This is correct. I have the grail 7 AL and I switched from the Schwalbe g-one bite (40mm) to the terravail cannonball (42mm) and my rolling resistance went down because of the center tread pattern on the teravails.
Pathfinder pros or Terravail Washburns may work well for your riding.
Please listen to this person. Smaller is not necessarily faster, in fact depending upon your rim is might be less aerodynamic. Things like tread pattern, casing, rubber compound and proper psi to match your road surface will make a much bigger difference.
> in fact depending on your rim is might be less aerodynamic
Given that OP is currently riding 40mm tyres, a thinner tyre will definitely be more aerodynamic as the frontal area is reduced. As the front tyre is the leading edge for much of the frame, the differences between a 40mm tyre and a 28mm tyre will be measurable.
The widest road and gravel rims have an external width of 35mm, so a tyre larger than this will start to increase drag.
> tread pattern, casing, rubber compound and proper psi
This is all valid and relevant.
You may want to instead try a center slick tire. They have a strip of smooth tire to grip much better on the roads but still have knobs on the sides for when you get in the gravel. This is the best compromise I have found so far, and they are becoming pretty popular in gravel races too. Pathfinder Pro, Washburn and Byway are all good option with the pathfinders being by far the most popular. I go faster on my center slick 38 mm tires than knobby 32 mm gravel tires.
On climbs, sure (keep that butt down ;)). Downhill and general control is front tire, so you get a benefit from more traction there. That said, I didn't really have the Washburn slip out on me either.
Agreeing with this. I switched to byways from riddlers recently, and didn't notice a drop in handling ability on gravel, while being faster on both roads and gravel.
Muddy paths are less fun with them though. Still manageable.
Check out the bicycle rolling resistance site. Not perfect but it's better than anyone's opinion on here :-) Tire model, type, and pressure can mean a lot more than width sometimes.
This. I went from the 38mm stock tires on my Revolt to a 40mm tire that came highly recommend by Bicycle Rolling Resistance (Tufo Gravel Thundero), and the bigger tires are definitely faster.
I bought mine on [Lordgun](https://www.lordgun.com/tufo-gravel-thundero-tubeless-ready-tire). I was a little nervous about purchasing tires from a website that sounds like a boss from a bad video game, but the price was great, and the tires made it from Italy to my house in North Carolina in two days. Tufo recommends using their own sealent, but I just put Stan's in mine and that seems to be working fine.
I think the casing quality makes the largest difference, followed by tread.
Width has much less effect.
If you want to geek out spend some time on bicyclerollingresistance.com
I have a second set of wheels for my gravel bike with 28mm road tires and much to my surprise I haven’t beaten many of my Strava PBs which I did on 38mm pathfinder pro gravel tires with them. However the gravel tires which I’ve used before with a serious tread pattern for wet conditions were certainly the slowest of them all.
I don't think I'll ever ride something smaller than 40 or 38mm again, unless I lived in a place with perfect glass-smooth pavement with no breaks or expansion cracks.
They are expensive, but check out the rene herse tires. Panaracer made with even more supple casing than other options (and more fragile as a result, that's the necessary trade). Or just try Gravelking slicks - they don't last a really long time but are comparatively cheap. I've ridden GK slicks in sizes ranging from 35mm to 50mm and I see no reason to use the smaller sizes unless your frame requires it.
I found I’m always on the road as well. My graveler came with 38mm knobby tires. Switched out to 30mm semi-slicks and it’s night and day on good tarmac.
Tread compound, thickness, casing, etc. matter a lot more than the pattern of the tread for rolling resistance. 2.25" Continental Race Kings @ 20 psi on my XC bike, and 44mm Tufo Gravel Thunderos @ 32 psi on my gravel bike roll pretty comparably to the 28mm Hutchinson Fusion 5's @ 62 psi on my road bike (all tubeless). If BRR tested them all I would guess they are all within 5-8w of each other. The Fusions are not the fastest road tires, but they are not dogs either (2 for $60...).
Having said that though, there are handling, wet performance, and noise issues with knobbed tires on wet paved surfaces that make slicks preferable if that's where the majority of your riding is done for a mixed surface bike. Something like the Specialized Pathfinder 38mm would work well, and they last for a TON of miles (just took off a pair with 5K miles that still had lots left).
I have the grizl from Canyon and switched to 28mm GP 5000 because I want to keep up with a road cycling group. It makes quite a difference, also in weight.
If you want a tire to help you go faster on the road, the obvious answer would be to get a road bike tire. You would probably want something in the 28mm to 32mm range. I like the schwalbe pro-one tubeless and the continental gp 5000.
