29+ tire for pavement/gravel

Ridinglurker · Sep 23, 2023

I have a Jones LWB. tires are 29x2.8" speedster (smooth) and rim inner width is 45mm. I ride bike paths, some roads (if unavoidable) and gravel bike paths and over occasional fire road. NO singletrack anticipated with this bike.

tires are great on pavement. On sand and loose gravel the tires can be a bit sketchy and i was wondering if replacing the front with a more grippy tire can be done without adding too much rolling resistance. Comfort is important as well. Tire needs to be tubeless rated.

someone recommended the 2.8"Teravail Coronado. and tha tlooks like a good tire. but i wonder if a treu + with 3.0 isn't better? i found the Maxxis Chronicle
and WTB Ranger Hard to tell from looking at tread patterns which would be better for my riding.

What would be a good choice?

Padimir · Sep 24, 2023

I don't have experience riding in deep sand but I ride a lot of mountainous single track and gravel and pavement and for all-around general tires I have grown to really love the maxxis hookworms over the last few years. They are only 2.5" but they are cheap, bombproof, have low rolling resistance plus a surprising amount of grip/traction for all kinds of terrain, very much including the pavement and gravel you are concerned about. You'd be surprised, seriously. I think everyone should try them out on everything just to see. Can we just turn this thread into a petition for maxxis to make a 3" hookworm please? Please?

Ridinglurker · Sep 24, 2023

I

Padimir said:
I don't have experience riding in deep sand but I ride a lot of mountainous single track and gravel and pavement and for all-around general tires I have grown to really love the maxxis hookworms over the last few years. They are only 2.5" but they are cheap, bombproof, have low rolling resistance plus a surprising amount of grip/traction for all kinds of terrain, very much including the pavement and gravel you are concerned about. You'd be surprised, seriously. I think everyone should try them out on everything just to see. Can we just turn this thread into a petition for maxxis to make a 3" hookworm please? Please?

I don't ride this bike on deep sand (I have a fat bike for true off road and MTB) duty. Sand and lose gravel would be on some crushed limestone bike paths. Paved paths also sometimes have some washed out wet mud. Obviously those conditions only are on a tiny % of the paths. So, this new tire just needs to be a bit knobby (more than the speedsters that are smooth).

This is a rigid bike and our roads and paths have huge holes etc. So,large tires are important to me. I know this is subjective .... But I really want + tires and ideally true + (3"). 2.8" already feels like a compromise caused by market and manufacturers.

Padimir · Sep 24, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
I

I don't ride this bike on deep sand (I have a fat bike for true off road and MTB) duty. Sand and lose gravel would be on some crushed limestone bike paths. Paved paths also sometimes have some washed out wet mud. Obviously those conditions only are on a tiny % of the paths. So, this new tire just needs to be a bit knobby (more than the speedsters that are smooth).

This is a rigid bike and our roads and paths have huge holes etc. So,large tires are important to me. I know this is subjective .... But I really want + tires and ideally true + (3"). 2.8" already feels like a compromise caused by market and manufacturers.

I hear you. I have a krampus and a monocog, both rigid. I also have a bunch (like ~$700 worth) of different 3" tires that I stocked up on before and during covid. Everything from thicc DHF to rangers and xr4s but I can't speak on any of them because I installed these hookworms and the reality is that every once in a while I wish I had different tires on for certain situations but they are so few and far between that I have never taken the hookworms off. I seriously abuse these tires just to see what they can take and I'm still on the same sets for 2+ years now with no flats or any issues whatsoever. In the back of my mind I hate running 2.5", especially on my krampus because it looks kinda goofy, but these tires are great. You can get a pair for ~$100 and I definitely suggest trying some regardless of what else might get recommended to you here.

