Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Just mount your race kings tubeless. Resolutes are best do it all IMO, but not that durable.

I had a Surly midnight special that took a 650x2.25 mtb tyre. It was brilliant fun.

And now I have a Cinelli King Zydeco. Also great but I think the 650x2.0 tyres fitted are as wide as I'd want to go on it. The 2.25" tyres did fit, but with fag paper clearance that wouldn't have worked in UK conditions.

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I had a Surly midnight special that took a 650x2.25 mtb tyre. It was brilliant fun.

I'm tempted by the ranger, just not so sure about it in muddy condition.

I Google the wheel and found this;

https://www.startfitness.co.uk/easton-ar27-sram-27-5-mountain-bike-wheelset-black-easrmwhlst.html

Which is ridiculously cheap and come with XD drive, recommended? it be nice to have XD drive option to get a 10t sprocket and smaller chainring.

Yeah I've had zero cause for complaint with these wheels. Although mine have hope hubs which I picked up on a great deal from CRC.

The ranger 2.25" tyres are OK. Mainly used them in drier conditions though TBH. Although weirdly they don't seem quite as fast rolling as the 3" version I have on my hardtail mtb (which I generally run at much lower pressures).

The WTB tyre? I've spent a bit of time on them. They're pretty good, up until the kind of conditions you'd need a dedicated loose/mud tyre like a Vigilante or Magic Mary.

£140 isn't bad for a tubless wide wheel with a quick conversion from 15mm to 12mm axles.

The 3.0 is a different shape and pattern than the 2.25 isn't it? it look like it got a high stack on the side in comparison to the 3.0

Resolutes are best do it all IMO

Totally agree. Definitely the best tyres I've had on my cross bike. Only issue I've had is I manage to pinch flat one smashing the rear wheel in to a curb with a mistimed bunny hop.

They look a bargain at £140.

The type of tread is very similar on the 2.25 and the 3.0 versions, but the 3.0 has an extra row of knobbles. Yeah maybe the shape of the tyre is different which has an impact on its rolling resistance. But I suspect its more that sub consciously I'm expecting a drop bar bike to feel a lot faster than an mtb but in reality they're quite similar so my perception is that the mtb tyre is quicker? Does that make any sorta sense?!

Read what you said and think about it.

It’s not just the tyres but the fact it’s a mountain bike, where you don’t choose your line as precariously as you would on a very stiff gravel bike as well as using your entire body as a shock absorbent instead of the MTB where you let the suspension and bigger tyres take the hit.

The old wisdom that buzz/vibration = fast comes to play here too.

Yeah but even on the road, where line choice is less important :) then my perception is that the 3" tyres seem faster. Can't be though. Or can they...?

175cm - small or med Arkose? Will predominantly be used on the road so I'm erring towards a small with a long stem.

Medium slammed

Unless you have a short inseem? I’m 174cm, run 74cm centre bb to saddle top, ride a medium.

Thanks, 73.cm bb to rails so similar. Have you got a pic of your setup?

Nah, bigger with short stem, Arkose feel better with a shorter stem (had one with 110mm stem).

Grav grav rides on the english/welsh borders https://thecrosscartel.com/

Arkose felt shit with a short stem to me, felt rad with a long road fit but fat tyres.

Medium with around 73cm to the rails, 120mm stem

You ride a 56 right? A small with a 110 would give me a similar position to my current setup.

Right, I'm more body and arms than legs, 184cm-ish

Doing gravel with speedplays?

I will not push my bike.

It was summer and dry. I did it in winter though and put a foot down, instantly filled my cleat with snow and mud and spent half an hour digging out a puck of ice from my shoe so I could clip in again

OK, I had to read it 3 times to get it what he says (German speaker here).

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I concur with Slavoj, gravel is the true opposite of art

I can't fit all of that into the thread title!

I'm happy with Rangers (29x2.25), they roll surprisingly well on tarmac and have enough grip off road for the bike they're on.