stock.

I'm thinking about this tire now, since it seems very reputable:

http://www.probikekit.com/ca/tyres-t...tyre-32mm.html

and thats in 32 too. Which should reduce pinch flats? Will it work on a bit of gravel?

May be over thinking this ..

go for the wider tires , 35, , throw in heavy thorn resistant tubes.

and worry no more..

[6 month tour with my camping gear, SW Eire, to NE Scotland, no punctures.]

how so? I just want to know if road tires can handle gravel at all.

Alright. So i should feel safe going on the shoulder when I need to, as long as I can handle the transition from pavement to gravel?

Either your first or second choice should be fine as far as flat resistance (The Contis or Schwalbes). The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is going to be super heavy, but also seems to be the 'gold standard' (if there is such a thing) as far as flat resistance goes. As others have said, wider is better for gravel. How wide you need to be safe is more a function of your bike handling skills. 28 is way better than a 23, but 32 is still better for gravel. 35 even better.

I have Conti City Contact (not sure if they're no longer made, renamed or what, but I can't find them on their site) in 37 on my hybrid. These work great on all road surfaces, as far as flat resistance and handling. I have Vittoria Randonneur Pros in 32 on my Jake. They are not as good on larger gravel, but they're still acceptable. Actually, they're quite good, just not as good as a wider tire.

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme is designed for pavement and gravel. Mine get about 50/50 on each and they are great on both surfaces. 700x35.

Thats good to here, I think I'll go with the Marathons. Sure they are a bit heavier, but flats would really screw up my commute. I'm glad to hear they are partially designed for gravel. I'll have some confidence then. Thanks!

If it is a cyclecross why not use cyclecross tires. My Surly has 32s with relatively smooth center and knobby sides. I run them on pavement, I live on a rough gravel road, have a gravel drive and many of the roads I ride on are gravel and some are dirt trails.

I wanted to avoid the cyclecross tires because 99% of the time I'm on pavement. Like I said, the only time gravel comes into play is when I move onto the shoulder for a second to let cars pass.

I wonder the same thing because I would like to think I am in a similar situation.
Most of my ride is done over smooth pavement, but there are small portions of it where I ride over what is 'unsmoothen' asphalt. It is like gravel in the sense that it's small pieces of points that could damage ties, but they are not loose like gravel and in fixed positions.

Personally I see a lot of road bikes go over the area without trouble, and I figure gatorskins are fine. They seem to be holding up anyways.
If I was on a CX bike, I'd probably stick the same size tire it comes in stock but find a more city. Marathons look like a good bet.

I posted this on my blog last week:

Mixed-Terrain Tire Primer