Why Wider Tires are Being Used on Gravel Bikes

Gravel is a hotbed right now for cycling companies looking to pioneer new technology. The amount of change that has taken place in the industry has allowed for a lot of new equipment, and new ways of racing to take place. As gravel races evolve, we have seen the equipment needs for riders changing exponentially. I think we can all remember the days when a "gravel" tire was 35c, and that was thought to be more than enough. But now we see tires over 50c and getting bigger. But why? Here at Defender bikes, we know there are a lot of factors at play when choosing a tire. But below are 3 reasons to why you may want to experiment wider tires on your gravel bike.

1. More Efficient

This may seem counterintuitive, but often times wider tires, like XC race mountain bike tires can yield a lower rolling resistance than a narrower gravel tire. This is due to the XC tire having a thinner casing, which creates a suppler ride, and a faster rolling tire. Plus, this higher efficiency only gets amplified when things get really rough and chunky. With a higher volume tire, you can run lower pressures, and so you are able to float over chunky gravel easier and lose less of your energy to bouncing up and down.

2. More Comfort and Traction

This is the most immediate change you will feel when moving to a larger tire, is the comfort. A larger volume tire, with a lower pressure allows for less jostling over rough stuff, and more cushion on potholes or big divots in the road. This also goes hand in hand with comfort, but with a better contact patch of tire on the ground, you also get more traction while cornering. This is especially noticeable as conditions become wet, and slippery on the road or trails.

3. Less Flats

We all love riding bikes, so why would you not want to use equipment that allows you to spend less time fixing flats, and more time riding? Now, wider tires do not immediately mean less flats, as you could have a 2 mm wider tire with a paper-thin casing, which will get punctured much easier. However, making the jump to an XC mountain bike tire like a Continental Race King, or a Schwalbe Thunder Burt will be more flat resistant than most any gravel tire out there. This is easily seen by watching the pros setup at a race like Big Sugar. Most every bike that can fit mountain bike tires, the pros are running them to reduce the likelihood of flats. Even making the jump to a 45 from a 40 in a similar tire type, can help tremendously, as the tire will be under less pressure when hitting rough gravel. The lower the tire pressure, and the wider the tire, the more ability the tire has to give, and conform to the surface, rather than getting cut or punctured.

Not everyone may benefit from running a 2.2 MTB tire on their gravel rig, however it could just open the doors up to new riding styles. What size do you think is perfect for your region? Let us know what you think below!