Ridinglurker · Sep 24, 2023

Padimir said:
I hear you. I have a krampus and a monocog, both rigid. I also have a bunch (like ~$700 worth) of different 3" tires that I stocked up on before and during covid. Everything from thicc DHF to rangers and xr4s but I can't speak on any of them because I installed these hookworms and the reality is that every once in a while I wish I had different tires on for certain situations but they are so few and far between that I have never taken the hookworms off. I seriously abuse these tires just to see what they can take and I'm still on the same sets for 2+ years now with no flats or any issues whatsoever. In the back of my mind I hate running 2.5", especially on my krampus because it looks kinda goofy, but these tires are great. You can get a pair for ~$100 and I definitely suggest trying some regardless of what else might get recommended to you here.

The Hookworm look like nice pavement tires. But is the tread pattern really better for sand/gravel/mud than the Speedsters?

I know this is subjective and every rider is different. But IMHO larger tires really improve my comfort and stability. Especially over non-ideal surfaces. and my bike is designed around 29+ tires. i know people use thinner tires... but I'm more a big tire guy (my other bike being a 27.5x4.5). I have an older bike with 29x2.15f and 29x2r (Schwalbe Almotion tires) and it is noticeably worse over adverse riding surfaces (I know, different geometry also plays a role....). I'm overall happy with the 2.8 Speedsters, just want to take the edge off in curves with sand/gravel etc.

mikesee · Sep 25, 2023

Chronicles were discontinued a few years ago.

Coronado is good. Bontrager XR2 is better. WTB Ranger is good, but wears much faster than the XR2.

I have all of the above in stock if your local shop doesn't.

Brad In A Van · Sep 25, 2023

I use XR2’s and Ranger’s when I run 29x3 on my Wednesday for camping trips. They seem to do pretty well and don’t slow me down too much on pavement.

Ridinglurker · Sep 25, 2023

mikesee said:
Chronicles were discontinued a few years ago.

Coronado is good. Bontrager XR2 is better. WTB Ranger is good, but wears much faster than the XR2.

I have all of the above in stock if your local shop doesn't.

which of throe would be the best rolling on pavement?
I bet all 3 are miles better on gravel than the speedsters. But I don't want to move the compromise too far into off-road at expense of pavement rolling resistance.

Loamrider · Sep 25, 2023

Padimir said:
I don't have experience riding in deep sand but I ride a lot of mountainous single track and gravel and pavement and for all-around general tires I have grown to really love the maxxis hookworms over the last few years. They are only 2.5" but they are cheap, bombproof, have low rolling resistance plus a surprising amount of grip/traction for all kinds of terrain, very much including the pavement and gravel you are concerned about. You'd be surprised, seriously. I think everyone should try them out on everything just to see. Can we just turn this thread into a petition for maxxis to make a 3" hookworm please? Please?

its true that we need a 3 inch hookworm

cjbiker · Sep 27, 2023

I have a local loop that involves a couple miles of paved and dirt roads, several miles of singletrack, and then two miles back home. The 2.8" Coronados and 3.0" XR2 are great if the singletrack isn't too muddy. They roll efficiently enough on the pavement that I don't think about it. I've also put in a lot of miles on packed dirt and/or stone dust bike paths on those tires and have been very happy with the performance.

If you must have true 3.0" tires, get a pair of XR2 tires. Looks like they're on sale right now, as a bonus.

Ridinglurker · Sep 27, 2023

cjbiker said:
I have a local loop that involves a couple miles of paved and dirt roads, several miles of singletrack, and then two miles back home. The 2.8" Coronados and 3.0" XR2 are great if the singletrack isn't too muddy. They roll efficiently enough on the pavement that I don't think about it. I've also put in a lot of miles on packed dirt and/or stone dust bike paths on those tires and have been very happy with the performance.

If you must have true 3.0" tires, get a pair of XR2 tires. Looks like they're on sale right now, as a bonus.

Thanks. Do you by chance have both on same width rim and could tell if the XR2 are truly wider? I would prefer 3". But with variation a 2.8 could in reality be a 3.0 and vice versa.

