I previously reviewed this tire giving it low ratings. I have returned for an update and to echo others. When I rode this with tubes, after a few hundred miles it became unrideable. I would get 2-3 flats per ride, mostly in the rear but sometimes front also. After becoming a patching expert for awhile I took them off and threw them away. A friend also had them but ran them tubeless and he said they were fine. So I thought I might have had a bad batch. Since I otherwise love the slick and 38 width and couldn't find a good alternative, I bought them again to run tubeless. Tubeless they are great but only because the slime plugs the holes. I counted 24 punctures in my rear tire yesterday after 400 miles.
Use on my commuter. Like the handling of these tires. With 400 miles shows light wear in the rear from like new. I have had one puncture due to a small thorn.
5 flats in less than 100 miles. I guess if you put the trendy term du jour, gravel, in a name all of the magazines will think they're fantastic. Bought them after several good reviews. Do feel good on patches where snow has blown across road but otherwise nothing special. 700X26 is actually narrower than a Continental Gator Skin 700X25. My Gator Skins went several thousand miles between flats on the same roads. At least the price is cheap.
I am using this tire on my road bike. It is a great tire for the debris on the road services in the winter and does well on find gravel surfaces like the GAP Trail. No bro comfortable on dirt but obviously it is not meant for that service.
I did a 200 mile ride on the C&O trail from Cumberland MD to Washington DC. The tires held up very nicely. I was carrying about 30 pounds of gear in my bags. I have tried other tires in the past and I always had flats. Even with the Gatorskins.
I would buy them again, and I now have a pair on my wife's bike.
Pros: light, and easy to set up tubeless.
Cons: fast wearing, poor puncture resistance, and in my experience with 32mm size requiring higher pressures they don't seal reliably if they do get a puncture, and I have not had success using plugs (also because of higher pressure).
I was looking for a new set of tires to mount on my Enve 3.4 SES AR rims. Panaracer was listed as one of the compatible tires, plus a friend of mine had recommended them. I ordered a pair, mounted them tubeless on my rims and haven't regretted the move. Tires roll great, faster than my old Maxxis Refuze tires, softer ride as well. I would recommend these tires to anyone looking for a nice tubeless tire.
This is my 3rd set of Panaracer tires. I do most of my riding on road with the occasional jaunt down a lonely gravel road. These tires are perfect for my purpose.
Love these tires! These are a great way to go if you ride anything but the gnarliest trail. Supple and fast with good puncture protection and easy to setup tubeless.
These are by far my favorite tires for my gravel bike here in Summer in California. Fast on the road and does well in the dry dusty off road around here, great value and holds up to just about everything.
Although they are called Gravelkings I am riding them 80/20 road to gravel. They work great for both. Super smooth for the road, and tacky enough for gravel. I run them lower on the gravel and went tubeless for even less weight. They set up on tubeless really easily. I like the gum sidewall look but don't know about it's specs or longevity.
I've put a few hundred miles on my set, on mixed terrain.... 90% road and 10% dirtlight gravel. Comfortable tires on the road but was very surprised to get a puncture flat so soon. Time will tell if this was just a fluke but these tires are known to be puncture-prone. If they hold up I may consider them again in the future.
Ive put about 1000 miles on these tires so far and Ive been extremely pleased. These tires are not quite gravel tires, they are more like road tires with some grit. Ive been riding on ruff paved road on a fuji SL and having just a little extra grit tread over a slick has been amazing. Great tire awesome look I would definitely recommend and would definitely buy them again!
The 28c tires run narrow. I mounted a 28c on a 24mm OD width rim, and they barely measure 27c with calipers. I was hoping for more width
These may well be great tires, but I'll never know because I cannot mount them on my Neuvation R28 SL2 wheels without damaging the tube. I gave up after pinch flatting two tubes and realizing that even if I managed to successfully install them at home I would never be able to out on the road if I got a flat. These rims have a reputation for a tight fit, but I've never had this problem with them before.
These tires have been a great addition to my Kona Libre. They roll fast, and although void of tread, at low pressure still work great on smooth gravel. Set up tubeless in a snap, got a screw through one the next day, patched the tire in two spots and it has been good ever since.
The Gravel King tire was awesome on the mixed surface gravel event that I purchased them for. I felt super confident climbing in the muddy conditions, descending and picking lines on technical single track. I had to sacrifice some traction on the deep mud due to not having any lugs on the tires but this was a trade off. Great tire!!
Love this tire!
I was able to ride these tires on most surfaces, gravel, pavement, hard-packed dirt, even some dicey technical rides where most would want 29 tires. The have lasted me around 800 miles and have more life ahead of them! Great all-around tire for mixing it up on the single track and gravel road, or cranking away miles on buttery asphalt. Would highly recommend
Whoa...do they even need a review? Gravel "King" says it all. Get'em!
