Test Team Recommended Tires
- Best Mixed: American Classic Kimberlite
- Best Mixed: Specialized S-Works Pathfinder 2Bliss
- Best Mixed: Vittoria Terreno Dry
- Best Knobbies: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tubeless
- Best Knobbies: WTB Raddler TCS
- Best Knobbies: Maxxis Rambler Tubeless
- Best Slicks: Panaracer GravelKing Slick
- Best Slick: Vittoria Terreno Zero Tubeless
- Best Slick: Rene Herse Barlow Pass
How to Pick Gravel Tires
Nerd out on these tech details and use them to guide you toward the ideal tire for your riding. If you simply want to know what gravel tire to buy, we’ll tell you that, too. Most of these tires come in several widths. We suggest about 40mm for most gravel riding. This width offers a good blend of comfort, traction, and weight—and it fits into most gravel bikes, with good mud and debris clearance. You can size up for more comfort, float, or traction. Or size down for less weight and to get a more connected feel to the road.
If your chosen tire comes in different casings, we recommend standard. Choose the extra-tough casing if you ride in places with a lot of sharp rocks, or if you just want extra protection. Just know you’ll roll slower. Avoid ultralight casings—they’re best left for groomed and clean surfaces—unless you’re willing to gamble with flats for a smoother, faster ride.
Knobby tires are best when riding on soft surfaces (dry or wet) and rocky terrain. Knobbies ensure the most traction on the softest surfaces you’ll encounter, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice speed elsewhere.
Mixed tires are our top recommendation for most rides, most places, and most conditions. You’ll likely find these tires on our gravel bikes. They may not be perfect everywhere and on every ride, but they’re more than likely to work serviceably well across a wide swath of surfaces and terrain.
Slick tires are the best choice if your primary conditions are hard-packed dirt or routes with lots of tarmac. You might also choose slicks if you’re willing to give up some traction on softer sectors for more speed on the hard-packed bits of a ride.
Test Tip One counterintuitive bit of advice: Slicks are often the best choice for dealing with sticky “peanut butter” mud. In these conditions, knobs only provide more surface area for mud to cling to, effectively turning your knobbies into slicks wrapped with a ton of super-heavy mud. Slicks in muddy conditions often pick up less mud. And slicks can be more easily scraped clean with a stick or wooden paint stirrer.—M.P.
Tire Pressure
Some quick words on tire pressure, which is at least as important as tire choice. This is an area where many riders make mistakes, according to several of the experts we contacted, who say you’re probably running too much pressure.
Sean Cochran, marketing manager for Schwalbe, explains that finding an appropriate pressure is the most common issue he sees gravel cyclists struggling with. “Riders tend to err on the side of running a high pressure to protect against flats, but the high pressure, in turn, leads to poor ride quality, difficulty staying on the proper riding line, and ultimately increased punctures.” You can ride “amazingly low pressure” in a tubeless gravel tire, says Panaracer’s Global Go-To Guy, Jeff Zell. On the other end of the pressure scale, check your tires and rims for the maximum pressure, and do not exceed that number. And if you’re riding on hookless rims, note that the maximum pressure for this kind of rim/tire interface is 72 psi.
The right pressure varies with tire width, surface, and system, as well as rider, bike, and gear weight. Many experts pointed to the pressure calculator on Silca’s website as an excellent reference—one that Bicycling’s editors endorse as well.
Casing
The tire casing (sometimes called carcass) is everything below a tire’s tread rubber.
Like tread rubber, a thinner casing is more supple and rolls faster than a thicker one. But thicker casings, despite being slower rolling and stiffer riding, are more durable. And if you’re running tubeless, thicker-casing tires (usually) retain air better. Most gravel tire casings feature additional layers of material under the tread, in the sidewalls, from bead to bead, or some combination of the three. These layers make the tire more puncture-resistant and less likely to cut or tear. But as a rule, when more of these layers get added, the tire gets slower rolling, stiffer riding, and heavier.
