Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
Reload this Page >

25c Gravel Tire (or 25c tires on gravel)

Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

25c Gravel Tire (or 25c tires on gravel)

Old 05-29-16, 10:38 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
25c Gravel Tire (or 25c tires on gravel)

Hey there,

I'm looking at doing a local 80 mile ride that is about 50% on dirt road. With as much pavement as there is I was wanting to tackle this on my road bike rather than my MTB (fat bike).

Problem is, I'm pretty much maxed out with 25c tires. I currently ride 25c Gator Hardshell tires and am open to buying a second set if there's something that would handle the dirt a bit better.

Any tire recommendations in that size? Roads will be anywhere from smooth dirt hardpack, to lot's of pea sized gravel.

Thanks!
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-29-16, 11:01 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
I've ridden the Katy trail in Missouri quite a few times on just regular road tires. Mostly graded pea gravel.

There's a canal trail around here that I also hit with whatever I have on my bike.



The canal trail has one steep climb (or descent) which can be a bit hairy going either way. I just don't feel safe for hard braking or sharp turns on the gravel.

Anyway, I suppose a lot would depend on what your roads are like. If it is mostly straight and flat, then I'd just ride your normal tires. If you have a lot of steep hills and tight corners, then maybe consider something else.

I do have one road that I'm wanting to ride that has about 2" to 3" gravel on it, so the road bike is out.

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x25 has a moderate amount of tread. But, I think it would be overkill for a single ride.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 05-29-16, 01:36 PM
  #3  
Thread Killer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,373

Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3078 Post(s)
Liked 1,631 Times in 1,005 Posts
I'd suggest Panaracer Gravelking 25c for that. It's supple, comfy, and very adept at fast pavement while providing a light file tread for a little extra grip on loose stuff. I used the 23c on a Lemond road bike for hardpack dirt roads for a couple of years, and quite successfully. I currently have 28c and 32c on two other bikes, because they're great, and affordable, all-'round tires.
chaadster is offline  
Old 05-29-16, 01:42 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
Was just looking at those. They look good and at 40 a piece they're not redonkulous.
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-29-16, 09:09 PM
  #5  
Thread Killer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,373

Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3078 Post(s)
Liked 1,631 Times in 1,005 Posts
Originally Posted by Shinkers
Was just looking at those. They look good and at 40 a piece they're not redonkulous.
I should add, the GK is billed as a 26c, but I think on a std (or narrow) width rim, they'd measure 25mm. Actually, I think I have 26c GKs on Mavic ksyrium Equipes downstairs, so I can measure that exactly...
chaadster is offline  
Old 05-29-16, 09:23 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
That'd be cool. I'm using cr18s so 18mm internal width.

I hear a lot of talk about pinch flatting with these narrower tires too. I haven't been road biking long but come from a mountain biking background and the idea of pinch flatting a tire blown up to 90 psi is kind of bewildering.

Last edited by Shinkers; 05-29-16 at 09:31 PM.
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-30-16, 03:44 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
I actually got out and hit about 5 miles of dirt road today just to see what my gators would feel like. I didn't really mind it at all. The biggest concern was flats, every time I'd miss dodging a pointy rock I'd cringe.

As far as comfort goes, I've definitely ridden worse so there are no concerns there.

Really wish I could fit a 28 but think it'd be tighter than I'm comfortable with.

So at this point I'm really considering the gravelkings.
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-30-16, 04:00 PM
  #8  
Thread Killer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,373

Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3078 Post(s)
Liked 1,631 Times in 1,005 Posts
At 80psi, those 26-622 Gravelkings measure out at 25.77mm on the Ksyrium Equipes, which I believe are 13 or 14mm internal, so I'd expect them to be a bit past 26mm on 18mm bsw rims.
chaadster is offline  
Old 05-30-16, 05:51 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
Okay, so those'd fit no problem. Thanks for the measurements.

Chaad, how much dirt riding do you supposed you did on the Lemond? There are enough dirt roads around here that don't justify breaking out my MTB that I'd be interested in doing this regularly if I knew my wheels would hold up.

Thanks!
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-30-16, 08:48 PM
  #10  
Thread Killer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,373

Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3078 Post(s)
Liked 1,631 Times in 1,005 Posts
Originally Posted by Shinkers
Okay, so those'd fit no problem. Thanks for the measurements.

Chaad, how much dirt riding do you supposed you did on the Lemond? There are enough dirt roads around here that don't justify breaking out my MTB that I'd be interested in doing this regularly if I knew my wheels would hold up.

Thanks!
I started doing a group dirt road ride just over a year ago, which really enhanced my focus on it. We go out Tuesday mornings May through November, and we do a dirt route occasionally through the winter, as weather permits. Previous to that, I'd ride a couple of miles of dirt road here and there during road rides, but didn't seek dirt out.

So to answer your question, the Lemond saw dirt roads once a week for 35 miles or so, 7 months out of the year. In other words, not much, really.

The wheelset on that bike is primarily a Velocity Aerohead Race set, from probably about 10 years back; I do 't recall. It's a 32h, offset drilled rear, double butted spoke wheelset with Velocity hubs. It has been a flawless wheelset, and I don't believe it has ever needed adjustment, despite my thundering 220-230lbs mass.

