Secure shopping | Its all made of their Gripton compound to provide solid traction in all directions. Quantitative data from Bicycle Rolling Resistance appears to support my qualitative testing. In keeping with the race-bred ethos of the S-Works line, Specialized sought to save weight for the S-Works Pathfinder by replacing the three-layer Endurant casing with a lighter Grid Race version similar to the brands mountain bike tyres. Great traction and handling on the road and the ride is comfortable while the tread life has been reported to be durable. It would be a stretch to say that the Specialized Pathfinder is the perfect tire for every appellation of gravel, but it is versatile enough to be trouble-free on almost any off-pavement adventure. The $60. It also has clever wear indicators in the form of those Specialized S logos. As such, I decided to ditch these and go with the WTB Riddler tires. Theyre neither as fast nor as light, but they are better options for riders seeking a set-and-forget tyre that performs well across a wide range of gravel surfaces. I have the 65047 version mounted to some Blunt SSs (almost 27mm internal). On soft surfaces (loose sand, grass, etc), almost all grip will be created by the knobs digging into the surface, and our test results will be of little use. Ill take a 37mm Riddler, or a Byway instead. The Sitemap offers a quick overview of all content on this website. Once setup, I took the new tubeless setup for a spin. 42s are available at my shop. The 650b/Horizon combo would still be good for casual road and gravel rides. After all, my bike can accept a 700c tire up to 40mm wide. Nowthats not to say there is anything wrong with that tread pattern, as I have the Strada on my wifes bike and they have been great for her 60/40 terrain. The Pathfinder S-Works comes with the same tread pattern (with lower knobs) and the same casing with BlackBelt anti-puncture layer under the tread. While the max for my bike is 40mm, I kept my options open for any tire between 38mm and 40mm. Youll want to factor in some time to dial in the optimal pressure, though. Quick, look nonplussed! The new S-Works Pathfinder tire comes in at a claimed 435g for 70042, the only size available. Sandy clay: C+. That is, until I read a review about another tire option. Regardless, the Horizons felt a little slow on asphalt, like I have to pedal my ass off just to keep up with a group. Puncture Force Sharp Needle: Pre-2021, this score was known as 'Puncture Resistance'. Without the tube, it just feels like the tire can shift and stretch better and provide more control in turns. Announcements Don't forget to take a look at the overview pages to make it easier to compare all bicycle tires that have been tested: NOTE: As of 2021, we've improved the puncture resistance tests and now provide 'Total Puncture Score' as the main puncture resistance indicator. Post a comment/review and let others know what you think about VeloNut. Grading gravel: How do you define off-road surfaces? It's a highly versatile tire that offers fast rolling, exceptional grip in the dirt, and a lot of fun. Nous sommes ouverts la discussion - Nous sommes impatients de lire vos commentaires! Ensuite, vous pourrez aller prendre l'air. This RED 2022 NISSAN PATHFINDER is part of our AUTOMOBILE vehicles. In fact, with a little practice, I think tubeless might be an easier install than with tubes. Specialized.com Topics I currently have gravel king ss 38mm on . Cons. Rocky fire-road: B. 100% climate-neutral | The original Pathfinder Pro carries over with a 540g (70042) single-compound Gripton rubber, the Endurant casing, and three sizes. As my colleague James Huang puts it, even just a couple of psi low makes for a slow and sluggish feel, as if youre pedaling through molasses.. The Specialized S-Works Pathfinder gravel bike tyre builds on the success of the brands Pathfinder Pro, one of the most popular gravel tyres on the market, with a lighter casing and dual-compound rubber. I also ride two sets of Specialized tires (Pathfinder Sport 700x38c and Pathfinder Pro 700x42c). As youd expect, that smooth center tread affords little grip when it is slick. Well, as of 25.05.2018, Backcountry is no longer available outside the U.S. due to GDPR regulations. Bikes Thats the theory anyways. All rights reserved. The fun part came when adding the sealant. . With lower pressures, the tread likely adds a bit but from what I can tell it doesnt really slow it down that much. The Horizons tend to spin a bit on sharper uphill gravel climbs. It finally worked and the beads popped right into place. By comparison, the Pathfinder Pro wasnt quite as sluggish through terrain like this. 45.58 + 11.40 P&P . Retail is $60 (60 / $95AUD). En cliquant sur Refuser tout, vous refusez tous les cookies non essentiels et technologies similaires, mais Yahoo continuera utiliser