Many brands offer gravel tires with multiple casing options. Commonly you’ll find a “standard” or “light” casing, and a more durable casing identified with words like “plus” (not plus-sized), “tough,” or “endurance.” A few brands offer tires in a third casing, often marked “extra light” or similar.
Often, tire makers reference TPI (threads per inch) in tire specifications. Some brands call it EPI (ends per inch), which is the same. This measurement refers to the cords—individual fibers—that make up the casing fabric. Greater TPI usually means the fabric uses smaller-diameter cords packed more tightly. A lower TPI indicates larger-diameter cords packed more loosely.
TPI usually refers to a single layer (ply) of the casing material. However, because casings are typically made by folding plies over themselves (more plies are more durable but heavier and slower), some brands’ TPI numbers are the result of multiplying the thread count of a single layer of the fabric by the number of layers. For example, a brand may market a 180 TPI casing that is three layers of 60 TPI fabric. In our opinion, this is bogus marketing.
A higher TPI typically equates to a more supple tire—smoother riding, faster rolling, more grip—than one with a lower TPI. But smaller-diameter cords are also more fragile and break easier than larger cords.
Higher TPI casings can also be troublesome in a tubeless application. Finer and more tightly packed cords mean less rubber can flow between them during the tire’s molding process in manufacturing. The result is a more permeable casing that requires more sealant to make it airtight.
The bead is the bottom edge of the tire’s casing, where it interfaces with the rim. Because of recent changes to rim technology, the tire bead is where things can get spicy.
Tubeless
Tubeless, tubeless-compatible, tubeless-ready, and non-tubeless are terms you should familiarize yourself with before purchasing tires. Tubeless bicycle tires, in general, offer better protection against flats. Tubeless reduces the chance of flatting when riding lower pressures. Lower tire pressures offer better comfort and more grip (and may reduce rolling resistance).
The tire is just one part of a tubeless system, however. The rim must be tubeless-compatible, equipped properly with sealing tape (or a strip), and fitted with the necessary air valve to use a tubeless tire. You need the whole system to ensure that the tubeless tire works as intended when mounted. Most tubeless gravel tires today are marked tubeless-ready or tubeless-compatible. It means the tires require liquid sealant (typically latex-based) to hold air. This sealant offers the additional benefit of sealing small-size punctures or cuts in the tire as you ride. You can use a plug to fill bigger holes. that sealant doesn’t seal.
Test Tip As Bicycling senior photographer Trevor Raab learned while racing the legendarily tough Unbound Gravel in 2022, no matter what tires you pick, there is always the risk of getting a puncture. “Keeping a plug in your tool kit saves you time and headaches when a flat happens, especially in a race. Often the plug fixes the puncture. But if all else fails, you can still install a tube.”
If you prefer, you can skip the whole tubeless-and-sealant thing and simply ride tubes with tubeless-compatible tires and rims—a tube is how you get home if the sealant or plugs don’t fix the hole in your tubeless tire. Tubes are less messy; tubeless sealant can get everywhere during a flat repair or in your workshop when installing. Also, note that sealant dries out over time and needs periodic refreshing. Get in the habit of checking it monthly (or if you haven’t used the bike in a while) to be safe. Often you can just shake the tire and hear the sealant inside. Or check it by using a zip tie in the valve (with the core removed) as a dipstick. If you don’t hear or see any, top it off.
Tubes don’t lose as much air overnight as a tubeless-and-sealant setup. But tubes have more rolling resistance and are more prone to flats than tubeless.
If your rims are hookless—the vertical walls where the tire interfaces with the rim are smooth and straight with no hook or groove—you need to wrap them with hookless-compatible tires. Essentially, hookless-compatible is a variation of a tubeless-compatible bead. Even if you run tubes in your hookless rims, you must run hookless-compatible tires.
Most tire makers call out hookless compatibility on their packaging or product information. And many wheel makers keep a database of “approved” hookless-compatible tires that they recommend for use with their rims.