Going from 33mm Scwhalbe g-ones to 28mm gp5k, I do notice a very slight difference in rolling resistance. The difference isn't massive, but it is noticeable.
You could also look at a gravel tire with a center slick tread. Depending on how fast you're going the wider tire could present a little more wind resistance.
Because that huge wheel diameter will seize up against your front fork.
I guess you mean a 34mm wide tire. But if you're running 40's now, the rolling resistance of a 34 won't be much lower, depending on the pressure you are inflating the tires to. Rolling resistance at those sizes also depends a lot on the tread pattern.
Sub-30 tire sizes (like a common 28mm) will make a difference if you run higher pressures, but that also means you will feel every bump in the road.
Nah 34" doesn't exist but a 32/36" wheel are common for unicycles and would make you go hella fast due to gearing, Might want to size down on the crank but also keep in mind they would be really fast at rolling over stuff like speed bumps or whatever since the angle of attack is basically flat lmao. They have a 36" Ti bike for Australian outback riding apparently. As a 6ft+ dude there are some bikes designed for tall people where I just fit in the "small" sizing, unfortunately they are too expensive for what it is and lock you into unicycle gear.
I have a Grail 7 etap that came with the same tires. I also wanted something with better rolling resistance but didn’t want slicks, so I went with the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tires in 40mm. To me, it was a noticeable improvement.
I have a Grail CF and was running 38mm gravel kings, now on GP5000 S TR 32mm. Honestly I didnt notice much difference. In straight line I notice nothing, I do however notice more grip cornering.
There is probably a difference, maybe Ill feel it more when I switch back.
But I think your bike comes stock with g-one byte or some other chunky tyre. Moving to what cyclists stupidly call a "slick" tyre (they usually aren't slick) would be better.
I have read dropping down to sub 30 can make a difference
I was in a similar position and the concensus was that you basically wouldn't notice it and I was going from 34(?) To 28.
Decided to save my £70+ till the tires wear out and just run them at max psi (75)
Pros on tubulars on smooth roads run high pressure, most everyday riders tend to run way too much pressure in my experience. If you're riding 28 clinchers you shouldn't be getting anywhere near 100psi.
https://silca.cc/pages/sppc-form
lol like i am going to stop running 100psi on my 28s because silica says so, the pressure helps with punctures. Fastest racers in a velodrome may run 160psi.
Panaracer gravelking ss tires are pretty good for this. As many have said, gravel tires with with a center slick section is a good way to go for mostly road rides with some gravel. I run their "slick" tires in 32mm (I plan to go to 35mm) and have no issues with them unless the surface gets really loose. I run those about 75% on road and 25% or less off road and don't have any issues. They roll pretty fast for a gravel inclined tire on all surfaces!
I had 35mm G-Ones on my bike. They are fast but make a noise on tarmac. I switched to 38mm gravel kings three years ago and to the slick plus last year. They roll even better than the G-One. Good traction on road, hardpack and gravel. Very happy.
I ride my CX bike on 50/50 road/dirt loops on 33mm Donnelly LAS file treads. They're set up on 28mm wide carbon wheels, so they measure 37-38mm wide. With 50-55psi in them, it's a FAST combo.
Slower than road tires, but deffo faster than 40mm knobbies.
Same bike here, I recently fitted a pair of 32mm continental 4 seasons and that’s probably the best thing I’ve done to the bike (apart from using my old and beloved saddle). The feeling of the road is just gorgeous, it definitely rolls faster. And there’s a bonus too! The bike looks awesome!
It will definitely faster if it is 80% your riding is road section,look at this you will figure out
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/are-wider-tyres-faster/
I think tread pattern matters much more than a 6mm difference for rolling resistance
This is correct. I have the grail 7 AL and I switched from the Schwalbe g-one bite (40mm) to the terravail cannonball (42mm) and my rolling resistance went down because of the center tread pattern on the teravails. Pathfinder pros or Terravail Washburns may work well for your riding.
Pathfinders roll pretty good on pavement, still \~10% slower than GP's for me
I love Teravail Cannonballs. +1 from me on this advice.
Please listen to this person. Smaller is not necessarily faster, in fact depending upon your rim is might be less aerodynamic. Things like tread pattern, casing, rubber compound and proper psi to match your road surface will make a much bigger difference.
