Life In The Saddle

The chalk download of the South Coast of the UK is a challenging testing ground for gravel tyres: in the dry, the trails are dusty and strewn with piercing flints; in the wet, the topsoil creates a slimy surface that tests any tyre to find grip. The Vittoria Terreno Mix Graphene 2.0 Tubeless Tyres are one of the few tubeless gravel bike tyres that I have used, abused, and continued to be impressed by – riding in truly varied conditions in this challenging environment. Summer gravel tyres are often semi-slick in profile: offering speed, flow and little rolling resistance. Mud tyres, by contrast, grip well in the slush, but are normally knobbly, noisy, and feel sluggish on any hardpack surface. Can a 'mixed' surface tyres really deliver a good compromise between grip and speed in wet and dry conditions, while also being puncture resistant and robust? Vittoria's Terreno Mix Graphene 2.0 Tyres promise to provide the optimum compromise. The wide-spaced aggressive lugs offe...

For me, the gravel bike is everything. My skinny tyre road bike has been hung up for over a year, and my gravel bike is used for road based commuting, weekend blasts, shopping trips and bikepacking adventures. I have two gravel bikes: the Kona Private Jake and the Kona Sutra Ltd. The Private Jake is now my commuting rig, and I have been hunting for a tubeless tyre that offers speed, stability and all weather grip, both on the asphalt and for occasional off-road riding. In the Hutchinson Caracal tyre, I think I have found it. The Caracal is a 'fast' gravel tyre. It has a slick central strip, with small side knobs for added grip when cornering. The central strip allows you to roll quickly on light gravel and road based rides, and when you do lean the bike over, especially loaded, the lugs provide respectable grip. Venture offroad in wet conditions and you might be looking for more grip, but for fast summer trails without too many rocks, the Caracal is ideal. Hutchins...

Tubeless tyres are now widely accepted to be the best choice for gravel bikes, mountain bikes and even road bikes; but whilst tubeless technology has come a long way in the last decade, tubeless valves remain one area that has been ripe for improvement. Tubeless bicycle tyre set-ups usually use a Presta style valve, with a removable valve core to allow you to inject tubeless sealant into the tyre without removing the tyre from the rim. Yet, Presta valves have two disadvantages: First, their relatively small valve opening reduces the airflow that can be pumped into the tyre in one go, this is problematic when you want a large whoosh of air to 'pop' the tyre bead onto the rim when seating tubeless tyres. The second disadvantage is that tubeless sealant tends to clog up the delicate valve core, leading to problems inflating and deflating the tyre. Muc-Off have a solution to the downfalls of Presta valves, with their new Muc-Off Big Bore Tubeless Valves. Designed to maximise a...

Hutchinson bicycle tyres have taken me across continents, to the podiums of mountain bike races in the Italian Dolomites, and now it seems they are set to conquer the gravel scene… " Touareg " means ' free folk '—it is the name of a nomadic tribe in the Sahara Desert. The French brand Hutchinson Tires selected that name for this tubeless gravel tyre because of its special ability on rugged (mostly dry) off-road trails. This is a gravel bike tyre for back-of-beyond adventures. Hutchinson Tires maintain a build quality level that from my experience is second-to-none. They were one of the pioneers of tubeless bicycle tyre technology, way before it became mainstream; over the years they have perfected the balance of protection, weight, grip and immaculate fit that is sought after in all tubeless set-ups. The Touareg tyres are a mixed-surface gravel tyre, intended to be used primarily on dry and loose terrain. The tread pattern is a file-style arrow pattern that strikes...

