Dirty Reiver 2024 and tyre choice

Equipment
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So, I’ve got in for next year’s Dirty Reiver (the 200km version).

I wouldn’t say I’m confident about the training, but I got in good enough shape last year to finish just outside the top 10% in the Fred Whitton, so that doesn’t worry me too much.

What I am wondering about, though, is tyre choice. The gravel roads up around Kielder look very different to the mixed bag of stuff we get in the Chilterns, and I’ve never found a tyre I’m totally happy with.

Obviously puncture protection is probably the number 1 priority, but I think speed becomes important in events this long as well (hence running GP5000s for the Fred).

I’m pretty set on running 40 or 42 (42 is the max my frame will take).

Any recommendations (especially from those who are local or who’ve done it)?

The current shortlist:

  • Pirelli Cinturato RC
  • schwalbe g one r
  • Vittoria Terreno Dry
  • Continental Terra Trail

Any thoughts welcome!

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I did the Conti Terra Speed, in a 40, last year, and they were great.

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Thanks for the input.

I’m planning to get up there in March, but am I right in thinking it’s mainly fast/fine gravel with a few chunkier and rockier sections?

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You got it right on the surfaces; all pretty tame. It’s more about grinding out the long effort.

The start waves are a bit odd, or at least were last year. The starter said that they’d let us go in waves, but that it would be neutral for a while, so we’d all come back together up the road. In actual fact, there was no motorbike or car keeping it neutral, so the gap between the first group and the 2nd, meant they never came back. If you can get in the first wave, even if you fall back later, do it.

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Useful advice - thanks.

I managed to average 200NP (not quite 3w/kg) for 7.5 hours for the Fred (7hr 21 riding, 16 mins of stopping) with a few 10 minute periods >4w/kg up the climbs.

My target is very similar numbers for the DR, though I’ll bank on putting in another ~10 minute stop.

But then, the best laid plans, etc…

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Gotcha. That might actually be fun then to let a few groups go (or more) and then have riders to work your way back through as you go.

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I got a puncture on my WTB Nano’s but my mate on Kenda Flint Ridge was fine - he’d specifically chosen them for supposedly having solid side walls.

So far as the start waves… It was pretty much just shove your way in near the front if you wanted to get out amongst the front runners. I ended up amongst the general crowd and really didn’t quite trust riding along chain-gang style with people I didn’t know their skill level on some quite narrow ribbons of smooth gravel (worn vehicle tyre lines) amongst the loose gravel of the wider track.

I struggled with my back starting to ache by the 100km food stop and getting the puncture shortly after that ended my desire to do the full 200km.

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Ok so I did the Dirty Reiver last year , it was wet. The previous few years it has been dry. That makes a difference. However, last year i used panaracer gravelking sk in 700x38c, they were absolutely fine except for a couple of hundred yards of very serious mud where they lacked a bit of grip. To deal with the tyres you reference that I have experience

Pirellli c. RC - I doubt they have sufficient grip, I used the Pirelli C. M as my wet day tyre, they are not slow and have excellent puncture protection, especially on the sidewall. I would consider the H if the conditions are dry as they have a good rep for speed in dry but lack grip if it is wet. Anecdotally the RC Is neither one thing nor the other, it lacks the grip of the m and the speed of the H. Personally i wouldn’t try it out on the Reiver, wrong place to find it doesn’t work. Again the the M are definitely up to the job regardless of the conditions but won’t be fastest if it is dry.

Schwalbe g one. - I had these on until a month before last years Reiver, I ditched them because the sidewalls kept ripping, not just puncture but rips that were not fixed by three dynaplugs and I had to replace, they are fast, nice tyres for road and light gravel, don’t get me wrong, they are also provided on many new gravel bikes, which probably explains why the first 30km of last years reiver was peppered with split sidewalls, it was carnage. I dont have an issue with this tyre for general use as above but I can’t stress enough do not fetch it to the Reiver

Vitoria terrano dry - this is what I am running for /reiver 2024, it’s what I have been running all year on one of my gravel bikes (the other being the Pirelli c. M) . Do get the anthracite sidewall not the tan (or black) as the anthracite not only has the lower rolling resistance but also has the best bead to bead puncture protection. Don’t be fooled by the Dry in the name. I have used this all winter, done gravel events where I have been up to my crossbar in water, it is also ridiculessly cheap from decathlon

Comti terra trail - can’t comment, not tried, it and pathfinder pros are on my to do list but hard to come off the Pirelli M and the Vitoria Dry

One other thing: recommend. Inserts, I run Cushcore on the bike with the Pirelli (that had the gravel kings and schwalbe previously) and Vitoria on the bike with the Vitoria and maxis ramblers previously

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+1 for inserts. I’ve only run tubolight but can’t praise them enough.

Both times I did DR200 were on terra speed 40c and they were right for me. I do like to have a new-ish pair on for my big events as the only times I’ve ever had to plug them were after they were pretty worn (have probably been through 6 pairs to date).

If I need a bit more protection I’ll step up to Pathfinder 42s. They’re a bit heavy and have a kind of weird feel transitioning to the side knobs which can be disconcerting, but they roll well and I’ve never punctured them. In and around Scotland the only events I fit those for are the ones in Galloway (Gralloch and Raiders). My first raiders was a puncture fest for the contis.

If I was strong enough to ride in one of the front few raciest groups then I might fit Pathfinders for the Reiver as well, but if you’re on track to finish any slower than about the 8hr mark things get tame and friendly pretty quick so it’s not hard to look ahead and pick a decent line.

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Interesting points, thank you.

I’ve done some training with a woman who’s regularly at the sharp end of national level gravel races and she swears by the G-One R. That said, her other half swears the Mezcals (with the anthracite walls) to be not far off as fast and supple whilst also being better in the wet and more robust.

I’ve ridden the Cinturato M and once you’ve got it seated and sealed (not a 10 minute job…) they were really solid but not that quick.

Will look into the inserts - cheers.

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I have a mate who does the national gravel races, he uses schwalbe some of the times but I still wouldn’t take on the Riever, the forest roads have some decent sized stones with sharp edges and whilst, as I said, the schwalbe are fast and fine for tarmac and light gravel, they have a rep for weak sidewalls which is supported by my own experience (had to replace three before I switched them out on mostly training mud) which makes them a liability on the reiver, I appreciate just one person is anecdotal, but first;y it isn’t just me, read around, secondly, you have a range of choices, just skip the schwalbe this year, see what happens to others on it