I guess I don't know that dirt road riding is any tougher on wheels than pavement, if only for the fact less traction on a less stable surface mitigates the amount of stress on the wheels. That, and dirt road irregularities like washboard and potholes tend to be more rounded and softer at the transitions than broken pavement.

Nowadays I run 30c tubeless tires on wide-ish rims on a Kinesis Racelight 4S frameset for gravel road work, while the Lemond hangs unused in the basement.
chaadster is offline  
Old 05-30-16, 09:19 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
Thanks for the explanation. Very helpful. I think that 35 miles once a week would exceed anything I have in mind so I'm gonna just go for it.
Shinkers is offline  
Old 05-31-16, 06:06 AM
  #12  
Ride On!
 
deapee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 971

Bikes: Allez DSW SL Sprint | Fuji Cross

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 227 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
I have a path like that nearby, and I never thought about it when I had a gravel bike and 32c tires. Now that I have 25c road tires, it just freaks me out. I stopped down a few times to look at conditions (it's good for walking and sight seeing too), and paid attention to people's tires. 99% of bikes that I see, even if they have drop bars have at least 32's. I see a lot of partially buried rocks where there's like an inch of pointed, exposed rock.
deapee is offline  
Old 05-31-16, 10:52 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
msu2001la's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,870
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1455 Post(s)
Liked 1,477 Times in 867 Posts
I frequently ride a short section of crushed gravel trail on 25c tires with no issues, but I definitely slow down and ride as gingerly as possible. The gravel is angular and not very fun to ride on with 25c tires. I can't imagine doing it for more than a few miles. Same bike with 33c knobbies floats over this stuff like it isn't even there.

As someone else said, a lot of this depends on the type of road. Hard-packed dirt or gravel is no problem for 25's. Doing 40 miles of loose gravel, rocks, holes, etc on 25's sounds brutal.
msu2001la is offline  
Old 05-31-16, 11:55 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
If you're planning on a bunch of similar rides, then you can get your gravel tires.

if it is only a single ride, then either ride your existing tires, or get new tires that you might use elsewhere. For example, the Marathons, while perhaps not the classic gravel tire, they would make generally tough commuter/touring tires.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 06-02-16, 08:12 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Utah
Posts: 770

Bikes: '88 Trek 1200, '91 Trek 1400

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
I picked up a set of Gravelkings today. Whether or not I actually do much gravel riding, they seem like a great tire. They feel as beefy as my Gators and are still relatively smooth.

One nice difference though was how supple the GK's feel compared to the Conti's.

Thanks for all of the replies.
Shinkers is offline  
Old 06-03-16, 08:52 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Coast, California
Posts: 613

Bikes: Niner RLT 9 4 Star, Kona Splice, Nashbar Carbon road bike

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 49 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I've done a good amount of off road and gravel riding on my road bike with 25c Gatorskins and even at 90 psi every little bump and rock translates into the frame. A road bike is more capable off road than people think, just not too comfortable for longer distances.
KonaRider125 is offline  
Old 06-04-16, 03:38 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Duluth, MN
Posts: 149

Bikes: Raleigh Tamland 1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Not all gravel is created equal. Just within Minnesota, the type of gravel used on the road varies greatly and because of the type of rock and grade of gravel can have dramatically different impact on tires. The "gravel" path shown in the photo posted earlier is smoother than any gravel I've ridden on recently. I'm riding 40 mm Clement MSO's which seem to be able to handle anything I've encountered on an actual road.
Viking55803 is offline  
Old 06-04-16, 04:01 PM
  #18  
dim
Senior Member
 
dim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Cambridge UK
Posts: 1,703

Bikes: Trek Emonda SL6 .... Miyata One Thousand

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 29 Times in 22 Posts
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/700c/compass-700cx26-cayuse-pass/

and better than gators is Schwalbe Durano plus (much better) but not sure if gators or durano plus handle well on gravel
dim is offline  
Old 06-06-16, 08:33 AM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
grolby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BOSTON BABY
Posts: 9,787
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 287 Post(s)
Liked 85 Times in 59 Posts
If it really is pea size gravel at most, I wouldn't even bother with changing tires. When tires are that skinny, a little bit of tread won't make a lot of difference. If I was going to do a lot of gravel regularly on skinny tires, I might get something with a bit of a file tread on it, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

As mentioned already, "gravel" is such a broad term that it really is down to what these particular roads are like. I've ridden a ton of gravel roads in New England that are perfectly good on slick road tires, some in the South that were bumpy but fine, and still others that were all but unrideable. Meaning not necessarily literally impassable, but requiring enough work that it was just no fun. Like I said, if it's the smooth stuff, I wouldn't even bother swapping out tires.
grolby is offline  
Old 06-09-16, 08:58 PM
  #20  
is just a real cool dude
 
Henry III's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Thumb, MI
Posts: 3,173
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times in 11 Posts
If you want fatter and you have the width between your stays or fork blades you could do a 650B conversion. Then just pick up some long reach calipers.
Henry III is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Nicholas L
General Cycling Discussion
19
03-27-20 10:04 AM
SkunkWerX
Folding Bikes
31
05-16-16 01:48 PM
SpikedLemon
Road Cycling
8
07-06-15 01:39 PM
Simko
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
7
09-27-10 06:28 AM
Seijun
Hybrid Bicycles
8
07-07-10 11:43 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.