Thought I would share some initial thoughts since I have been fortunate enough to test this bike with both sets of tires back to back over the past week.
2.2 Race kings
pros:
– Amazing traction on singletrack. This might be the best setup for riding an out and back to a local MTB XC trail I have tried. This is where I see myself using these most often since my local gravel loop is primarily crushed gravel that you could ride a gp5000 on and be fine.
– Incredible compliance when rolling over potholes/chipseal
– Confidence when descending gravel is through the roof
– Cornering on gravel also feels much more MTB like and felt like I could lean the bike over and expect traction although the side knobs still aren't as high as a true MTB tire.
– Performed much better when dropping to low 20s PSI. I initially tried a lap at 36 psi and could feel the tire dragging much more on gravel and they felt terrible.
cons:
– Squirm when descending tarmac. Occasionally, there is an unsettling feeling when the sidewalls seem to have more give when descending at 30+ on road.
– Noticeable drag on roads.
Pathfinder TLR (2025 updated version)
pros:
– Noticeably better cornering / traction vs the previous pathfinders.
– They seem to roll faster with the more supple casing. Not much road noise at all.
cons:
– None yet. The ride feel is better than the previous version but I haven't ridden long enough to say that the puncture protection is better or worse.
by Gd2bagooner