Tires for summer

[Curran]

Looking at either panaracer Gravel King or Gravel King SKs (smooth vs with some tread) 38mm for the cross bike in spring/summer road and trail riding.

What are people finding the best around here for mixed riding fun?

[Rolf]

For dry Spring/Summer cross rides, I find serious tread is usually superfluous unless you’re tackling technical and quite steep climbs with loose surfaces. I find real knobs only become essential when it gets wet and muddy.

Recent evidence also suggests it’s not worth overthinking.

Hope to see you out there, Curran! If last year’s any indication, the 2018-2019 CX season will start in July.

[JTyre]

I find real knobs only become essential when it gets wet and muddy.

"Real knobs"? Year-round, I find Rolf and Alan a pleasure to ride with.

p.s. Tubeless 33mm for summer and 40mm for winter worked well for me this last year, Curran.

[Rolf]

I knew my oblique reference to the way our troupe drifts in the summer and clumps in the winter would find traction with you, JT. I do enjoy slipping in a bit of circular wordplay, even at risk of you pressuring me to get a grip.

Am I bottoming out yet?

[tenmile]

I've had good luck with Donnelly MSO tubeless. I've got a set of 40mm on the gravel bike. Offroad, they provide excellent traction. I use Orange Seal and don't find that they lose air once seated on the rims. I commute on them daily and have found they stand up very well. Decent roll on pavement. They laugh at potholes, or the loose splooge we see on the sides of the roads these days.

I've also got a set of Donnelly CDG at 30mm that I also run tubeless. The CDG's have less of a pronounced tread. They perform very well on dry trails. Lower rolling resistance on the roads and I find that they corner much better than the MSO. The MSO has side knobs that are great in muddy/wet conditions but don't allow the bike to lean as much into a corner on dry pavement.

If you plan to do more road riding, with a mix of light dry trail -- I'd pick the CDG. If you are planning on more riding on the trails with a mixed environment, I'd pick the MSO. I couldn't make up my mind, so run 2 sets of wheels and just swap them

Nice thing is you can get them both at MEC so if you don't like it, you can return it.

CDG: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5060-308/ ... lding-Tire

MSO: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5060-306/ ... lding-Tire

[JamesD]

I just put some Donnelly MSO 40mm tires on and they’re great. Gonna roll with them this summer, nice on pavement and gravel. I like the extra cushion of the larger tire.