At this point I'm only looking at replacing the front. First, that would give me the most stability advantage at still reasonable rolling resistance. Second, I'd like to wear out the speedsters on the rear while I test the new front tire and think about the rear.

I have another thread and long term plan to build new wheels. But before deciding on rim width, I thought I first figure out what my ultimate tire setup will be and not build wheels around what just happened to be on my bike when I bought it

BansheeRune · Sep 28, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
I have a Jones LWB. tires are 29x2.8" speedster (smooth) and rim inner width is 45mm. I ride bike paths, some roads (if unavoidable) and gravel bike paths and over occasional fire road. NO singletrack anticipated with this bike.

tires are great on pavement. On sand and loose gravel the tires can be a bit sketchy and i was wondering if replacing the front with a more grippy tire can be done without adding too much rolling resistance. Comfort is important as well. Tire needs to be tubeless rated.

someone recommended the 2.8"Teravail Coronado. and tha tlooks like a good tire. but i wonder if a treu + with 3.0 isn't better? i found the Maxxis Chronicle
and WTB Ranger Hard to tell from looking at tread patterns which would be better for my riding.

What would be a good choice?

Coronado is a good choice since they roll very well. They are a rather comfortable riding tire and easy on fuel. The best part, the 29x2.8 is actually a tad fatter than the label says.
Chrony's were a fantastic choice for the urban dweller bike as well however, they were discontinued.

cjbiker · Sep 28, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
Thanks. Do you by chance have both on same width rim and could tell if the XR2 are truly wider? I would prefer 3". But with variation a 2.8 could in reality be a 3.0 and vice versa.

At this point I'm only looking at replacing the front. First, that would give me the most stability advantage at still reasonable rolling resistance. Second, I'd like to wear out the speedsters on the rear while I test the new front tire and think about the rear.

I have another thread and long term plan to build new wheels. But before deciding on rim width, I thought I first figure out what my ultimate tire setup will be and not build wheels around what just happened to be on my bike when I bought it

If memory serves, the Coronados were 2.7" and the XR2 are right at 3.0", both on 40mm internal width rims. I can double check tomorrow, but I know for sure the XR2 are noticeably fatter.

Ridinglurker · Sep 28, 2023

cjbiker said:
If memory serves, the Coronados were 2.7" and the XR2 are right at 3.0", both on 40mm internal width rims. I can double check tomorrow, but I know for sure the XR2 are noticeably fatter.

I'm really undecided between the XR2 and the Coronado. Is it fair to say the XR2 are a bit better off-road due to wider width? Are they more subtle by any chance? the XR2 are 120 tpi, the Coronado 60 tpi. My bike is rigid, so my thinking is the 3.0 tire can get away with a bit less pressure and be more forgiving (I realize, tread and rubber compound etc. also play a role....).

Coronado don't seem to list weight. but ii think i would look at the light/subtle and black (NOT tan). XR2 is listed at 850g.

I don't want to get side-tracked by just focussing on one number and this is subjective. But I have a wide tire/rim bias and the 3.0 may fit better my i45mm rims?

BansheeRune · Sep 28, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
I'm really undecided between the XR2 and the Coronado. Is it fair to say the XR2 are a bit better off-road due to wider width? Are they more subtle by any chance? the XR2 are 120 tpi, the Coronado 60 tpi. My bike is rigid, so my thinking is the 3.0 tire can get away with a bit less pressure and be more forgiving (I realize, tread and rubber compound etc. also play a role....).

Coronado don't seem to list weight. but ii think i would look at the light/subtle and black (NOT tan). XR2 is listed at 850g.

I don't want to get side-tracked by just focussing on one number and this is subjective. But I have a wide tire/rim bias and the 3.0 may fit better my i45mm rims?

