WhiteWizard

I recently got a 2017 Trek FX 3 about a month ago and I've been having a blast on it! Last weekend, I went on a dirt path near my home and it handled most of it great, but there were times that I was losing traction a little bit and I wished I had just a little more traction on the tires. I'm trying to find something that has a little more traction than the stock tires (Bontrager AW1 Hard-Case Lite, 700x32c), but I don't want to sacrifice very much speed (tough to do, I know). Does something like this exist? I found the Michelin Protek Cross tire, which looks to be about what I'm looking for, but I'm wondering if there are better options. Also, would I want 700x32 or 700x35? Thanks.

ste823

I upgraded mine to continental cyclocross 35c tires from the stock fx3 tires. I turned my fx to a gravel bike since I just got a road bike. Honestly I don’t feel I lose much speed with the cx tires. They are more comfier than the fx3 tires.

coominya

The Trek FX 3 is a road bike, a city bike and not designed for dirt. Sure you could change the tires out if you were going to ride mostly dirt but I get the impression it will just be an occasional thing so the grippier tires will become a drag for you riding on the street. A better solution would be to simply drop the pressure to 35 of 40 PSI when you are on the dirt and then reflate them when you want to ride back on the road. If you go from 80 to 40 PSI you will double your contact patch which will give you far more traction than some tires with nibbles on them.

MRT2

You could just switch out the front tire for more control. As for a tire, I would suggest the Panaracer Gravel King.

hokiefyd 

If you get the Michelins, I'd probably stick with the 32mm version -- I think this line runs a little large, and the 35mm version is more like 40mm once mounted and inflated. I don't think the FX has a ton of tire clearance, so be careful here.

I have the Continental Speed Ride tire, which is a larger version of the 35mm Cyclocross Speed. Continentals seem to run a bit small, so the 35mm Speed is probably closer to a true 32 or 33mm tire. It's probably the one I'd look at in your situation.

Craptacular8

Technically, off road riding on a hybrid, or even a gravel bike generally doesn't require tires with much tread for gripping, unless you're talking mud. It does however require that the tires be at the correct pressure for the surface that you're riding. While the stock tires on the fx are some of my least favorites to ride personally, mostly because they weigh a metric ton a piece at 635 grams per each tire, and have a very stiff sidewall, they do in fact perform over gravel/dirt if the pressure is dropped enough. So, my first suggestion is to drop your tire pressure. I typically run my tires around 45 pounds when on gravel, with me weighing 150 pounds. If you weigh less, you can probably drop it safely down to 35. This will give the tire a wider contact patch, and smooth the ride considerably. If the surface is deep and loose, you're going to have some squirm, almost regardless of how much tread you have on a tire. Embrace the squirm, relax your grip, and enjoy.

I'm currently running Compass 700x35 extra light casings, which gives me 2 tires for less than the weight of just one of trek's stock tires at 300 grams a piece. Hundreds of miles of gravel riding...great ride, no flats, and very fast on either gravel or pavement.

rumrunn6

would be a reasonable experiment

pjthomas

The Bontrager AW1 is a semi slick commuter road tire; it's not meant for off road. While 35-45 psi might work for a 35mm tire thats way to low for a 32mm.

sjfoote081

I have used the Michelin Protek Cross tire in the 35 size and it has worked well on grass and gravel as well as pavement and concrete. I typically run 35psi front and 40psi rear. As another poster mentioned, these tires run larger than specified on wide rims. On my Cannondale Quick with 16mm internal rim width the 35 tire measured out just about right but on 21mm internal rims on 2017 Sirrus, they grew to 38 width. They also corner great on pavement and are pretty tough but you pay for that toughness in weight - these are heavy tires. That said, I found them on sale for $14 each so I feel I got my moneys worth.

Craptacular8

I've personally used that particular tire, and other slick/commuter tires on gravel at around 45 psi with no issues. The compass tires I run now on virtually everything are slicks. These OEM tires that trek/cannondale, et al sell hybrids with are puncture resistant, while I find the ride to be wooden, and not my cup of tea, there is nothing about them that inherently doesn't work for gravel. YMMV

downeaster59

The OEM tires on my Cannondale Quick CX 4 are the Panaracer Comet Hardpacks. They are more than acceptable on pavement, generating only a slight hum. They shine on hardpack and gravel, though, and do a decent job on grass. They get good reviews, and are not expensive. Mine are 700/38, so they may or may not fit a Trek FX3. Still, they're worth considering.

I wouldn't have a problem getting them again when the time comes - though I'll see if there are tires out there that might be even better for my style of riding.

AU Tiger

I've been running Schwalbe CX Comp 700x35 on my Fuji Absolute for about a year now, and I'm completely happy with them. No noticeable drop in speed, and VERY noticeably increase in comfort and traction.