One tire, set up tubeless, ridden long and hard on gravel.
There is no doubt in my mind that there is exponentially more hand wringing about tire choice for gravel racing than all other disciplines of cycling combined. Tire choice will make or break your ride. Kansas gravel is generally composed of limestone and flint. Flint can be sharper than steel and will make short work of thin tires.
I opted to run Clement’s brand new X’Plor MSO 700x40mm tire. Gravel is an unpredictable and ever-changing surface; I find it hard to conceive of any tire that would allow one to “rail turns” on a gravel road. The X’Plor’s round shape, and consistently spaced, low-profile tread make for a tire that rolls fast and is extremely predictable. I ran 42psi in the front and 45psi in the rear.
I also opted to run them tubeless on a pair of Rolf Ralos 29er wheels. I’m sure Clement does not recommend this (it’s my job to try these things and occasionally make poor decisions so you don’t have to). They seated with a floor pump and held air with three scoops of NoTubes sealant. X’Plor MSO has a supple, 120tpi casing, my pair weigh approximately 430 grams, and carried me across miles of flint-strewn roads without any issues. I’m sold.
The Rolf Ralos wheelset rolls on White Industries hubs laced to what are essentially NoTubes Arch rims drilled for Rolf’s paired spokes. On my mountain bike I found this wheelset to flex more than I like, but for long gravel rides I appreciated the compliance.
I used this tire in the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200, and it performed flawlessly. I set it up tubeless, and ran it at 37 pounds of pressure, as a front tire. I used Caffelatex sealant, and successfully finished with zero flats in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Great control in the gravel. Good comfort with the wide 40mm tire size. This tire is not listed as a tubeless tire, so I would guess that it completely voids your warranty and you are on your own if you run tubeless like I did.
The list of happy users goes on and on.
Very little of what is written on the sidewalls of a bicycle tire is true. 700X40? Right. Minimum & maximum inflation pressure? No doubt dictated by lawyers.
I recently installed a pair of Clement X'PLOR MSO 700C X 40 60 TPI tires on my bike. The casings measure 38+ mm. The sidewalls say that the minimum inflation pressure is 55 pounds. Numerous users, all in the 210-235 pound range, claimed excellent performance at pressures from 40 to 50 pounds, with & without tubes. I weigh 150 pounds and ride with 30 psi front / 35 psi rear with tubes. Loaded for touring, I expect to be at, or below, 40 front / 45 rear. Either with tubes + Orange Seal or tubeless + Orange Seal.
Wayne
