Panaracer Gravelking SK Tubeless Gravel Tire (Black/Brown) (700c) (32mm) (Folding)

PHENOMENAL TIRE! My bike (Lynskey) came with 40mm Kenda's that had very small & low central knobs and moderate shoulder knobs. There was a transition point as you cornered, where the shoulder knobs would catch. I ride around Asheville, NC on some pavement but mostly gravel/dirt at Bent Creek, Pisgah, etc that can get gnarly, and this tire concept seemed to make sense. I just replaced them with the green/gummy Panaracer GravelKing SK tubeless tires (43mm). Most of me got them because of positive reviews, Youngblood's strong recommendation, and I loved the Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo on my steel hardtails of yesteryore. A bit of me got them because they were green with gummy sidewalls (let's be honest) - I knew they would look kick ass with brushed ti and my honey B17! I had a hard time believing the tread pattern would be an upgrade, instead thinking I would gain on smooth surfaces but lose in the rough stuff - all the while riding awesome looking tires. I rode them today at Bent Creek after some rain and I LOVE these tires! The extra width allows you to run a slightly lower pressure, resulting in a great ride: 1) The jarring chatter is dampened without any perceptible reduction in rolling efficiency (we are riding on dirt after all). 2) The contact patch is generous and I just had confidence in the grip throughout the turn instead of waiting for the shoulder knobs to catch and having my mind on what my tires were doing. Before I was more aware of my tires - with these you just forget they are there and enjoy the ride! They are predictable as to when they might slide, and do so somewhat gracefully. I was riding with someone on 27"/650 wheels with 2.1" tires and he is usually faster on the downhills but this time we were equal. I had so much more confidence with these tires but felt no loss of efficiency on dirt. I suspect on pavement they're less efficient, but for me that point is moot - I like to ride my gravel bike on gravel, so I prefer tires optimized for dirt.

My only complaint - Panaracer should make the green tires available permanently!