Blue course. Ridden it 3 or 4 times now. 38 Panaracer SS+
A narrower tire does not roll faster on gravel. There are significant road sections but the tire I used is a file tread basically in the middle so it rolls as well as a slick but it has transition knobs on the sides to provide grip and flat protection. The weight difference b/w this and their 35 version is like 20 grams a tire. Personally I’m so over counting grams thinking I’m going to be faster. This isn’t an uphill time trial. I think most people are going to be faster in a race like this with a tire that absorbs the bumps and allows them to be fresher in the last hour of the race.
I rode harder than I ever have in this race and ended up cramping in the last hour and couldn’t get them to stop so had to jump off and walk them back on then off again on the last climb FNL. I looked at strava and I lost like 7 minutes on just that climb. A 20 gram weight savings over the course of a 100mile race maybe ends up being like 30s but the loss of it rolling slower on gravel and riding slower through just 1 or 2 corners because you have less grip and you are even or probably slower. Especially when you factor in the Cow Creek section which is rocky. A tire with some knobs and being wider you are for sure going to ride this section faster negating any benefit of a lighter tire.
My first year I was on Gravel King SKs 38 and finished top 30, 10th or so age group in the Blue. I thought it was too much tire - I do race road, cx, and mostly MTB - so I was fairly fast and confident when the roads turned to thick gravel or sketch descending. Like, I could have used the normal Gravel Kings instead.
This year I ran Riddlers on the black course and was absolutely hating this decision. The tire is very slow IMO. I wish I ran my 38 Gravel Kings instead. The gravel wasn’t that bad and we were absolutely hammering up and down Fly Gulch, Oak Creek, and Cow Creek.
@unmountain_biker - I think it depends on the course. Steamboat is about as smooth of gravel as you will encounter and for those who are confident in their descending and gravel riding - you can probably get away with 32 or 35s and file treads no problem. But narrower doesn’t mean faster. More the tread pattern than anything.
I think the Panaracer SS or pathfinder is probably the go-to tire on this.
Though as much as I hated my Riddlers, I did do sub 10 mins on Cow Creek descent.
This is probably the case. I tend to stick to the stuff that’s pretty nice and unsketchy. Fort Collins has a good bit of it and I’ve only ever ridden in Nederland outside of that, also good surfaces. Unbound next year is probably going to be a rude awakening
I’ve done my time in SE Texas and absolutely could do without the humidity. But that die or die trying effort has (admittedly) a super weird appeal to me.
I understand where you’re coming from, but it kinda is. 11k feet of gain is nothing to sneeze at, but that’s over 204 miles. Taken as feet gained per distance traveled that’s not much compared to a lot of rides/races.
I may be way out of the norm, but my general definition of a ‘hilly’ ride is about 100 feet per mile.
Unbound is without a doubt a terribly difficult day, don’t get me wrong.
Depends on the condition of the gravel. Many of the roads this year for the race were more like packed dirt than gravel. Earlier in the year they were a lot more “gravelly”. The condition can change in a day if they put down fresh gravel.
I ran 38mm pathfinder pros. The next tire I get will be the pathfinder 42s. IMO, thats the ideal tire for gravel riding in the Steamboat area.
What pressure do you run these at? I just looked on the Specialized site, and it says 50 - 80 psi That seems insanely high for a 42mm tire. I’m used to running ~30psi
Yeah, that makes for a convenient, easy to digest measurement but that doesn’t mean anything below that is “flat”.
The statement was that Unbound was “flat”….and that is simply wrong. I’m not saying it is ultra- hilly or something similar, just pointing out that it is anything but “flat”.
IME, most people who make that statement have not been to the Flint Hills or raced it.
Yeah that sounds ridiculous. I’m ~185 lbs and am usually in the 40psi ballpark +/- depending what I am riding. Have never had an issue even on some chunky stuff.
That seems insanely high for a 42mm tire. I’m used to running ~30psi