We have all had that sinking feeling. Flat tyres are something you accept with bike riding, but there are several ways to prevent and reduce the chance of a puncture on a bicycle tyre. Whether you are running tubeless tyres or an inner tube there is still a risk of a puncture, and several ways to repair a flat. This blog post considers 7 Tips for preventing, fixing, and repairing a bicycle puncture on all kinds of wheel setups. Prevent Punctures – Tyre Choice The single most influential factor in preventing a bicycle puncture is your choice of tyre. Not all bicycle tyres are made equal. Most confusingly, even those with the same name are often not of an equal quality level. Some tyres feature inbuilt puncture protection belts made of Kevlar or a similar fibre—these help to avoid penetration of the tyre and puncturing of the inner tube. When looking at tyre reviews and choices, look out for those tyres with inbuilt puncture protection. It is worth noting that when you bu...

Hutchinson Tires were a pioneer of tubeless tyre technology—creating some of the first tubeless road and mountain bike tyres in the industry. They have continued the strong brand position with an ongoing range of superb tubeless road, gravel, and MTB tyres. Now, they have branched out into an accompanying range of tubeless kits and accessories—to complete the offering. Many riders are cautious about making the switch to tubeless, having heard about tight tolerances that can make tyres a challenge to fit and seal, the setup being a messy process, and the difficulty to repair a tubeless tyre mid-ride. Keen to address each of the above concerns, Hutchinson Cycling has developed a new range of tubeless tool kits and accessories. Hutchinson Tubeless Valves and Tubeless Rim Tape Hutchinson have released a new tubeless rim tape in 20, 25 and 40 mm widths, as well as universally compatible black conical tubeless valves with the option of 20 mm and 40 mm valve extenders. The rim tape and valve...

The Washburn gravel tyres from Teravail are designed to be a fast-rolling gravel tyre; built for dusty hard-packed summer trails, but also at home on the backroads and cycle paths of a city commute or mixed-surface cycle tour. The Washburn tyres feature a slick central strip that minimizes rolling resistance for greater speed. On the sides, transition knobs and raised side lugs then help to supply cornering traction and grip. I have been testing the 700 x 38c version of the Teravail Washburn, and have been impressed by the speed, light weight (600 grams), durability, and the resilience to punctures. I have been running the tyres tubeless at around 42/45PSI pressure. The Washburn proves to be the ideal tyre for real mixed-surface summer riding. They feel fast on the road but can also manage the rough stuff—finding traction on loose gravel and compacted mud. My testing has been mostly on dry summer trails, and I can foresee that the Teravail Washburn would struggle if things were to get ...

Plugging or repairing a large hole or cut in a tubeless bicycle tyre can be a necessity when the opening is too large for the tubeless tyre sealant to clog. The Pro Bike Tool Tubeless Tyre Repair Kit is a neat tubeless tyre plug system, housed in a compact metal canister. I once wrote a feature on ' How To Make Your Own Tubeless Plug System ' – that system worked well, but it was rather flimsy and eventually broke after repeat use. The homemade creation was based on the tried-and-tested design of most tubeless tyre repair plugs though, and this Pro Bike Tool one is a great example. The Pro Bike Tool Tubeless Tyre Repair Kit is a simple system: you insert a sticky plugging strip into the open needle end, and then push the needle into the hole or cut in the tyre. As you pull the needle out, the plug strip remains in the hole. Then, you just spin the wheel and the sealant clots around the plug. The Pro Bike Tool system is housed within a neat metal canister, which avoids t...

The new WTB Raddler Gravel Tyres are the bigger brother of the well known WTB Riddler Tyres. They feature larger knobs and side lugs for improved grip and better traction on loose or muddy trails. On my recent XPDTN3 Algarviana bikepacking adventure in Portugal, I put the 700 x 40c tyres through their paces on the challenging terrain of the Algarve. I have used the WTB Riddler tyres in 38c volume on a number of test bikes over the past few years. For light pea-sized gravel, they deliver the perfect balance between fast rolling speed and traction on forest tracks and dry dirt trails. Where the Riddler begins to struggle though, is when the rock size increases to more fist-sized gravel, or when the mud and slippery roots increase in number. This is where the Raddler enters… The WTB Raddler uses larger depth knobs and larger side lugs, to provide more grip and traction for the tyre. The slightly larger 40c volume also provides more cushioning from impacts, and more comfort on rough...

