I have been incred. This got me thinking: What if I switch out the slicks for a solid gravel tire that works well on asphalt? The sharp edge of the raised portion, combined with the skinny, but tall shoulder tread/knobs means you can feel all those tiny knobs squirm a little under you during cornering. Right off the bat, I did notice that they were stiffer than the Horizons but thats expected between two tires with a 9mm difference. This would be my first time. Ive eaten pavement due to muddy tires slipping on a turn so knowing that the Pathfinder Pros can sort of clean themselves does add more confidence when riding. Despite being the heaviest gravel tire in our group test, the Pathfinder really cleans up in the lab: third-lowest rolling resistance, good snakebite resistance and top marks for puncture protection. Some bloke with wheels stopped to say hello as he went past? That's probably not a big issue for most but something to be aware of. Check our The Test Im not a speed demon. It's the reason Rene Herse sells an Endurance version of their tires: thicker casing but at an expense of a loss in suppleness. Unlike the Pathfinder Pro, which is available in a couple of different sizes, the S-Works version of the Pathfinder is only available in the 42-622 size. Available now. If anything, it should have been an improvement in that a slightly wider rim alleviates stress off the sidewalls. Options and actual weights are: 65047 = 559g 70038 = 481g 70042 = 543g The Pathfinder is tubeless ready and retails for $45 each. Join Outside+ to get complete access to exclusive content on VeloNews, training plans for road and gravel, and more. The perfect gravel tire width. Then, once youre close to having the entire on, pump up the tube more so that you get a little pressure on the tire. The new S-Works Pathfinder tire comes in at a claimed 435g for 70042, the only size available. Pretty much any tire will slip in the back if more weight is being applied to the front when going uphill. One thing that surprised me was how well the Pathfinder Pro repelled mud. by Jeff Whitfield on July 8th, 2019 | 4 Comments, Parts The Pathfinders relative suppleness and volume makes it fairly handy in rocky terrain it is a pretty useful bulldozer, and it feels solid enough I have never found cause for concern when it came to sidewall tears. Looks pretty much like Donnelly/Clement Strada USH. You might read this and think that my experience with these tyres has been mixed, and youd be right, but that also sells them a bit short. The Pathfinder Pro has a remarkable tread pattern that we expect to work well in most gravel bike conditions as it comes with a slick center tread, small, closely spaced knobs between the center and edge of the tire, and larger and wider spaced knobs along the edge. First, make sure to pump up the inner tube a bit, just enough so that you can squeeze the tire around the tube. That said, the S-Works Pathfinder falls short of its peers in sizing. 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. 100 days return policy | :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. This makes it so that more of the tire is clinched on which, when using a tire lever, you can get that last bit on much easier. Putting it as charitably as possible, it certainly makes you feel alive. But, man, what a mess to get to that point! Other than that, I largely have been riding on my 650b wheels. Tous les contenus de l'aperu sont disponibles dans le plan du site. Vous tes dj un client Alpiniste, alors connectez-vous ici, -10% sur tout* avec le code WINTER2023*. But thats not the total story. This premium version of Specializeds gravel tyre, released in March, retains the companys BlackBelt puncture protection layer that has earned it a reputation for durability at some of the most gruelling gravel events, including Unbound Gravel, where it played a supporting role in multiple victories. Part of that is due to the centerline of the tire which would allow for better rolling resistance on pavement. Both the Pathfinder Pro, Pathfinder S-Works, and the Roubaix Pro, which all come with some form of the Gripton compound, offer outstanding grip in our test. As such, I decided to ditch these and go with the WTB Riddler tires. Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Gravel Bike Tyres. On some tires with weakly bonded casing wires, the sharp needle can split the casing wires resulting in a lower score. Photo: Chris Stenberg. That allows more of the tire to hit the ground, allowing for more tread, which does help a lot with the problem you described. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America. Despite my criticisms of the cornering grip, its an excellent tyre to have for relatively smooth gravel races and a great option for recreational riders who split their time evenly between pavement and gravel, and who have a need for speed. Shown are both the 700c x 38 and 700c x 42 versions of the tire. I'm wondering whether that doesn't invalidate the review, as the tires might have not been performing optimally for you due to the reversed directionality. Depending on my choice, the tire I choose would be taller than the WTB Horizon, narrower as well, and overall would offer better speed on asphalt. The gravel wasnt fine but it wasnt super rough either. Specialized just made the Pathfinder even faster. Any concerns that min pressure on the 700c is 50 PSI? Pathfinder Sport Reflect Tire Born in the American Midwest, gravel riding is one of the fastest growing styles of cycling. It definitely feels faster than the WTB Horizons and does offer a bit better grip on gravel climbs. Better rolling resistance for surebut, like the Spicers, still made for a rough ride. Plus, it helps avoid any tube pinching with the tire lever. 