Sidewalls
Due to the current popularity of tan and natural-color sidewall tires with gravel riders, this topic needs further explanation.
The typical casing fabric in its natural form is cocoa brown. A tan or black (or another color) sidewall has something added to create that color. Of the colors, a black sidewall is usually the most durable and longest-lasting. That’s because the black comes from adding a thin layer of essentially tread rubber to the sidewall. It also increases the sidewall’s resistance to breakdown from UV light. If you want the most durable and longest-lasting tire, especially if your region is sunny, get black sidewalls.
A natural brown sidewall, in theory, is the lightest and most supple because it has less additional material. But while fashionable, it’s also the least durable.
Tread
Let’s simplify tire tread choices down to three categories, although I acknowledge that there’s a lot of overlap and blending between them. The three general types of treads are smooth (slick), mixed (semi-slick), and knobby.
More rubber increases weight, and thicker tread rubber rolls more slowly than thin tread rubber does. Almost always, whether slick or knobbed, more is heavier and thicker is slower. Friction is what all tires seek to both maximize and minimize. More friction means more grip, which you want for propulsion, braking, and cornering. But more friction also means more rolling resistance, which eats power and slows you down. The game is picking a tire that rolls as fast as possible, whenever possible, with enough grip at the ready to control the bike.
While slicks may seem out of place on a gravel bike, they work surprisingly well on many firm unpaved surfaces. Consider using slicks if you often ride long tarmac sections between gravel segments.
Slicks are light, smooth, and comfortable. And they are the fastest-rolling tires for your gravel bike. They also have the thinnest tread rubber, which makes them more vulnerable to punctures. But as conditions get softer and slippery, slicks struggle.
A mixed/semi-slick tread typically has a smooth or minimalist tread pattern in the center of the tire, with knobs on the shoulders. The idea is to make a tire that rolls well on various surfaces but offers a little more bite on softer surfaces, especially when cornering.
Because mixed tires usually have thicker rubber in the middle, they often have better flat protection than a slick. The drawback to these tires is that they’re neither as fast as a slick nor offer as much traction as a knobby. But because gravel riding often involves putting your tires on multiple surface conditions throughout a single ride, a mixed tire is often the best overall choice for most riders.
A knobby gravel tire looks like a baby mountain bike tire with prominent blocks across its entire tread surface. Larger-size knobs mean more bite on softer and slicker surfaces. These are the most confidence-inspiring tires because they offer the most bite when traction is at a premium. They’re also the most flat-resistant in rocky terrain. The drawbacks: They’re heavier and slower rolling.
The dirty secret about tread patterns is that many of them, literally, are made for looks. But even a tread designed simply to look good can work reasonably well. Raised tread blocks of almost any sensible size and shape are pretty effective when put to dirt. And that is one reason why there’s such a staggering variety of knobby tread shapes.
A knob should work by punching into softer surfaces. Knobs provide more biting surface and improve traction for propulsion, braking, and cornering. The space between the knobs also can work like cleanouts, allowing loose soil or water to escape the contact patch.
Taller knobs punch deeper into soft dirt. And bigger and thicker knobs also offer more protection against flats. On hard surfaces, however, the taller the knob, the more it flexes, which leads to a squirmy feel and increases rolling resistance.
Test Tip Test editor Dan Chabanov explains that it’s important to consider your priorities when choosing the right tread for a gravel event. “If you’re racing, consider optimizing your tread for the course’s primary terrain type. At Unbound, where much of the course is fast enough for drafting, I chose a tire with fully slick tread down the center for lower rolling resistance.”
Compound
Of all the topics here, compound is the one you have the least say about. That’s because no gravel tire that we know of comes with a choice between, for example, a sticky high-grip compound and a fast-rolling compound. Whatever gravel tire you buy, the compound is the compound.