I am a tubeless tyre convert; on road, mountain bike, gravel, and touring bike. Yet, the hunt for the best tubeless tyre sealant continues — with all major brands having pros and cons. Over the last few months I have been testing out OKO Magic Milk and OKO Magic Milk Hi-Fibre Tubeless Tyre Sealant. Here is my review… The quality of the tubeless sealant is a key component in achieving success with tubeless tyre conversions; for more tips check out my post 10 Top Tips for Tubeless Tyres . OKO are better known for producing tractor tyre sealant, but what works on big knobbly tyres should work on bike tyres. Their OKO Magic Milk is a synthetic tubeless tyre sealant that promises to seal large holes, require less sealant, and last longer than natural latex sealants. The latest release of the OKO Magic Milk Hi-Fibre is a further synthetic latex sealant development; containing quick seal mixed fibres to seal even larger holes at higher pressures — ideal for road race and downhill racing...

A gravel biking tyre is distinctly different from a mountain bike or a cyclocross tyre – it should be at least 40c in volume and have a tread pattern that is capable of handling both rock strewn trails as well as gravel and sand. The IRC Boken Tubeless Tyres are a great example. I fitted the IRC Boken Tyres to my Kona Private Jake – set up tubeless on a set of Stan's NoTubes S1 Crest wheels. They were quick relatively easy to mount up, although I did have to put an extra wrap of rim tape on the rim to create a tighter seal. The tyres felt robust and well made from first inspection. The tread pattern on the Boken is a fine 'micro-diamond' design, and not as aggressive as some gravel tyres that I have tested, such as the Vee Tire T-CX, or the WTB Nano. The clear virtue of this is that the tyres are notably faster rolling and better for asphalt and light gravel sections than many, though predictably it does mean traction is slightly lower on slippery and loose surfaces c...

Road bike tyres are getting bigger, and better. The new 30c Eagle All-Season Tubeless Tyres from Goodyear Bicycle Tires are a superb endurance riding option. I have been testing them out over the last month, here is my review... I remember being one of the first riders in Team Wiggle (back in 2013) to make the switch from 23c to 25c tyres. The added comfort and grip was an obvious benefit, and has very little penalty in terms of added weight; as well as even some suggestions of lower rolling resistance from the larger diameter tyre [ read this past post for some insights ]. In the following years I switched from 25c to 28c on my road bike and moved from 33c up to 40c diameter tyres on my gravel bike. The benefits of larger volume tyres when riding long hours on mixed surface terrain are huge, and far outweigh the downsides (in my opinion). With this progression in mind, I was keen to test out the 30c diameter road-focussed Eagle tyres from Goodyear; an even larger volume of road...

I have a fond association with the Hutchinson Tires brand; in 2014 I spent a week in Provence with the product development team testing their Toro and Squale MTB tyres . The French brand has evolved their range significantly over the last few years, and the release of the new Overide gravel-specific bike tyre promised to be an interesting and (from past experience) superb mixed-surface bicycle tyre. Hutchinson Tires were the pioneers of tubeless technology and designed some of the world's first tubeless road tyres; capable of taking the high pressures required for asphalt riding. Tubeless tyres have really come into their own with the growth of 'Gravel' riding though; because of their inability to pinch-flat, and the dramatically increased grip and comfort that can be achieved even on low volume tyres. I have been testing the Hutchinson Overide 38c gravel tyre on my 3T Exploro for the last few months, and they are proving to be a superb summer gravel riding option. ...

I have been searching for the perfect tyre for mixed surface touring for some time; something that offers low rolling resistance on asphalt, but a good degree of grip and puncture resistance on gravel roads and bike paths. The new Goodyear County 35c tubeless tyres looked to tick many of the sought-after boxes, so I fitted them to the Kona Rove to test them out… Last year, I reviewed the Goodyear Connector Tyres ; those are 40c tubeless tyres aimed at the gravel rider—with a fine tread pattern offering impressive grip on off-road trails, but still with a fast rolling speed on asphalt. The Connector's remained on my cyclocross bike for the whole of the winter, and were impressive in their durability, and versatility. With that in mind, I was interested to see what the Goodyear brand could offer in the more road-focussed touring tyre category. The County is a 35c diameter tubeless tyre, designed to be used on the road and on light off-road paths. Previously I have used 30c tyr...

