5 Tyres Guaranteed To Make Your Bike A Gravel Grinder

Make sure your adventure bike grips the beaten track with one of these off-road tyre sets


Oli Munnik |

Cruise Control

Panaracer’s Gravel King SK features a fast-rolling centre tread pattern that accelerates at will and keeps momentum high when cruising on open gravel roads. It’s built with premium Japanese ZSG natural rubber for consistent grip, with a puncture-protection breaker guarding against sidewall cuts. Depending on your frame’s clearance, the Gravel King SKs are available in widths of 700x38mm and 700x43mm, and come with either black or gum sidewalls.

R645

switchbacksports.co.za

Kenda Flintridge Pro

Great Value

The Flintridge takes its name from the sharp, jagged rocks of Kansas, USA, where it was first developed by Kenda. A smooth centre-line tread pattern is equally at home on tar as it is on hard pack. Shifting from the fast-rolling centre, grippy transition and shoulder knobs ensure control on loose rock and mud, as well as when cornering. The Flintridge’s SCT casing reinforces the sidewalls of the tyre with a woven shield to prevent slashes and abrasions, while the casing is optimised for fast and easy tubeless conversion.

R599

omnico.co.za

Specialized Trigger Pro

Smooth Roller

Specialized’s contribution to the fast-growing gravel market is the versatile 700x38C Trigger Pro tyre, as specced on the new Diverge (it’s also available locally in a cyclocross-specific width of 33C). The Trigger Pro features a bead-to-bead Endurant casing and BlackBelt technology for improved puncture protection, while Specialized’s Gripton compound ensures smooth rolling and sidewalls tough enough for the rigours of gravel grinding.

R600

specialized.com

Challenge Strada Bianca

On The Plush Side

Handmade in Italy and named after the famous white gravel roads of Tuscany, Challenge’s Strada Bianca tyres are built for speed; while their high volume makes them not only brilliant on the road, but also capable on hardpack gravel roads in good condition. With this in mind, the 36mm Strada Biancas are best suited to riders (especially commuters) looking for a luxurious road tyre that can handle the occasional excursion onto smooth gravel, very well-groomed singletracks, or legal greenbelts. They’re available with either black or tan sidewalls.

R1490

privateer.co.za

Soma Shikoro

Touring Tough

Designed specifically for high mileage, the Shikoro’s Japanese rubber compound is able to withstand the abuse of both long-distance touring and day-to-day commuting. Soma have built the Shikoro with a dense-weave polyamide breaker that promises bead-to-bead protection against punctures at the tread and sidewalls. It’s available in five widths – 700×23, 28, 33, 38 or 42C – to suit any type of rider; and with either kevlar or steel beads, if you’re looking to go very, very far!

R750

everydaycycleco.co.za

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