While gearing, bar extensions, nutrition and bike choice may give you a small edge in a gravel race, events are won or lost on tyre choice and setup.
Mud tyres will help if it's wet, but they’ll slow you down on drier stretches and tarmac. Equally, a fine file tread is useless if a route includes squelchy bogs or technical climbing.
A wider tyre at lower pressure may be comfortable, but it could also slow you down on smoother trails. Plus riders need to consider their bike's tyre clearance.
We were poking, prodding and squeezing tyres at the start of the Traka, getting the pulse of what tyre treads, widths and pressures pro gravel racers are running in 2024.
Watch our video to learn more, or check out our Traka 2024 gravel tech trends gallery.
Comfort vs speed – what width tyres do gravel pros use?
Although 40mm tyres are common on smoother parcours, 45mm tyres dominated the field at Traka.
Nearly all of the riders we spoke to ran nominally 45mm-wide tyres, though rim width impacted measured widths.
For example, 2024 Atlas Mountain Race winner, Cynthia Carson ran 45mm-wide Schwalbe G-One RS tyres fitted to Hunt 42 Limitless Gravel Aero wheels on her 3T Extema Italia.
Measuring 26mm wide internally, Hunt Limitless wheels push the envelope on width in search of aero gains. This ballooned her tyres out very lightly to 46mm.
Mounted to a pair of Fulcrum wheels, Sherry Cardona's Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M tyres were wider still at 48mm. Cardona suggested the extra width helped with comfort and rollover.
It is, of course, always possible to find exceptions.
Ulrich Bartholmoes' hardtail mountain bike setup with drop bars stood out.
Bartholmoes used a 55.5mm-wide Hutchinson Tundra tyre at the front and a 55mm Hutchinson Touareg at the rear. These were fitted to his German-made Weis Components wheels.
Though gravel tyres in the 40mm range are common on smoother parcours, our findings at Traka reflect our experience at other key gravel races, with wider tyres are becoming increasingly popular.
Speed vs control – and the importance of tyre tread
The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M was, by far, the most popular tyre at the race.
Some speculated this is because it was widely stocked by shops in Girona, with many riders forced to make a last-minute swap when ground conditions turned out wetter than expected.
Even if it was a choice dictated by circumstance, with their widely spaced, large side knobs, the Cinturato Gravel M tyres provide plenty of grip on loose descents. The tightly packed tread pattern on the crown helps them roll faster on the tarmac too.
The Schwalbe G-One RS remains a perennially popular choice for gravel racing.
These have a low-profile centre section for good rolling resistance, but with long, low-profile side knobs for grip on looser surfaces.
Although similar setups will have been lurking in the packs, Bartholmoes was the only rider we spotted with different front and rear tyres.
What pressures are gravel pros running in 2024?
Tyre pressure varied a lot between riders, with system weight, riding style and fussiness all impacting presure.
For example, despite running the same 46mm-wide Goodyear Connector Ultimate tyres and similar wheels, there was a 9 psi difference between Sam Andrews and SJ Coventry's setups at 36 and 45psi respectively.
Other riders went as low as 26psi with 45mm tyres, with Bartholmoes’ extra-wide tyres at just under 29psi.
Ultimately, personal preference and ground conditions dictate gravel tyre pressure, so there's less to learn from the pros than in other areas.
Plugs, needles and more
Even the best gravel tyre setup is still prone to punctures.
All riders we spoke to carried some form of plug system. Dynaplug and Stan's Dart plugs were the most popular systems.
Two riders we spoke to went further, bringing a needle and thread. This can be used to repair tears too large for tubeless sealant.
Notably, none of the riders we spoke to were running tyre inserts – despite their ability to cushion the ride, reduce the risk of rim damage at lower pressures and offer run-flat capability.
