Im currently planning a long northern Spain/Pyrenees bikepacking route. Well at least several gravel bikepacking routes linked together with either trains or road.
I’m currently riding a Ritchey P29er hardtail mountain bike, it’s set up more for single track bikepacking.
– 29 inch wheels
– Vic Mezcal in the rear 29×2.35
– Maxxis Forecaster in the front 29×2.5
I’m assuming I’ll be on many paved roads and uphill gravel roads, I’m looking for faster rolling tires than won’t slow me down in the paved roads as much. My partner is riding a gravel bike with thinner tires so I want to keep up.
Should I put another Mezcal on the front? Should I switch them both up for something slightly thinner and smoother for better rolling resistance? Thanks!
by vacuumkoala
1 Comment
It is a nuisance to have added rolling resistance on tarmac, but you don’t want to be sliding out on loose surfaces. It is stressful and physically dangerous especially with the added weight of the gear. You’ll also find that the braking efficiency is less good on loose surfaces, because there aren’t so many protrusions on ‘gravel’ tyres to help slow you down.
Unless the route is 100% reviewed by a bunch of people who can comment on suitable tyres and be completely sure that ‘gravel’ tyres alone are OK, I’d stick to what you have, or at the least, mezcals.
For context I use 2.25 inch 29er vittoria saguaro tyres front and back on the MTB, and 700c x 35mm ‘schwalbe allround’ tyres on my road bike, but if I were looking at doing anything truly off the beaten track I’d prefer to use the 29er. better to have tyres ‘too’ knobbly and go a bit slow than to actually feel like you’re not riding a safe bike at some points.