Bought a pair of 303 S for my diverge Carbon pro. Looking recommendations for tires. Ride mostly packed dirt roads with loose gravel. Currently running WTB raddlers and looking a similar tread pattern.
Goodyear Connector Ultimates…best damn gravel tire I have ridden.
Would also consider the Specialized pathfinder Pro (which I may very well run this year at SBT GRVL)
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I had the pathfinders on my bike and switched them out. Needed a higher shoulder for the descents around where I live, the Goodyear looks interesting.
Thanks for the rec!
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I rode the Goodyear’s this year at The Rift in Iceland, which had just about every type of gravel you can mention and it performed flawlessly across them all.
I think it would be a great option for you.
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Wow. I’ve never seen these before. Interesting tire.
My day to day do it all gravel tire is the GK SK 43. I usually run Ramblers when I need side lugs, but they appear to be a bit taller than the ones on the Connector’s. Hearing you used them at the Rift is a good endorsement indeed! I’m intrigued.
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I’ve had great luck with Panaracer Gravel Kings in 700x38. Last race I swapped to Rene Hearse 700x44 slicks. Loved em. Highly recommend either one!
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I’ve been considering those Rene Here 700x44 slicks. Did you use the extralight, standard, or endurance version?
I’m running the Standard casing. I haven’t gotten to put a whole lot of miles on them, but they did great for my 200 mile race back in October. I’m willing to give the Extralight’s a try but I didn’t have enough time prior to my race to be comfortable with that choice.
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Not that it matters to some but it might to you, the 303s are hookless rims. I had the 303s as wheels all season last year and tried the Pirelli Cinturato™ Gravel H in 40 and they blew out to 42 on those wheels.
These hands down are the best gravel tires I have ridden to date, my new race wheels I ordered some 35’s for it.
For reference I have ridden the following tires;
Specialized PathFinders
Panaracer GravelKing Slick
Vittoria terreno Dry
Specialized Tracer Pro
Specialized Terra Pro
Specialized Rhombus
The Pirelli is the best on almost anything excluding crazy slick condition tire I have ridden, they are also very fast on tarmac.
They have very good grip on loose ground but not amazing like an aggressive knob tire but what they do offer is great control of limitation meaning you can feel them giving up the turn and its consistent so easy to dial in your riding. I also constantly XC ride on them with my gravel bike.
Just my $.02, any questions about the tires I listed let me know and I can share my thoughts.
What about Continental Terra Speed?
The versatility, mostly. The majority of my gravel riding is a packed sand trail with “kitty litter” on the top. These corner really well on that, but also have enough bite for dirt trails or more chunky gravel.
The Rift had literally every type of gravel you could imagine on the course…from fine volcanic sand to big, chunky rocks. The Goodyears hooked up the entire time and I never once thought about them the entire race.
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Maxxis Rambler, Vittoria Terreno Zero, Specialized Sawtooth…a few others I can’t remember.
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Hah…mine are the blackwall version. 
Give 'em a whirl. I’d be shocked if you didn’t like them!
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If you’re not climbing super slippery sand (San Diego) or mud, you’re better off with something slick in the middle.
If you’re corrnering on something loose (just a layer or deep-loose), get something with cornering knobs; the miniknob tires (Conti TerraSpeed / G-one Allaround) are OK, but its more than a layer you need knobs (Gone Bite; Terra Trail).
As soon as the ground gets soft, even if it’s smooth, 38c+ under 40psi is going to be faster than less tire.
No matter what anyone says, WTB and Maxxis gravel tires aren’t faster than the rest. I’m not sure if they’re more robust, but I’ve never needed robustness. Conti, Specialized (sworks only), panaracer (non-plus), rene herse (extralight) = speed.
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I love the Pirelli Gravel H’s. I’ll echo everything you’ve said. FAST for a gravel tire offroad and on pavement (see various reviews and RR measurements), good puncture resistance, and decent grip on the gravel around here. They’ll slip on steep and loose ascents and descents and useless in mud, but there’s other tires for this.
How do you like the Zipps? Considering picking them up for my gravel bike on cycle2work here in the UK.
Love them. Great wheels. They roll smooth, are light and handle pretty technical terrain. Also, ride exceptionally well on pavement.
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I have them on my Diverge as well and have been very happy with them. I typically run the Pathfinder 38’s with them and that combo is great for mixed surfaces rides. Very quick on the pavement sections and are solid on the gravel as well.
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That’s great to hear. I’ve heard stories of bearing issues and hub failures, which concerns me a bit as it’s usually wet here in the UK! I’m assuming you’ve had no such trouble?
I had issues with the rear bearings after <4K miles / 6.5k KM.
I had to change out the rear bearings in the hub and freehub. Had I had known this before I brought the wheels I don’t think it would have changed my opinion, it was an easy fix costing £60 and now I have decent NTN bearings (thanks to Hambini).
Saying this though I am able to change the bearings myself, I am not sure how much it would cost at a bike shop and the ZIPP support were no help in this issue…
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