Engineered with more coarse North American gravel race routes in mind, the Teravail Cannonball impressed on test with a supremely easy tubeless set-up, generous grip and great puncture protection, even in challenging conditions.
Sharing the same tread pattern as the wider 2.1/2.2in Sparwood tyre, the Cannonball features a tight, directional centre tread in a ramped chevron pattern.
This is flanked by a more widely-spaced series of diamond knobs, and then more prominent L-shaped knobs complete the shoulder tread.
Designed as a gravel racing all-rounder, there’s a fast-rolling centre and plenty of tread on the shoulders for cornering. Choose between ‘Light & Supple’ or ‘Durable’ casing.
Teravail Cannonball performance
If there were prizes going, Teravail would win one for the easiest tubeless set-up.
The first tyre seated instantly using a compressed air canister aid so I tried the second with just a track pump, which inflated and seated with no drama at all.
The Cannonball tyres did come up a little shy of 42mm though, with the more aggressive shoulder knobs giving the widest point.
On the ride, the Cannonballs deliver a staggering level of grip over a wide range of conditions. Even some of the wettest August weather couldn’t put a dampener on this rubber, as they hook up well through slimy mud and splashing through unexpected puddles.
If you’re in the market for an out-and-out winter gravel tyre then of course there will be more favourable options, but for a solid all-rounder, the Cannonball is hard to beat.
In drier conditions, the tyre performs as you’d expect, giving oodles of confidence at speed and through corners. It’s no slouch on the road either, when it comes to linking up off-road sections on the tarmac.
The only place I could fault the tyres would be the weight, where the claimed and actual weights varied significantly, and even between tyres.
Having said this, I’d rate puncture protection and all-terrain performance more highly than sheer weight when it comes to choosing a new tyre. I did also pull out a thorn when I took off the tyres and I hadn’t noticed any loss of pressure during the ride.
Lastly, I do enjoy the understated branding of Teravail tyres, and the Cannonball is no exception.
Teravail Cannonball bottom line
Dependable, grippy and easy to use, the Teravail Cannonball tyres are a brilliant option at a mid-range price.
If you were planning to ride harsher terrain or bikepack, I’d suggest the £5 extra for the durable casing option.
How we tested
Tyre choice has a fundamental impact on how your gravel bike rides, so we put seven of the latest and best-selling gravel tyres to the test to find out which offers the best grip, speed and puncture protection over the rough stuff.
Keeping things consistent, all of the testing was done on the same bike – a steel, custom-built Mercredi – and on the same wheelset, WTB’s new carbon CZR i23 gravel wheelset featuring 23mm internal rim widths.
The criteria for selecting the tyres to test was a wheel size of 700c and a tyre width between 38mm and 45mm.
Tyres were set up using a track pump and Schwalbe Tire Booster, before heading out onto a local testing loop as well as various gravel races and events.
The local testing loop around Bristol included a real mix of terrain, from gravel tracks to hardpack dirt, grassy banks, rooty singletrack and tarmac, and each set of tyres was tested in wet and dry conditions.
For more tyre recommendations, check out our list of the best gravel bike tyres tried and tested by the BikeRadar team.
Also on test
Product
| Brand | teravail |
| Price | 53.00 EUR,50.00 GBP,55.00 USD |
| Weight | 450.0000, GRAM (700c x 42mm) - claimed |
Features
| br_TPI | 60 |
| Features | Sizes available: 700c x 35, 38, 42, 47mm and 650b x 40, 47mm Colours: Black or tan sidewall options Tyre: Tubeless compatible |