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 think I can get away with 60 psi in the front for most rides. There was little to no slip when going up and down big gravel hills as well. The $60. Announcements Commentary On the pavement around our Boulder, Colorado headquarters, the Pathfinder was nearly as quiet and smooth as a true road tire. 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. When I first started riding (way before #putagravelonit was a thing), my boss in Iowa told me that to make a gravel tire, you just rode a set of CX tires until the center tread wore down smooth. Theyll be available in three sizes, each in black or tan sidewalls. I pretty much plan on riding all road-only rides with the Pathfinder Pro. 5.0 But the 700c/Pathfinder Pro combo would be better for faster road rides with a bit more predictability and control on gravel rides. Jeff enjoys participating in various road and gravel cycling events. Puncture Force Blunt Needle: The Blunt needle has a flat tip and won't split the casing wires. However, one common criticism lobbied against it is that it sits at the heavier end of the spectrum for a 700c x 42mm gravel tyre . 700C vs 650B Wheels: Which One is Faster? Thats good news, especially if youre going from a muddy area to asphalt. Specialized claims the Grid Race sidewalls improve tear and puncture resistance while maintaining good elasticity for a supple ride. 100% climate-neutral | Once the pressure was dialled, I felt able to begin pushing the limits of traction and grip, to figure out just how far the Pathfinders claimed versatility stretched. Actually wrecked with them due to how slick they were. These may be customized through analysis of email usage and my purchasing behaviour. The hope is that the Pathfinders will have more grip on these kind of climbs. Great for gravel and casual riding. The other part is that the tread would allow for better traction on heavier terrain than even the WTB Horizons. * Les prix barrs correspondent aux prix de lancement de la saison en cours. In fact, they say its for rides when youre rolling on road and off in roughly equal parts.. The Pathfinder appears to strike a middle-ground between most of the above, with a slick centre tread that transitions to a closely-spaced diamond pattern and more aggressive chevrons on the outer edge. Articles 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. But in a category as broad as gravel, catering for the full wildly divergent spectrum of surfaces with a single tyre is a considerable challenge, no matter what the marketing copy might suggest. 100 days return policy | Sport and Sport Reflective models are also available. Hard-packed gravel: A. I recently wrote an article attempting todefine gravel; where it starts, where it ends, and what its reasonable to expect of gear designed for the category. 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. Soldes Pneus at Alltricks.fr - Up to 70% off. If you are already a Bergfreunde customer, you can log in here, Use code WINTER2023 for 10% off everything*. Based on the way the Pathfinder rides, possibly so: its not really capable of conquering all gradients of gravel, but does best as a zippy transitional tyre back and forth between tarmac and unpaved roads. It finally worked and the beads popped right into place. The goal was to have a tire that could handle both gravel and asphalt. From there, I took out all the air, removed the valve, and added the sealant. Most weekends, I stitch sections of this together depending on how long I have at my disposal. All items in stock. Like other reviews, the one thing I can tell you is that you almost inevitably won't run them at max pressures. When we left the road, we were equally impressed. Highly Recommended. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. 2 x 700 x 38c CST Pika C1894 Cyclocross Tyres 700 x 38c Hybrid Bike Tires . We'll answer in the meantime! That is, until I read a review about another tire option. Kuat Piston Pro X Review: Is It the Best Hitch Bike Rack Around? Take to the dirt with Specialized's go-to gravel tire. Ideal tire pressure remains the same but without the tubes everything just feels more cushy. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Thats probably a little high but I figure this would give me a decent baseline to gauge on road rides. I wish we could just adopt existing industry standard language from motorcycle tires, and just call it a 60/40 (street/dirt), or 80/20, or 50/50, etc. The rest of the tread on the Pathfinder Pro is pretty similar to the Venture, but the Venture doesnt have a solid center line. It would occasionally drift off line. However, I probably would have to go with the 650b version. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to BikeRumor's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Ive ridden the levee trail using the WTB Horizons which will make it easier to compare them with the Pathfinder Pros. Der Pathfinder ist einer der erfolgreichsten Reifen der Gravel-Szene - unter anderem mit mehreren Siegen beim Unbound Gravel, darunter der erste und zweite Platz 2021 durch Ian Boswell und Laurens ten Dam. Theyre made for comfort rather than speed. There are LOTS of choices out there now for 700c gravel tires, the most popular being around 38mm or so. Total Puncture Score: This score consists of Puncture Force Sharp Needle, Puncture Force Blunt Needle, and Total Tire Thickness. / 5 Part of the reason is that I had a nasty spill on them after a big rain storm. If youre going from a slick road tire or even a semi-slick like the WTB Horizon, the feeling of the Pathfinder Pros will put you off at first. I had a few times when I needed to quickly veer around a big rock or bull pit (my name for the gravel equivalent of a pot hole). It bolsters a tyre line-up that includes: The Roubaix Pro:A bigger-volume slick road tyre, available in 70032. Once I eventually got them re-installed after quite some angst they measured in at a smidge over 39mm actual width on the 19mm internal DT Swiss rim. Endurant casing and BlackBelt protection layer resist flatting. Only thing missing is the grooves present in the Horizon. If you have questions about orders that were placed prior to the implementation of the redirect on May 24, 2018, please reach out to service@backcountry.com, | Nope! Ive got a 2015 hand made gravel bike that can only fit maximum of 35s. Endurant casing and BlackBelt protection layer resist flatting. Exactly, a little more pronounced, but basically the same tread pattern. I threw it on recently for a few rides to test out a new handlebar. $170 in Encino. While that should result in long wear life, I wonder what that does to the tires feel transitioning from straight to turning? One thing I noticed is that, while the max clearance for my bike is 40mm, the Pathfinder Pro darn near maxes the clearance out. In fact, the last time I went on a gravel ride with them, I dialed down the PSI into the upper 40's and lower 50's (52 or so in the back and 48 in the front). Email *. UX Architect, comic book reader, cyclist. |, Specialized S-Works Pathfinder 2Bliss Ready gravel tyre, 5/4/3/7/54372a9965720eca00cf7a20dc14ccb997c38c28_Specialized_S_Works_Pathfinder_2Bliss___02.JPG, A race-ready gravel tyre; supple; fast-rolling; built to withstand the roughest gravel roads, The transition from the smooth centre line to the treaded edge doesnt inspire confidence while cornering, Quantitative data from Bicycle Rolling Resistance, 441g (700c x 42mm) as tested (435g claimed), Blackbelt anti-flat layer under the tread / Grid Race sidewall protection. However, for rides that I know will require more asphalt and/or better tread the Pathfinder Pros will definitely be my go to tire. Casing: 120 TPI. It never broke loose unexpectedly, though. Nice. The Terra:A wet weather CX tyre, available in 70033 and 70038. I mean, its practically a 700c version of the same tire. Overall, the install was relatively easy. Nous sommes ouverts la discussion - Nous sommes impatients de lire vos commentaires! I did switch out the wheels but the differences in rim size and width shouldn't have had and major impact. Options and actual weights are: The Pathfinder is tubeless ready and retails for $45 each. However, I will say that I still had to stay seated when going up gravel hills, otherwise the back tire slips. I even took my emergency CO2 pump and tried that, which resulted in a wasted CO2 tank. In the vast collection of all-rounder gravel tires, I think the Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss stands out. About the 2022 Pathfinder. I love the WTB Horizon wheelset I have but being that its noticeably smaller than a typical tire on a 700c wheelset its not as fast on pavement. Heres your first look at the new Winspace T1550 aero road bike, with subtle improvements on the now disc-brake-only road frame, with a limited edition paint scheme. While theyre super cool on road, theyre not so good on dirty trails and other areas with loose dirt and gravel. The latest tire in Specializeds adventure lineup is the Pathfinder, and its designed to bridge the gap between their very fast rolling, minimally treaded Sawtooth and the knobbier (for a gravel tire) Tracer. New, Brand new tire on 5 lug rim. ; Gravel bike rims and tires XC and Trail bike rims and tires The cool thing about gravel riding and gravel races is that there is so much variety depending on what part of the country you are in. When looking at this tire, we see quite a remarkable tread pattern with a slick center tread, small closely spaced knobs between the center and edge of the tire, and larger and wider spaced knobs along the edge of the tire. I opted to invest in a 650b wheelset with WTB Horizon 47 tires which Ive been riding for a number of months now. The first tire I did, the front one, I got sealant everywhere! Si nous sommes dehors en train de faire un tour, vous trouverez ici toute heure en ligne les rponses vos questions! The new S-Works Pathfinder also gets a new sidewall protection Specialized calls Grid Race, a woven polyamide that the brand claims retains elasticity while beefing up cut resistance. I didnt have a compressor so I had to resort to using a standard tire pump. It retains the tread pattern, 2Bliss Ready compatibility, and natural casing that have made After all, my bike can accept a 700c tire up to 40mm wide.