We’ve had a few questions about tyre choice for Raiders Gravel and because they can be a very personal choice we’ll just tell what we have used when riding on the trails of the Galloway Forest Park.
The first issue is the format of the event: are you racing it or riding it, because that could make a difference, but let’s start with the surface you can expect on all three stages.
While you will be riding in the peace and beauty of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, Forestry And Land Scotland use the area for logging and make the trails firm enough to take some hefty old vehicles. The surface is formed of large gravel stones which tends to drain quickly, so you won’t encounter much mud even in the wettest conditions, however, some of the stones are sharp, so you’ll need rubber that stays inflated on the rough stuff. We had some badly cut tyres last year.
Back in March I borrowed a gravel bike and prepared for a trip to Gatehouse of Fleet and the Raiders Gravel trails by riding a total of 50km round Cambridgeshire. Coming from one of the UK’s flattest areas I’m a poor descender and as a gravel newbie was worried about bike handling off-road, so I asked our route designers and owners of Galloway Cycling Holidays for advice.
At their suggestion I junked the standard 40mm rubber on the borrowed machine, bought some 45mm Schwalbe G-One Bites, and headed north. At 90kg I’m suited to the flat lands too, but with 35psi (2.4bar) at the back and 32 (2.2 bar) front I had no issues at all, no unexpected slides, slips or moments, finding the set up confidence inspiring.
More importantly I had no punctures and after 115km the tyres remained almost completely unmarked, though there were only three in our group so I was able to pick a line and avoid any of the bigger stones, something you might not be able to do if you’re racing.
Not only are racer likely to be lighter and much more competent than me, but they’re also looking for speed rather than just hoping to get round as I was.
That means we’re asking different things of our rubber, so I asked Mikey Mottram, the full time gravel rider who finished first in the individual classification at Raiders Gravel last year. Mikey rides for the Ribble Collective and will be back in Gatehouse of Fleet hoping to win the double.
Personally I like to run the Schwalbe G-One R 40mm. This race tyre is designed to take on most conditions, with the tread and side lugs giving good traction and grip, and the unique tread offering very little penalty compared to a semi slick tyre.
Pressure wise, I ride at around 38psi (2.6 bar) if it’s dry, or 35psi (2.4bar) if its a bit wet.
Two more important things to remember when selecting your tyres are;
1. If riding tubeless, impact liners could save your day! Most of the time you won’t need them, but in the case that you choose a bad line, they may save you from a side wall puncture.
2. In order for the tyre to sit correctly, these tyres would ideally be paired with a gravel specific wheel – something nice and wide (at least 30mm).