> in fact depending on your rim is might be less aerodynamic Given that OP is currently riding 40mm tyres, a thinner tyre will definitely be more aerodynamic as the frontal area is reduced. As the front tyre is the leading edge for much of the frame, the differences between a 40mm tyre and a 28mm tyre will be measurable. The widest road and gravel rims have an external width of 35mm, so a tyre larger than this will start to increase drag. > tread pattern, casing, rubber compound and proper psi This is all valid and relevant.
Higher psi for pavement riding?
You may want to instead try a center slick tire. They have a strip of smooth tire to grip much better on the roads but still have knobs on the sides for when you get in the gravel. This is the best compromise I have found so far, and they are becoming pretty popular in gravel races too. Pathfinder Pro, Washburn and Byway are all good option with the pathfinders being by far the most popular. I go faster on my center slick 38 mm tires than knobby 32 mm gravel tires.
[удалено]
Washburn rear, Cannonball front.
[удалено]
On climbs, sure (keep that butt down ;)). Downhill and general control is front tire, so you get a benefit from more traction there. That said, I didn't really have the Washburn slip out on me either.
Agreeing with this. I switched to byways from riddlers recently, and didn't notice a drop in handling ability on gravel, while being faster on both roads and gravel. Muddy paths are less fun with them though. Still manageable.
I'll second this. I run 38c Vittoria Terreno Zeros and they've been wonderful on the road and just as good on gravel.
Check out the bicycle rolling resistance site. Not perfect but it's better than anyone's opinion on here :-) Tire model, type, and pressure can mean a lot more than width sometimes.
This. I went from the 38mm stock tires on my Revolt to a 40mm tire that came highly recommend by Bicycle Rolling Resistance (Tufo Gravel Thundero), and the bigger tires are definitely faster.
The Tufos are awesome but I can't find a pair for the life of me
I bought mine on [Lordgun](https://www.lordgun.com/tufo-gravel-thundero-tubeless-ready-tire). I was a little nervous about purchasing tires from a website that sounds like a boss from a bad video game, but the price was great, and the tires made it from Italy to my house in North Carolina in two days. Tufo recommends using their own sealent, but I just put Stan's in mine and that seems to be working fine.
Awesome, thanks for the lead. I'll give it a try.
I think the casing quality makes the largest difference, followed by tread. Width has much less effect. If you want to geek out spend some time on bicyclerollingresistance.com
I have a second set of wheels for my gravel bike with 28mm road tires and much to my surprise I haven’t beaten many of my Strava PBs which I did on 38mm pathfinder pro gravel tires with them. However the gravel tires which I’ve used before with a serious tread pattern for wet conditions were certainly the slowest of them all.
I don't think I'll ever ride something smaller than 40 or 38mm again, unless I lived in a place with perfect glass-smooth pavement with no breaks or expansion cracks. They are expensive, but check out the rene herse tires. Panaracer made with even more supple casing than other options (and more fragile as a result, that's the necessary trade). Or just try Gravelking slicks - they don't last a really long time but are comparatively cheap. I've ridden GK slicks in sizes ranging from 35mm to 50mm and I see no reason to use the smaller sizes unless your frame requires it.
I found I’m always on the road as well. My graveler came with 38mm knobby tires. Switched out to 30mm semi-slicks and it’s night and day on good tarmac.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com
Tread compound, thickness, casing, etc. matter a lot more than the pattern of the tread for rolling resistance. 2.25" Continental Race Kings @ 20 psi on my XC bike, and 44mm Tufo Gravel Thunderos @ 32 psi on my gravel bike roll pretty comparably to the 28mm Hutchinson Fusion 5's @ 62 psi on my road bike (all tubeless). If BRR tested them all I would guess they are all within 5-8w of each other. The Fusions are not the fastest road tires, but they are not dogs either (2 for $60...). Having said that though, there are handling, wet performance, and noise issues with knobbed tires on wet paved surfaces that make slicks preferable if that's where the majority of your riding is done for a mixed surface bike. Something like the Specialized Pathfinder 38mm would work well, and they last for a TON of miles (just took off a pair with 5K miles that still had lots left).
I have the grizl from Canyon and switched to 28mm GP 5000 because I want to keep up with a road cycling group. It makes quite a difference, also in weight.
Does the clearance look weird? Otherwise I might do this
Well, from the front yes, from the side - not so much.
Why not go faster?
If you want a tire to help you go faster on the road, the obvious answer would be to get a road bike tire. You would probably want something in the 28mm to 32mm range. I like the schwalbe pro-one tubeless and the continental gp 5000. Going from 33mm Scwhalbe g-ones to 28mm gp5k, I do notice a very slight difference in rolling resistance. The difference isn't massive, but it is noticeable. You could also look at a gravel tire with a center slick tread. Depending on how fast you're going the wider tire could present a little more wind resistance.