Many companies treat their compounds like a state secret, offering few specific details about their component materials or properties. But, universally, tread rubber is a blend of several materials. “The two primary materials used in making a tread compound are natural rubbers, typically a form of latex, and synthetic rubbers, which tend to be a mixture of butadiene rubber and styrene butadiene rubber,” explains Chris Clinton, American Classic’s president.
Some brands use additives (like silica, graphene, and carbon black) to create the qualities they’re looking for. “The mixture of rubber makes the biggest difference in the overall performance, with fillers aiding in strength, abrasion, tear resistance, wear, and rolling resistance. Additives aid with environmental durability and aging, improve how fillers mix with the rubbers, and improve the vulcanization process,” Clinton says.
The goal of the compound is a balance of wear, grip (wet and dry), hysteresis (the difference in speed between deformation and the return to original shape), and durability. Together, these create a compound that, in concert with the casing and tread pattern, results in the tire performance qualities the designer seeks. That’s why compounds may differ in slick tires and knobbies from the same manufacturer.
If a brand calls out its compound, it is usually with a number: 60A, for example. This number is the rubber’s durometer (hardness). The lower the number, the softer the compound. Generally, softer compounds offer more grip but wear sooner; harder compounds roll faster and last longer.
Some tires use multiple compounds, such as a harder compound in the middle of the tire for faster rolling and longer wear, and a softer compound on the edges for more grip. Compounds may also be layered, with a softer compound on top of a harder one.
Width
A wider tire provides more cushion to absorb bumps and puts more rubber on the ground for more traction. Wider tires, at the correct pressure, also roll faster than narrower tires on rougher road surfaces. But a wider tire also weighs more and increases aerodynamic drag.
Then there’s the mushy subject of “feel.” Wider tires have a floatier feel and provide less feedback, and they can make a bike feel softer and less reactive when sprinting and cornering. Many riders prefer a narrower tire because it offers more feeling of the road underneath them and imbues a bike with a more positive and direct feel. A bicycle’s frame and fork also dictate tire width. Check the manufacturer's specifications for maximum tire clearance. (This dimension assumes a frame not fitted with mudguards.) This number is the widest tire (measured when inflated on a rim) that fits while leaving a few extra millimeters of room for mud and debris clearance.
In dry conditions, you can often use a slightly larger tire than the maximum stated width. And if it looks like sticky mud is in the cards, you can improve clearance by fitting a narrower tire.
If you’ve purchased a gravel bike in the past few years, there’s a good chance it’ll fit a 700c x 40mm tire, give or take a few millimeters. However, as gravel frames evolve, tire clearances are growing. Bikes that fit a 700c x 50mm tire are not uncommon.
Diameter
Most gravel bikes sold today come equipped with 700c wheels (the French size), also known as 622mm in metric and 29-inch in imperial. Adding to the confusion, some brands refer to this size as 28-inch. Another size you’ll likely see is 650b, aka 584mm or 27.5-inch.
Most (but not all) makers of frames, tires, and wheels will tell you that a larger-diameter wheel rolls more efficiently than a smaller-diameter wheel. But smaller wheels are lighter and easier to build a smaller-size frame around. So many brands’ frames in small or extra-small sizes use 650b wheels. Many gravel frames can fit wider, higher-volume tires on a 650b wheel than on a 700c wheel. That’s why most 650b gravel tires come in widths at the higher end of the spectrum—typically 45mm and up. And because a higher-volume tire on a smaller-diameter rim can have a similar circumference as a smaller-volume tire on a larger-diameter rim, many bikes see little difference in handling by swapping in a fat 650b setup.
Historically, if you wanted to fit the widest tire in your gravel frame, you needed 650b wheels. However, brands are evolving their gravel bikes to fit wider 700c tires. Otso’s Waheela C, for example, fits up to a 53mm tire in either 650b or 700c. Lauf’s Seigla fits up to 700x57mm tires. These new wider-tire-equipped bikes expand the versatility and capability of gravel bikes into more challenging terrain.
