Put these on my first actual road bike. I'm more of a gravel/mountain biker and these have performed well for all the light gravel and dirt I have used them on. Only a little over 100 miles and they have expanded a bit to just under the marked 26mm, but have performed well to my expectations.
Compared to the Bontrager Hard Case Lite R3, these tires are the best by far. I have a 2022 Trek Domane SL5, which comes stock with 32mil Bontrager R3s. I brought the bike back to the store because the tires were losing 15 to 25 pounds of air overnight. On a century ride, I had to pump the tires every 20 miles! They suspected the tape on the rims was bad and replaced it. That helped very little. In addition, the R3s got punctures easily and sealant would seep out through the tread and sidewalls at 70 pounds pressure.
A couple of weeks ago I ran over something that put a 1inch slice in the sidewall of the rear tire and it was ruined. So I replaced the Bontragers with Panaracer Gravelkings. I got exactly the same size (32m). What a difference! They�re much more sure footed on fast downhills and sharp turns. They feel more stable, comfortable and are noticeably quieter. I expected the Gravelkings to be heavier and slower since they have a more puncture resistant tread (you can feel the difference when you install them), but they are actually about the same weight and I�ve noticed no difference in rolling resistance or speed on my usual routes. But I have noticed a MUCH better ride and they hold air longer. I�m so happy with these tires- they�re better in every way, and even less expensive than the Bontragers. I�m a huge fan of Panaracer now.
Bought these in 38mm this spring for my gravel bike, running with tubes. I ride mixed road and trails with about 2/3 time on asphalt road or trail and 1/3 packed gravel. These were great for the first few hundred miles this spring/summer but lately I have been getting many flats and finding a lot of small slices all the way through the rubber. In some cases I have found a small glass shard that has punctured all the way through and is embedded. These road hazards are all part of the deal but I am not finding that the advertised puncture resistance is very good. Maybe I got a bad batch or they changed manufacturing lately.
I wanted a smooth rolling wide (35mm) tire for my gravel Bike for road riding.. These tires have jus the right amount of tread and seem fast to me for a wide tire. We get a lot of shell, etc on the roads and I would like a gator skin equivalent but�I have had a few punctures and the sealant (Stan�s) has worked each time.
I loved this tire, the wonderful plush ride (with tubes), the low rolling resistance, the relative good handling and ability to ride pavement and rail-to-trail gravel with no compromises. Yet, I've never had so many flats in my 50 years of riding road, mountain and snow. And I ride good roads! Rims and rimstrips all in good shape. Had plenty opportunity to examine inside and astounded there's a so-called flat protective layer because I don't see it. When the first flat happened, I attributed it to a pinch flat from low-ish 50psi. Consistently running 70 psi since and still, about 4 flats riding on good roads and minor gravel. Latest is tiny slice through and into the tube but no object in the tire. More psi = more jarring ride so I'm back shopping other brands. Maybe tubeless+sealant resolves these puncture issues since most have favorable reviews. But I can't enjoy a blissful ride with tubes risking another untimely flat.
These tires are a great option if you do a mix of dirt and road riding, as they roll smoothly on road as well. Even though they dont have knobs, they do surprisingly well in dry dirt. Sand or mud may not be the best for these tires, but for hard pack they work really well, and for loosely packed dirt theyre good also. The tan sidewall is cool, and seems fairly tough. These tires are fairly light also, compared to some other tires with more tread or knobs. Time will tell if they last, but running them tubeless theyve been great so far.
Best value for performance weight and protection. Not the longest wearing tire but great for spring summer and fall, I switch to a thicker tire for the winter months.
I've purchased these several times, in 26, 28, and 32mm widths. I find them to be great tires for training on the road. The tread is standard file. Quality control is excellent. I'm a 190 pound rider, so I run the 28 or 32 on my bikes that will fit them, and 26 on the road frames with less clearance. I as low as 70 psi in a 32, but generally 90-100 with 26 and 28. I find these tires roll well. I won't go on about them being "supple" or having a smooth ride, because for the most part I consider that to be nonsense. On a nice steel frame they give a good ride. On a carbon race bike, sharp edge bumps feel like sharp edged bumps. I've never found traction on asphalt to be a problem with these either. Mounting them is not difficult; they fit tight enough without being a chore to get on the rim. What I find most remarkable about these tires is that while the do seem to pick up a lot of glass shards, it's pretty rare that it works it's way through to cause a flat. I carefully pick the glass out of my tires every week or two. I've had absurd amounts of glass embedded in these without flatting. I've worn a few right to the casing. I can't say that for many other tires, which often suffer some sort of fatal damage before the tread is gone. For the price these are my go-to training tires.