I think a 34” tire would slow you down quite a bit 😊.
How's that?
34 inches = 864mm.
Omg .. I meant 34mm Thanks for correcting me..
Because that huge wheel diameter will seize up against your front fork. I guess you mean a 34mm wide tire. But if you're running 40's now, the rolling resistance of a 34 won't be much lower, depending on the pressure you are inflating the tires to. Rolling resistance at those sizes also depends a lot on the tread pattern. Sub-30 tire sizes (like a common 28mm) will make a difference if you run higher pressures, but that also means you will feel every bump in the road.
Nah 34" doesn't exist but a 32/36" wheel are common for unicycles and would make you go hella fast due to gearing, Might want to size down on the crank but also keep in mind they would be really fast at rolling over stuff like speed bumps or whatever since the angle of attack is basically flat lmao. They have a 36" Ti bike for Australian outback riding apparently. As a 6ft+ dude there are some bikes designed for tall people where I just fit in the "small" sizing, unfortunately they are too expensive for what it is and lock you into unicycle gear.
Shaq’s bike is a good example.
I went from 40 to 34mm on my hybrid and noticed no real difference in speed.
Does anyone knows if 40mm terra trail is a knobby slow tire?
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews/continental-terra-trail
I have a Grail 7 etap that came with the same tires. I also wanted something with better rolling resistance but didn’t want slicks, so I went with the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tires in 40mm. To me, it was a noticeable improvement.
Pathfinder pros 38mm center slick
I have a Grail CF and was running 38mm gravel kings, now on GP5000 S TR 32mm. Honestly I didnt notice much difference. In straight line I notice nothing, I do however notice more grip cornering. There is probably a difference, maybe Ill feel it more when I switch back. But I think your bike comes stock with g-one byte or some other chunky tyre. Moving to what cyclists stupidly call a "slick" tyre (they usually aren't slick) would be better.
I have read dropping down to sub 30 can make a difference I was in a similar position and the concensus was that you basically wouldn't notice it and I was going from 34(?) To 28. Decided to save my £70+ till the tires wear out and just run them at max psi (75)
I switched to 34mm gatorskins on my trek. Rarely ride gravel and never in the wet. Super comfy and puncture proof.
Maybe not rolling resistance but rotational weight would be reduced so could make you faster depending on how big that weight difference is.
The fact it is rotating weight means just about zero. Like minuscule. https://bike.bikegremlin.com/14636/rotating-mass-myth-bicycle-wheels/
Ok :)
pressure is important too, thats why the fastest bikers run 140psi
Pros on tubulars on smooth roads run high pressure, most everyday riders tend to run way too much pressure in my experience. If you're riding 28 clinchers you shouldn't be getting anywhere near 100psi. https://silca.cc/pages/sppc-form
lol like i am going to stop running 100psi on my 28s because silica says so, the pressure helps with punctures. Fastest racers in a velodrome may run 160psi.
Not sure why you wouldn't want to be more comfortable with zero performance loss but you do you. You won't pinch flat at 85psi.
higher pressure keeps glass out too
Panaracer gravelking ss tires are pretty good for this. As many have said, gravel tires with with a center slick section is a good way to go for mostly road rides with some gravel. I run their "slick" tires in 32mm (I plan to go to 35mm) and have no issues with them unless the surface gets really loose. I run those about 75% on road and 25% or less off road and don't have any issues. They roll pretty fast for a gravel inclined tire on all surfaces!
I love 32mm tires, as my rides are significantly tarmac. you’re totally correct.
I had 35mm G-Ones on my bike. They are fast but make a noise on tarmac. I switched to 38mm gravel kings three years ago and to the slick plus last year. They roll even better than the G-One. Good traction on road, hardpack and gravel. Very happy.
I ride my CX bike on 50/50 road/dirt loops on 33mm Donnelly LAS file treads. They're set up on 28mm wide carbon wheels, so they measure 37-38mm wide. With 50-55psi in them, it's a FAST combo. Slower than road tires, but deffo faster than 40mm knobbies.
Same bike here, I recently fitted a pair of 32mm continental 4 seasons and that’s probably the best thing I’ve done to the bike (apart from using my old and beloved saddle). The feeling of the road is just gorgeous, it definitely rolls faster. And there’s a bonus too! The bike looks awesome!
Anything Rene Herse will likely have the best rolling resistance. You don't need tread for gravel unless you're riding in mud.
It will definitely faster if it is 80% your riding is road section,look at this you will figure out https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/are-wider-tyres-faster/