If there’s one unassailable truth about gravel tires, it is that no tire is ever perfect for the entirety of a ride. Gravel roads and trail conditions can vary, so choosing which tire to use is often a compromise. For general gravel riding, pick the tire that’s best suited for most of the rides you undertake. If you’re racing, select a tire that offers the greatest benefits on the terrain that covers the largest share of that particular course.
Tire Reviews and Notes
The Bicycling test team rode and raced dozens of gravel tires across a variety of terrain to determine our nine favorites. We evaluated tires in three tread categories: knobby, mixed, and slick. These are tires we’ve ridden and recommend. We’re showing three options in each category, so you have choices based on your brand preferences and the shop you frequent.
Recommended Mixed
American Classic Kimberlite
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x35–50c, 650x47b |
|---|
American Classic’s tires are more than great deals; they’re solid tires too. The Kimberlite is mixed tread with a smooth, quiet ride on harder surfaces and decent cornering grip in lower-traction situations. Add a nicely damped ride, and this is a good all-arounder for harder conditions. —M.P.
Specialized Pathfinder
AVAILABLE SIZES 700x32–47c, 650x47b
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x32–47c, 650x47b |
|---|
A favorite tire among gravel racers, the Pathfinder has a slick tread down the middle for straight-line speed and a light progressive knob pattern on its shoulders for grip in the corners. —Dan Chabanov
Vittoria Terreno Dry
Vittoria Terreno Dry Tubeless
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x31–54c, 650x47b |
|---|
Originally a cyclocross tire, the Dry features a fish-scale pattern in the middle that provides a surprising amount of grip on steep gravel climbs. And the cornering knobs inspire even more cornering confidence. —Trevor Raab
Recommended Knobbies
Pirelli Citurano Gravel M
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tubeless
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x35–50c, 650x45–50b |
|---|
This true do-it-all knobby is surprisingly efficient on firmer surfaces but has excellent grip on softer terrain. It’s a good choice if the conditions are variable or unknown. —M.P.
WTB Raddler
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x40–44c |
|---|
The Raddler is one of my favorites when the gravel is extra chunky and sandy. Its tread pattern allows me to stay rolling through the slickest of mud patches and the driest of sandpits. —Gabe Ortiz
Maxxis Rambler
Maxxis Rambler Tubeless
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x38–50c, 650x40–47b |
|---|
The knobbiest gravel tire in Maxxis’s line, the Rambler offers predictable grip on unpredictable road surfaces. It rolls well for a knobby, and it also has the durability we’ve come to expect from Maxxis. —M.P.
Recommended Slicks
Panaracer GravelKing Slick
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x26–43c, 650x38–48b |
|---|
The Gravelking is a go-to, everyday-use, lightweight gravel tire that won’t break the bank. It’s at home on the road and packed gravel and fits a wide range of bikes. —T.R.
Vittoria Terreno Zero
Vittoria Terreno Zero Tubeless
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x32–50c, 650x47b |
|---|
While many other slick gravel tires have a fully slick tread, the Zero’s edges have a fish-scale pattern for extra confidence when cornering.—Tara Seplavy
Rene Hearse Barlow Pass*
| AVAILABLE SIZES | 700x38c |
|---|
Arguably one of the most forward-looking and influential names in all road and gravel tires, Rene Herse's slicks are a popular choice for many riders. The mid-sized Barlow Pass is supple, and fast, with low rolling resistance which allows it to handle everything from fast group rides on pavement to hard-packed dirt and mild gravel roads. —G.O.
[*Note: Rene Herse gives every width a unique name. They offer their 700c tubeless-compatible slick in 35 (Jon Bon Pass), 38 (Barlow Pass), 44 (Snoqualmie Pass), 48 (Hatcher Pass), and 55 (Antelope Hill). In 650b, Rene Herse offers a tubeless compatible 42 (Babyshoe Pass), and a 48 (Switchback Hill).]
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A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