les cookies essentiels et des technologies similaires. Technically, a 47mm tire on a 650b wheel is roughly the same diameter as a 30mm tire on a 700c wheel. Available now. Because a lot of the gravel rides I go on involve some pavement, I figured that a slicker centerline would help. Its not bad but definitely have to take note of it when planning gravel rides. Other than that, I largely have been riding on my 650b wheels. Its not a unique tyre in catering for these strengths, sharing a similar profile to the WTB Byway and the Donnelly XPlor USH. The 120 TPI Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss is equipped with both BlackBelt puncture protection and the Endurant Casing bead to bead sidewall abrasion and puncture system. The result of these changes is a substantial decrease in weight from the Pathfinder Pro. I got the wheel tape on, no problem, and it was a piece of cake getting the tires onto the rims. Road bike, CX/gravel, and MTB tires on 18, 22, and 26 mm rims. Putting it as charitably as possible, it certainly makes you feel alive. Not really because the problem has to do with the thickness of the sidewalls. Any concerns that min pressure on the 700c is 50 PSI? Held air overnight with NO sealant. . ; A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. Our very own Tabby Llama-Berry, Service Manager at our St. Paul Highland Park store, decided to put the tires to the test. Underneath is their BlackBelt puncture protection layer, followed by three layers of their 120tpi Endurant casing construction so itll hold up to roots and rocks without getting sidewall tears. Meanwhile the tyre balloons out to an actual 44.7 mm on a 25 mm internal width rim.. With the Pathfinder Pro, the diamond patterned tread showed its colors as I hit various mixed gravel roads. The 38mm measured true to size. Over those hundreds of kilometres of testing, I kept coming back to the one question that Specialized seems to answer in the affirmative: could the Pathfinder be the one tyre for most applications? Specialized Bicycle Components Tires Tubeless Compatible Rims and Tires Tubeless Compatible Rims and Tires Road bike rims and tires *Note that only the newer version of the Alpinist and Rapide wheels are tubeless compatible. So, yeah, goal achieved! Even on 25mm-wide rims, the S-Works Pathfinders have a very round profile that, when combined with the raised centre strip and minimal edge tread, doesnt result in overly confident cornering performance. What I really gained with the Pathfinder Pros is versatility. Only downside to this combo is tire diameter. Im starting to get a better handle of cornering on pavement with these tires. In fact, they say its for rides when youre rolling on road and off in roughly equal parts. However, I did wonderhow much better can the Pathfinder Pro be with a tubeless setup? After installing the Pathfinder Pros, I took them for a spin a couple of times on some shorter rides. When installed on a 29 wheel, the Pathfinder Pro provides a better overall wheel circumference than the Horizon. Im always switching them out, and have opted for the black versions on my bike. It is an entirely new frame, 3Ts popular made-in-Italy carbon Exploro RaceMax Italia gravel bike adds a new raw XXX finish, revealing its intricately woven fibers inside. Free delivery from 50 | Price range. What my gravel looks like, may not look like yours. That leaves you the task of finding a pretty narrow window between the Pathfinder being fast-rolling but sketchy, and slow-rolling but grippy. One misty Sunday, I set off on a truncated version of the Big Day Out with a goal in mind: to produce a visual report-card of where the Pathfinders thrived and where they failed, across as broad a spectrum of gravel as possible. And like the Roubaix Pro, it is also adorned with a couple more zesty monikers it features Specializeds Gripton compound, and it is 2Bliss Ready (tubeless ready). The default 700c wheels came with Schwalbe Spicer tires which are good (and probably should have stuck with) but I felt they could be better for some reason. I mean, its practically a 700c version of the same tire. Really, 50 psi min? When I transferred them after a month of riding to a DT Swiss P1800 wheelset, they stubbornly refused to inflate even with an Air Tool Blast canister, so I think its fair to say that your results may vary. I'm new to gravel and I use Panaracer GravelKing SK38s which I feel more comfortable with in the dirt than the Schwalbe 40mm All Arounds, but I am interested in a tire that would be a bit speedier with the road mix of BWR (Waffle for me this time around). Seems a lot higher than most gravel tires (like GravelKings). The other part is that the tread would allow for better traction on heavier terrain than even the WTB Horizons. Ive ridden the tire a lot and it feels a little iffy in those