Plugging or repairing a large hole in a tubeless bicycle tyre can be a necessity when the hole is too large for the tubeless tyre sealant to fill. The Sahmaurai SWORD 2.0 is a neat tubeless tyre reaming and plug system, which fits securely inside your handlebar ends. In 2017, I posted a feature on ' How To Make Your Own Tubeless Plug System ' . That system worked well for me, but it was not without its faults… namely, it was flimsy and broke after repeated use. Doh. The homemade creation was based on the Sahmurai SWORD design, which at the time was not available to the UK market. Now it is! New for 2019, the Sahmurai SWORD 2.0 is an upgraded model of the original tubeless plug I tried to mimic. It is even more robust and easier to fit into the handlebar ends. The Sahmurai SWORD is a two-part system: you use the reamer to clean out and ready the hole in the tyre; then you push the sword into the hole with a sticky plugging strip inserted. As you pull the sword back out of ...

A gravel biking tyre is distinctly different from a mountain bike or a cyclocross tyre – it should be at least 40c in volume and have a tread pattern that is capable of handling both rock strewn trails as well as gravel and sand. The new Goodyear Connector Tubeless Tyres are a great example. I fitted the Goodyear Connector Tyres to my 3T Exploro – set up tubeless on a set of Stan's NoTubes S1 Crest wheels. They were quick to mount up and felt robust and well made from first inspection. The tread pattern on the Connectors is a fine 'micro-diamond' design, and not as aggressive as some gravel tyres that I have tested, such as the Vee Tire T-CX, or the WTB Nano. The clear virtue of this is that the tyres are notably faster rolling and better for asphalt and light gravel sections than many, though predictably it does mean traction is slightly lower on slippery and loose surfaces compared to more aggressively knobbly competition. The added volume in a gravel tyre means it ...

I first tested the Schwalbe G-One gravel tyres when they were released in 2016 – the original version was 700x35C in profile, and performed well on light gravel paths and hard-pack trails. The new Schwalbe G-One Bite tyres are 700x40C and feature the micro-dot tread pattern 'pumped up'; they sit at the top of a three tier Schwalbe G-One range; promising a tyre suitable for more challenging trails and 'Gravel'. I have been testing the new Schwalbe G-One Bite tyres on my Kona cyclocross bike; set up tubeless on tubeless specific rims. They mounted up easily using a compressor pump (I use the Lezyne Pressure Overdrive Pump ). Out on the trails, I have been pushing the Schwalbe G-One Bite to their limit – seeking out trails strewn with drops, fist-sized rocks, and tight berms. I was keen to see if the new larger volume G-One model was more resilient to pinch-flats caused by sudden impacts, as well as keen to test their capability on corners and off-camber descents. ...

Selecting MTB tyres for cross country racing and riding always seem to be a compromise to me; a delicate balance between grip and traction for technical sections, versus the need for light weight and fast rolling performance. The new Racing Ray and Racing Ralph combination from Schwalbe promises to overcome the compromise, and deliver on both fronts; through specific tread designs for front and rear wheel. Schwalbe Racing Ray - Front Tyre The Racing Ray tyre is a new addition to the Schwalbe line-up, and a new name in the house. It is designed specifically for the front wheel, and features forwards angled tread lugs to provide improved cornering, braking, and handling. The Racing Ray is pitched as an all-round tyre, capable of both dry conditions and wet mud. It achieves this because the open tread pattern allows debris to be quickly shed from the tyre's surface, therefore providing continued grip and confidence. Out on the trails this late summer I have encountered both mois...