Continental

I have trained on these for years. Used them For the bulk of my training when I raced national Masters level competition. I have tried other tires for four season southwest US training. I still don't think there's a better tire. They're probably other equals I am not aware of.

. They lack a little bit of the subtleness that some tires have. But, that is a trade-off for life of tread, and puncture resistance on various forms of tarmac.

I can't go skinnier than 50c now that I've ridden my new Terra Hardpack tires. I'm pretty convinced that size outweighs tread design when it comes to riding over varied terrain. On rough, rooty trails this tire really shines when you have the pressure on the lower side. It floats over small rocks and bumps. The grip is substantial, even in the wet stuff. Mounting these tires was also a snap. For reference, I have them on Bontrager Aelous Pro 3V wheels, 25mm internal. It's been a "fit and forget" setup. Will have to revisit the durability and wear characteristics later in the season as these are still fairly new.

These tubes are very light but durable. I've used them for years and gone thousands of miles without a flat. Of course, they won't protect you from a nail or a piece of glass, but in my experience, they don't fail from ordinary wear and tear. They weigh 75 grams, which is not as light at the Continental Supersonic at 50 grams, but they aren't as fragile either. They also come in shorter stem lengths for those of us who aren't using deep dish wheels. I also like the threaded option which locks the stem in place but seems to be missing from many newer tubes. All and all, these tubes are a great compromise between light weight and durability.

One final piece of advise: Most modern tubes come with a removable core. Some manufacturers leave them loose from the factory. That means they can come out when you unscrew the inflator. This is especially disconcerting when it happens on the bike path and you've just used your last CO2 cartridge. Continental is pretty good about tightening the core at the factory, but I always tighten them as soon as my order arrives. That way, I have no surprises when I'm out on a ride changing a flat.

I bought these to give a little more width and a more knobby pattern for racy use. They fully satisfied. For context, this bike had 38mm Tarravail Washburns on it before as it was primarily being ridden in an 'allroad' configuration (plenty of dirt but no gnarl and some pavement). My other gravel setup is at the other extreme with Mezcal Race 2.25" for the all dirt, lots of gnarl rides. For a fully dirt race, splitting the difference with a bit more mm and some better grip seemed in order. I was quite happy with the balance of a quick tire and yet still adequate comfort and grip. Easy to mount for me. No sealant seepage. No punctures (so far)