While I don't have prior road-specific tubeless tire experience, this product is pretty great. Bead was fairly tight for initial installation, but subsequent removal and remounting is a breeze. Air retention between rides is pretty impressive too (Stan's Grail ZTR). Confident, snappy handling on smooth surfaces and tough on mixed surfaces, including light gravel and chip-seal - no apparent knicks from those harsher surfaces.
No opportunities to ride on wet pavement yet, so I can't vouch for that. They do feel a little softer and slower than the Gatorskins (also 700c 32mm) on my touring bike, so I would expect very good grip in the rain.
Definitely will consider in the future.
Got this due to too many flats on Bontrager GR1 tires on commuter Trek FX (glass chips on city streets). Doesn't feel as "fun" as GR1, but more reliable. Developed a small crack in center tread without a flat (maybe inner structure prevented an early puncture?).... ok for several months until I inflated tire to 60psi, the recommended max; first flat in a year/500miles. No problems with cornering or slippage. Don't underestimate how much force is needed to seat it on the rim. Overall happier with it than GR1 in urban use. Dont inflate to the max.
I ride a mix of paved and dirt roads with a few trails thrown in when the mood strikes. I like that these tires allow you to continue on when you find that some of your favorite dirt roads have gone soft from wet or recent grading. They also roll well on the pavement, and it usually takes about ten miles of road to get into the dirt roads for me. When you want a tire that allows you to take whatever road you want and adapt your ride to how you're feeling at the time, these are the tires to use. I'll use 3 per year and probably ride around 5000 miles per year and weigh around 210. In 3 years of using them, I've not yet been stranded with a major blow out.
I have long been a fan of the original Gravelking SK in 700x38c. They provide good traction on everything but mud and are pretty much indestructible. The only downsides were that they make a lot of noise and feel like slugs on pavement. I recently built up a frame that has room for 50mm tires, so I entered the massive cloudy world of gravel tire choices. For a few weeks, I had so many tires rotate in and out of my cart, I read and watched reviews, asked friends, etc. I went the low weight route, I went the heavy duty route, I went the low rolling resistance route, then finally returned to my senses and asked myself what was important in a tire. I wanted a robust tire that performed well on and off road, looked nice, and wasn't going to leave me on the side of the road fitting a tube into a tire full of snot.
Enter the Gravelking X1 in 700x45c. These things are excellent! Mounting happened with my thumbs, bead seating happened with a floor pump, and they hold air forever. They roll very very well on pavement - a very noticeable improvement over their SK predecessor, they grip chunky gravel beautifully, they're wide (48mm on 26mm internal rims) so they do well in sugar sand so long as you maintain power, and they are quiet! Weight is fine. They aren't light, but they aren't dogs either. I've driven these things over all types of surfaces while not being too picky in line selection, and they look damn near brand new. I can't comment on mud yet, but judging by the tread, I can't imagine they're much better than the SK.
If you run these tires, you have to get the pressure right. After a bunch of trial and error, a good starting point would be to take the pressure you run now and let out a heap of air. I weigh 195 lbs and run the 700x38 SKs at 30-35. The 700x45 X1s are happy at 16-20. Any more than that and they aren't comfortable at all - like full of concrete feeling.
Buy these if you want a tire that performs pretty much perfectly which you don't have to worry about.
