tag
Sim Works has upped the diameter for its popular Super Yummy tires. These tires are tough, offering up ample sidewall protection, wrapped in a criss-cross pattern, embedded in the peanut butter-colored sidewalls. These are in stock now at Sim Works.
29 x 2.2 won’t fit in most gravel bikes but they’d look great on a rigid MTB or this beautiful SS29er built by Black Cat Bicycles. See more of this bike below!
Panaracer’s Gravelking tires have been a crowd favorite over the years and their new SS and SS Plus+ tires look to offer up a new profile to the already plump and supple lineup. The SS tires are designed for drier gravel and dirt. Think of these as a race day tire, with a folding bead and ultra supple feel. The SS Plus+ offer bead-to-bead puncture protection. Both models come in widths 32mm and larger, are available in 700 or 650b and come in black or gumwall. The Gravelking SS is coming in June and the SS Plus+ in July. See them at your local shop and online at Panaracer.
Path Less Pedaled has been killing it with these Zoom interviews during the pandemic, lifting the curtain to reveal the wizards at play within the cycling industry. Speaking of wizards, PLP talked to Patrick and Ronnie from UltraDynamico about how they create their super supple tires. This one is very entertaining!
The Touareg is Hutchinson’s newest tire, designed for gravel, touring, and bikepacking bikes. This new tire comes in three sizes – 700×40, 700×45, and 650×47 – with the latter two also available in a tan sidewall. A fast-rolling tread profile with directional pattern makes the Touareg perfect for multi-surface rides. See these in person at your local dealer and check out more information at Hutchinson.
Photos by Rugile Kaladyte
When Rene Herse Cycles decided to develop a tire specifically for bikepacking and ultra-endurance racing, they asked Lael Wilcox what she wants in a tire. Lael has raced many ultra-endurance events, including the Tour Divide and Silk Road Mountain Race. She provided Rene Herse Cycles with heaps of feedback and they’re now introducing the result of this collaboration, the Fleecer Ridge 29″ x 2.2″ (or 700C x 55 mm), named after Lael’s favorite climb on the Tour Divide.
The Fleecer Ridge is a true all-rounder. Large knobs with generous space in between provide superb traction on loose and soft surfaces, while the knobs are spaced to put more rubber on the road as the tire leans into corners during paved descents into town to resupply.
The Fleecer Ridge offers a choice of the four Rene Herse casings:
-Standard combines comfort and speed at an affordable price.
-Extralight is our most supple casing for ultimate speed.
-Endurance uses the same ultra-fine threads with extra protection against punctures and cuts.
-Endurance Plus is one of the toughest performance tires available today.
Available in mid-May 2020 from good bike shops and directly from Rene Herse Cycles.
If you have the room to fit a 29er by 2.3″ tire on your tourer or gravel bike, then check out these new tires by Hutchinson. The Kraken has minimal side knobs, with a fast-rolling center tread pattern and is vailable in two constructions, ultra-light 127 TPI or ultra-versatile 66 TPI. The Kraken is in stock now at your local dealer and retails for $79.99.
XC tires usually make great tires for bikepacking or touring bikes. Their tread patterns usually roll quite fast on many surfaces but in my experience, it’s the width that keeps many people from mounting them up. Maxxis looked at two tires and plumped them up for trail use, designed for use on wider rims, resulting in the Aspen and Rekon Race tires measuring 2.40″ wide.
The Rekon Race, in particular, has been a favorite pattern of mine and this new width makes them even more appealing. See more at Maxxis.
Panaracer’s dominating gravel tire, the GravelKing is now available in a variety of colors, including these three limited-edition tires. The gold, purple, and olive GravelKings are now available for pre-ordering at your local dealer, with either black or brown sidewalls. Prices begin at $49.99. Head to Panaracer to see the full lineup!
Soma, known for their city and touring tires, have entered the world of crit and road racing with their Crit King gum tread race tire. Unlike Soma’s other offerings, this is a “race day” only tire, not a training or daily ride tire.
