thanks for the link. he’s on the Dfour PM, that makes sense because there aren’t that many 107 bcd 2x Shimano options out there. Also looks like at least a 52t chainring on there, which again makes sense for a rider like him. I’ve been contemplating switching my XPLR Gravelsetup to GRX Di2 but don’t necessarily want to ditch my RED cranks and quarq PM.
anyhow, sorry for derailling the thread
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills, but I did not enjoy my time on 42mm S-Works Pathfinders, they did not feel any faster than the knobby Tufo Swamperos I was coming off of and the handling was worse especially as conditions got worse.
I went back to Swamperos after them, but I’m going to try out 45mm Conti Terra Speeds this time.
interested to hear your feed back on the terra speed
I’m rather skeptical about any performance notion coming from bikerumor.
It’s for sure an interesting site I also like to frequent. But the mix of simply repeating press releases with a bit of own riding / fiddling around impressions ist often a peculiar one. I’m certainly not the only one taking any such impressions with some hefty chunks of salt.
Same is true for improvement numbers given by brands in said press releases or shown at press camps.
So it reads: “The result is a gravel race tire that outperforms similar race tires from competitors by up to 35% in independent tests commissioned by Hutchinson.”
Well - a) I really want to see those independent tests. (And be it alone because I’m such a bike tech nerd… ;-))
and b) 35 % might even be true. While at the same time still resulting in a very “meh” tire. Because it depends from which base line they (don’t say they) improved.
E.g. I recently wrote on my Threads and Insta in respect to a similar claim by Maxxis in regard to their Aspen ST XC tires:
Regarding the compound, the marketing blurb states: “brand new MaxxSpeed compound… reduces rolling resistance significantly around 25 %…” Since normal Aspens aren’t that fast a 25% reduction of crr would bring the normal Aspen from around 0.008 for 1.7 bar to 0.006 and thus from rank 36 (of 59) up to around rank 14 in the bicyclerollingresistance.com results. Comparable to an old Vittoria Mezcal TNT g+ 1.0.
So yeah - it’s all in the baseline…
All that with implying they are referring to speed or rolling resistance with that 35 % number. And not some other parameters where they happened to find some advantage (like durability, side wall puncture resistance, wet grip etc.)
Having said that: I would really like to see Graveltires becoming better and better.
Thanks for the intel! I’ll stick with 42s for now and when the time comes, find something in the 45 range that rolls as well. Was looking for something last minute for Rule of Three in Arkansas if I get in via waitlist.
Forget the waitlist, just go on the rule of three community FB page, people puttimg race entries up for transfer daily
Amazing. thank you. I was wondering if they had something similar to what MidSouth had on FB but didn’t search that hard. I’ll join that tonight.
I rode them last night at probably a bit too high of a pressure. My Swamperos were 40s and when I took them off they were noticeably more “supple”, maybe just from over a year of use.
Handling of the Terra Speeds was very good, did a torn up no maintenance road with a ton of potholes and rocks to avoid or embrace and got a PR.
Black chili feels basically like it does on GP5000s. Knobs aren’t noticeable on tarmac, but I do find a 45mm tire feels hulking and somewhat heavy on pavement even vs a 40mm. First impressions are overall good, I can tell I like them more than Pathfinders immediately and they feel faster. But the Swamperos fit me like a glove, I will probably need some time to not miss those. Also maybe I just prefer 40mm to 45?
I feel the same way on the 45, almost like the turn in on the pavement is weird. With that said I do feel like they are supple and give good road feel on the gravel. I have a set of 40mm but have never ran them vs the 45 to compare.
The Swampero is a wonderfully grippy tire that still rolls pretty darn well. Last weekend at BWR CA, I ran a Swampero 40 on the front, and a Thundero 40 on the rear. It was perfect for how I want my bike to respond. I was able to confidently blast through sections where others were being slow and cautious. On the road, I never felt like the tires were a hinderance. This has also become my normal every-day setup for local rides, which always include a mix of pavement, dirt roads, and singletrack.
For me they ride almost identical to the pros minus the raised center, I’m sure there are faster tires out there but they seem to work well with my Crux and go plenty fast without puncturing.
I have had my eye on replacement for them as they seem to be wearing rather quickly, the IRC Boken Plus and the Rene Herse Snoquailmise pass keep popping up on my short list.
I wanted the Thunder Burts but everywhere is sold out (ETA at BTD is mid-June and manufacturer site is sold out).
Even Thundero 48s are hard to find right now – I had to order mine from Denmark.
I ride the 700x44 Snoqualmie Pass tires and love 'em. They feel very responsive and really help to cushion the blows of a 112kg body on bad roads and gravel.
Not surprising but pathfinders all over the place at Unbound. Pathfinder 47’s @ 30 PSI with Vittoria air liners for me, no flats or issues.
Same for me…47’s, measured out at 45 on my wheels…~23-24 psi, no flats or issues. Never felt like I wanted / needed more volume.
Interesting podcast here on tire selection…some of Howes’ “testing” and theories seem a little suspect, but it was a decent listen.
This was why I wondered if anyone knew what happened to him. After all that testing, did he have tire issues?
47 pathfinder pros with 28/32 psi at the start. As it warmed pressure went up to 30/32.
The mud in Egypt caused me to get dropped, my 3mm of clearance caught up with me. I sprayed hydration mix on it to dislodge the mud.
“There are no solutions, only tradeoffs” 
based on his IG post it sounds like no tire issues but just didn’t have the body/legs this year
I’m digging my 42 pathfinder pros, but am leaning to wanting to go bigger. Problem is my 2021 Revolt is setup for 45s (claimed max) with a bit of clearance.
42s have been good for most CO gravel, but do want to experiment with something else. Especially for a course like Gravel Nats.
I’m also content with selling the Revolt and getting something that can go at least 50 mm since I believe most brands will be scrambling to make an updated frame that can go that large. Though, there isn’t much out there right now. I think this time next year we’ll have a slew of frames that easily run 50 or even 2.25 mtb tires.
Now that I think of it, I think the answer is just the newer Revolt which can run 52/53s in the long position.