situations, especially on dirt. Reviews What I didn't know was that there was another hole in the sidewall closer to the bead of the tire (as you can see below). Nous sommes l pour vous du Lu au Ve 9h - 17h heures. :P. My thought was that, with the Pathfinder Pro, I would end up with two wheel sets that would give me more varied choices for the ride at hand. Blacksmith Cycle x Winspace T1550 aero road bike debut gets more kids on bikes, Unearthing the Myotragus Dorothea Enduro and DH Bikes, Spotted: Onguza Original Gravel Model 1, limited edition steel bikes made in Namibia, Review: Wolf Tooth Morse Cage Ti bottle cages, Limited Edition Horizons Road Kit: A First Glimpse At Future Of PEARL iZUMi, Aventon Launches the Aventure.2 Fat Tire Ebike, Flip the Switch featuring Georgia Astle & Cycles Devinci, Mondraker Chrono DC Hardtail Gets 120mm Fork For Downcountry Missions. UX Architect, comic book reader, cyclist. I had ridden through similar areas of the levee on the WTB Horizons and made it through, no problem, but it was a little sluggish. |, USD $60.00 This was a much, much easier approach with almost no mess. It's tighter tread so it'll likely still roll well on pavement but with some good grip on loose gravel. The initial part of my ride took me on some gravel areas that were pretty much middle of the road in terms of the terrain. Since Im installing these with tubes, my only concern is the risk of tube pinches at lower pressures. Also, cornering feels better. Thank you, Specialized, for vindicating him. The Pathfinder Pro is a rather surprising tire. Jeff enjoys participating in various road and gravel cycling events. Its said to be in that sweet spot in terms of width and volume. Even though we've only tested wet grip of 17 out of 44 CX/Gravel tires up to now, it's already evident the Gripton compound offers tons of (wet) grip. 38.3 on a 20 internal rim and 38.5 on a 21 internal rim. Great for gravel and casual riding. Georgia Astle grew up chasing, Mondraker has boosted fork travel of the Chrono Hardtail to bring a Downcountry version to market; the Chrono DC. Better rolling resistance for surebut, like the Spicers, still made for a rough ride. Not so great if you need some extra speed to keep up with a group ride. Definitely could tell a difference right away! When rolling over wet rocks and roots, the tyres can struggle for purchase, but on the whole, the Pathfinder behaves better through this kind of terrain than expected. Rides The brand's new Pathfinder. Articles . According to Specialized, the S-Works version of the Pathfinder is even faster than the Pathfinder Pro (read our review) that we tested a while back. The Roubaix Pro is one of my favourite fat slicks, offering minimal compromise in speed and excellent durability; I got more than 7,000km out of a pair before a puncture. So far, Im really liking the Pathfinder Pro, but I wondered how much improvement there could be if I mounted them to a tubeless wheelset. Specialized boasts that this combo has four Dirty Kanza 200 wins. A thinner sidewall is more subseptible to punctures on rocky terrain that might have sharp rocks. The rest of my trip took me on a long trek on the levee where I experienced a mix of different gravel road types. Tread pattern grips confidently on hardpack, medium, and loose roads. The rim was from a Nissan Pathfinder. Theyre plush and allow for a very comfortable ride. The Venture looks to be a solid choice and, who knows, maybe in the future I might look at this tire again. Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Gravel Bike Tyres. / 5 Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. Specialized claims the Grid Race sidewalls improve tear and puncture resistance while maintaining good elasticity for a supple ride. After some research, I narrowed my choices down to three: I was pretty much dead set on gettin the WTB Venture. First Name *. Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves finding new travel adventures to share with his family and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter. 7 Best Gravel Road Tires | Road Bike. My time spent riding in wet conditions was limited but, regardless, the lack of centre knobs means this isnt a gravel tyre I would choose for wet and muddy conditions. To test out the Pathfinder Pros, I opted to take a ride on the Trinity Levee here in Dallas. Cervlo S5 review: A truly exhilarating superbike. MSRP excludes destination and handling charges, tax, title, license, and options. We want to know what you think - We can't wait to hear your opinion! 700C vs 650B Wheels: Which One is Faster? Harsher ride but way more protection against sidewall punctures. Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready Born in the American Midwest, gravel riding is one of the fastest-growing styles of cycling. 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