– Proprietary gum tread compound
– Superfine cord in a high TPI weave creates a supple casing that is also cut resistant
– Anti-puncture belt under the tread
– Wt.: 200g (25c, Kevlar bead)
– Sizes: 700c x 25c, 28c
– Made in Japan
Remember that fancy, lightweight, and supple rear tire Bené René used on his Crust Bikes Lightning Bolt build? The one where he got in the freezing water in his skivvies? How could you forget? Well, the testing period is finished with the Cava tire, a file tread, fast-rolling, gravel tire with a plump profile of 47.99mm wide on a 650b diaphragm. Head on over to Ultradynamico to see the specs on the Cava and to pick up one or a pair.
To spice it up for fall, Sim Works have released the Homage tire in a 700c x 43mm and 26″ x 1.95″ size run. These tires look so good in person, so if you’ve been looking for something new to roll on this fall, be sure to check them out. They’re in stock for $62 each at Sim Works USA.
The WTB Byway tire is a perfect choice for mixed-terrain riding. It’s been our go-to tire of choice for 650b gravel rides and while we’ve been really pleased with the tire’s abilities, our praise has been cut short by the lack of a 700c version. Today WTB announced the Byway is now available as a 700c diameter, with 34, 40, and 44mm widths, in both black and gumwall. Head to your local WTB dealer for ordering.
Having sworn by the newly-launched ONZA lineup over the years, using them on my bikepacking, and MTB bikes, I’d like to say I’m a fan of their tires, so the recent announcement of the classic Porcupine model returning, my hands are clamoring for a set. The Porcupine fills a void left by their current line, filling the 2.6″ tire space, left by the Canis 2.85″, Aquila 2.4″, and Ibex 2.4″ models. 2.6″ really is the sweet spot for a 27.5″ and 29er trail bike. They spin up to speed faster than the 2.85″ while offering more volume than their 2.4″ kin.
The Porcupine comes in a variety of sizes, is designed for loose to wet terrain, and comes in two compounds, light or medium. Check out more information at ONZA.
.
Continental adds some chubby tires to their rubber catalog, designed for gravel riding. The new Terra line comes in a Trail (650×40, 700×40) and Speed model (650×35, 650×40, 700×35, 700×40). These tires are made in Germany and feature sidewall protection via Continental’s ProTection Technology. See more at Continental.
ULTRADYNAMICO Rubber Corp, founded by longtime cycle pals @ultraromance and @ultratradition, launches today with an effervescently-late summer tire aptly dubbed “Rosé”. The Rosé comes in popular 650b x 47.99mm size, with an exotic and luxurious sidewall that is tubeless-ready, without seeping away all your sealant.
For those wishing to sacrifice a bit of that plush and supple ride quality for more flat resistance, René Herse just made another product announcement. To follow up with their Juniper Ridge Endurance Casing tires, René Herse just announced their 700x44mm Snoqualmie Pass tire, an all-road slick, now comes in a more resilient casing as well. Also available in an Endurance casing is the 700x42mm Hurricane Ridge that were ridden to 8th place in this year’s Dirty Kanza by Ted King. The knobbies are 2mm narrower to allow for mud clearance.
See more at René Herse.
Those looking for more grip on loamy surfaces on their plus bikepacking or trail bike can rejoice at the latest drop from WTB. The Vigalante is now available in a 29er plus package. To keep the weight down and the durability up, WTB utilizes their TriTec compound, which balances traction, support and durability, keeping your sidewalls tear-free and the casings supple. Head over to WTB to read more and your local dealer to order.
Over the past year or so, Benedict, aka Ron Jon Rubber Shop, aka John Half-Wheeler, aka Ultra Romance, aka Poppi and Patrick from Wooly Mammoth have been working hard on a new tire company called Ultradynamico. If you’re clever enough, you can find photos of these tires in the wild, particularly at last weekend’s Dirty Kanza and if you’re familiar with the fine goods Poppi purveys, then you know these tires are gonna be good! Snoop around online and let us know what you think… while you’re at it, follow Ultradynamico on Instagram for updates!