Used on a go-for-coffee bike and general commuter on a route that includes some hilly grass sections and trails. Very nice riding and they feel fast.
No flats yet. If you are getting 5 flats in 100 miles, there is something other than the tire causing a problem.
After reading a British cycling review of these tires, on a whim I bought these 700 X 38 Slicks for my Road/Gravel Bike before a team cycling tour of the Eastern Sierra/White Mountains. I installed them on my DTSwiss C1800 wheels as tubeless and thoroughly enjoyed how comfortable they were on the rough mountain roads. I ran them at 45 psi front/50 rear and I floated over the expansion cracks on the mountain roads. I trained with them on my home roads before the trip and I felt no reduction in speed and I really pushed them on descents and they cornered well. After the trip, I put my gravel tires back on my DTSwiss wheels, but when my GP5000 TL 700 X 32's wear out on my road wheel set, I'll put the Panaracer Slicks back on. I am a decent 66 year old rider and at this point comfort wins out over pure speed and weight-weenie-ness!
These tires are used for riding on the C&O Canal Towpath. Don't need knobbier tires for this but do need tires that can handle gravel, thorns, small fallen branches, etc. These tires are great for this varied surface plus they give one confidence that flats won't be very likely.
I'd read accounts of this being a favorite tire for many commuters. I got a pair (tubeless) for upgrades to a new All City Space Horse. I've only taken a couple of rides since finishing that project and mounting the tires, but I can tell you that they have an excellent road feel. Yes, they are pretty tight and you'll need to get that firs bead in the center of the rim before trying to get that last 4-5 inches of the other side mounted, but it wasn't a problem for me. I don't have plans to run them tubeless right now, but I could if I changed my mind. Brown sidewalls look really cool with matching bar tape.
Gravel kings have been great! I was a little worried it would be too much tire tread for how much road riding I do but I love them. There's so much crap on the road this time of year they definitely provide some extra security. 28's are the way to go! No issues on group rides at all or holding my speed plus it's nice knowing if I want to take a detour on some fire roads i can link all kinds of new rides together. I've ridden them anywhere from 80 to 105 psi, no pinch flats or flats at all. I've put at least 500 miles on them already & they still look brand new.
This is the best purchase I have made in a long time. I live in an area with really bad roads, debris, sand, cracks and just overall poor conditions. I frequently ride in a State Park (USA)that has no bike lanes and some rocky gravel portions on the trail. These tires handle so the poor roads so well. Loose gravel not an issue. Rain, you can feel the grip. Bumpy roads not so bad now with the 26mm tires. I will be buying a second pair and I am considering making these my permanent tires.
Bought a set for my Specialized Sirrus. I wanted something that was wider and more supple. Im heavy and I wanted to ride some light gravel trails and not confined just to the road or smooth trails. These tires roll real well and give a lot of cushion without feeling sluggish. Ridden over some edgy gravel and no punctured. Great all around tire and it helped transform my fitness bike into a more versatile machine.
I've been running this tire for three months, about 700 miles for commuting. They've had great grip in all kinds of weather. I just rotated the rear to the front since the rear was showing wear. I use my bike for commuting, and have two ortlieb gravel panniers on the rear with varying weights from time to time, so the wear is not unreasonable. Like others, I've had trouble getting the bead set and also since this is my first set of road tubeless tires, have had some flats from glassdebris which makes running tubeless a bit of a tricky proposition for reliability.
I rode these at the belgian waffle ride in 2017. Tire performed well during that event, but only a few rides later it punctured while riding in the rain. I know punctures are something that just happens and that when the roads are wet, you're more likely to pickup a piece of glass. But upon close inspection, it is obvious the tire is too thin. I love how these ride, but will get something different for my next BWR ride. I rode them with tubes, but have now gone tubeless. I will try something different next go around.
I bought 700x32. The tires are fast and super comfy, especially when compared to the Gatorskins I took off. The first few times I used them they put a massive smile on my face. Only problem is they are prone to flats, especially when they wear. With gatorskins I only flatted maybe about once year max with commuting everyday and could run the tires forever. But with the Gravelking, I got 5 flats in about 6 weeks after I'd had the tires about 6months, all in the rear. It was showing signs of wear but it wasn't worn out. I took the rear off and put my old gatorskin, which must have 7k miles on it and it is still going strong. No flats since.