From my experience with the Coronado... They actually offer a good ride quality for a 60 TPI tire. When my 130# rider weight ran them at 20 psi, they did not feel like they were filled with tungsten.
my Rocket Ron liteskin 3.0's feel as though they are made of tungsten at that pressure, lending to that feeling that I'm having all of my teeth extracted by a less than skilled bicycle that has a pair of vicegrips pulling em out. That comparison is between a 127 TPI vs. 60 TPI tire, mounted on i45's cause plus bike.

XR2 is labeled as 3.0 and does/did live up to that label. My Coro 3.0's live up to it too. Albeit, I am running both 29+ and 27.5 plus. Sarge V3 is in fact a rigid with the RSD aluminum fork in service.
I will hazard a statement that XR2 does roll very well and lends to a great experience, be it streets or a lil gravel. Similar to my Rocket Ron's in terms of tread population, very efficient tire that can also take a singletrack.

i45 rims! That is a fine rim width for tires ranging from 2.8-3.25. Skinny rims and fat tires mean you have to raise the air pressure to Tungsten fill to avoid folding the tire off the rim cause you cut a corner at a good clip. I still hate the 90's for the road rim for mountain bikes era.

cjbiker · Sep 28, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
I'm really undecided between the XR2 and the Coronado. Is it fair to say the XR2 are a bit better off-road due to wider width? Are they more subtle by any chance? the XR2 are 120 tpi, the Coronado 60 tpi. My bike is rigid, so my thinking is the 3.0 tire can get away with a bit less pressure and be more forgiving (I realize, tread and rubber compound etc. also play a role....).

Coronado don't seem to list weight. but ii think i would look at the light/subtle and black (NOT tan). XR2 is listed at 850g.

I don't want to get side-tracked by just focussing on one number and this is subjective. But I have a wide tire/rim bias and the 3.0 may fit better my i45mm rims?

I had to run higher pressure in the Coronados versus the XR2 in order to avoid rim strikes due to the smaller volume. That makes it ride harsher offroad. A few PSI in a plus tire makes more of a difference than the casing thread count.

I think you're overthinking this, just get the XR2, 45mm rims are perfect for those.

Ridinglurker · Sep 28, 2023

cjbiker said:
I had to run higher pressure in the Coronados versus the XR2 in order to avoid rim strikes due to the smaller volume. That makes it ride harsher offroad. A few PSI in a plus tire makes more of a difference than the casing thread count.

I think you're overthinking this, just get the XR2, 45mm rims are perfect for those.

OK, I think XR2 it is. Let's make this bike a true 29+.... there is an XR1 that may even be more suitable for pavement... but only up to 2.2"

Where is that sale that has been mentioned? I see some of the smaller sizes discounted. But the 29x3.0 seems to be $90+ everywhere.

BansheeRune · Sep 28, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
OK, I think XR2 it is. Let's make this bike a true 29+.... there is an XR1 that may even be more suitable for pavement... but only up to 2.2"

Where is that sale that has been mentioned? I see some of the smaller sizes discounted. But the 29x3.0 seems to be $90+ everywhere.

might check with @mikesee

He’s good people and likely to have em on hand.

cjbiker · Sep 29, 2023

Ridinglurker said:
OK, I think XR2 it is. Let's make this bike a true 29+.... there is an XR1 that may even be more suitable for pavement... but only up to 2.2"

Where is that sale that has been mentioned? I see some of the smaller sizes discounted. But the 29x3.0 seems to be $90+ everywhere.

Normally $100, on sale for $90:

Bontrager XR2 Team Issue TLR MTB Tire - Trek Bikes

www.trekbikes.com

cjbiker · Sep 29, 2023

I apologize for not getting measurements sooner, but here you go.

Bontrager XR2 29x3.0 on a WTB i40 rim at 10 PSI with a tube:

Teravail Coronado 29x2.8" on a Race Face ARC 40 rim at 12 PSI, tubeless:

So, while the XR2 is larger than the Coronado, it's still just shy of 3.0".

Hope this helps.

29+ tire for pavement/gravel

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Bontrager XR2 Team Issue TLR MTB Tire - Trek Bikes

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