I bought these because the SK+ are unavailable. 700x43mm running them tubeless. These weighed a little less because they have less flat protection but I thought how much difference does it really make? I'd ridden the SK+ and had good success. These mount fine and didn't really leak around the rims but due to lack of puncture protection these got several pinholes on every ride. The sealant sealed most of the holes but I had one that would open back up almost every ride. I was constantly worried about leaks and adding sealant more than usual. If you get these wait and get the SK+. The pinholes were worse on the back tire than the front so you might could get away with the lighter SK on the front but definitely you need to run SK+ on the back!
I have used the 32mm (tube only) SK tires along with running the 35 and 38mm tubeless. They are a good tire for most of the conditions I have ridden them in. When you ride routes with a combination of gravel and paved roads, along with nasty Rocky descents and a little singletrack thrown in, any tire is a compromise. They're really nice on dry and hard pack gravel and on pavement. Not bad in the deep, loose stuff. OK on damp singletrack. Not really made for mud, but better than I would have expected .
Pretty decent lifespan. They are quite light and so far I have been impressed by the lack of sidewall or tread cuts.
I found the tires mounted up easily tubeless on HED Belgium rims. ( After the joys of riding tubeless for a year, I just can't see myself ever riding off-pavement using tubes again.)
For the money, I believe they are an excellent choice for the gravel conditions I have encountered here in Oregon and Washington. The Panaracer website has detailed specifications. Western Bike Works was superb on this order as always.
These tires seem to work well on gravel and pavement. I am using tubes and run 45psi in back and 40 in front. No flats so far and with 35s. Tires seem to hold speed on pavement and the side knobs and file tread seem to handle predictably on gravel. So far I am happy with these tires.
My 1st foray into 700x35mm for the CX Gravel bike, up from 28mm. Ive got a couple hundred miles on them so far - i think i need to run a higher pressure than what was suggested to me - they feel a little squishy on the bumps. I realize thats likely what they are intended to do, i maybe just am not used to the firmer skinnier tires i rode last year. So far a solid B
Great for gravel, reasonably quick on pavement, and I haven't flatted any more than usual (frequent rides on Hwy 30 too). The only downside is that these are SO hard to get on. They do stretch a bit and removalremounting is easy enough on the road now, but I struggled for a good half hour and pinched a tube trying to get them on. Given, I have weak little hands and am not an expert... but still
These have been great up until I got home from my evening commute and my rear tire was Pssssshht. Investigating, something microscopic and sharp as eff penetrated the tire between the center knobbies and the corner knob wall. It is a small puncture. My commute is mostly tame, but the very high volume road I ride on has everything on earth in the gutter...oops! I mean bike lane. Including standard road furniture. (Manholes!)
Am patching now, will post follow up. Otherwise, GREAT tires. Perfect for mixed pavegravel. I think maybe I just got unlucky, but still. A tiny sliver shouldnt stop the party.
Got these tires 3 weeks ago for my gravel grindercommuter bike. It was a killer deal from Westerbikeworks, mounted easily on my mavic allroad wheels (I used a compressor this time) and sealed properly using Stans. They are advertised at 35 mm but at 60 PSI they go up to around 37mm which is not a problem for me. They feel soft and comfortable on gravel but feel a tad slower on tarmac ( compared to my Clement MSO) it endured very well on the total beat down during the Castell grind last weekend. they are also lighter than the Clement That I previously used. So far so good I would probably buy them again
My first race on the GK SK was called the Oregon Coast Gravel Epic which is part of the Triple Crown event series. This was a 60 mile gravel ride filled with non stop climbs and descents. I caught a sharp edge during my first 10 miles and nearly catapulted off of my bike. After I fixed the 34 slice, I not only finished the race, but have since ridden the same tires for thousands of gnarly gravel miles. This is an incredible gravel tire. The only drawback of the GK SK is that the rolling resistance on asphalt is a bit high. However if you plan on riding gravel, this is the tire for you. Once the tread is worn off these babies, I already have my replacement set ready to go.
I mounted these on a pair of American Classic AC28 rims and they were easy to set up and sat correctly on the rim first time.
Been running Clement MSO and Challenge Gravel Grinder (not Tubeless) in the past. I expect to buy replacement panaracer when I need a new pair.
Finally we have an option to be more adventurous on our road bike with more confidence. The SK thread pattern is just perfect for the fire roads even if its a little loose. Just a little more bite. You know when youre out there anything that help for you not to get stuck matters! Good job panaracer for making this small enough for bikes that can only accommodate smaller size tires.
Running them tubeless.. easy mounting and installation. Limit psi to 65 rear (55 front).. ride great... good traction and cornering. Tubeless bike tires are too expensive now.. this one less than some... decent value overall. I'll look at Panaracer tires next time around.
I used these tires during The Rock Cobbler ride here in Bakersfield and they worked like charm in ALL surfaces pavement, mud, sand and soft, rocky dirt. I ran these tires and never flatted the whole way!
