Tyres for hard packed trail

mcstumpy

Hi

Sorry, as I know from various searches this is a common question, but I would appreciate current view.

As an unfit 40 something I dusted off my old hybrid bike a couple of years ago to ride the trails and roads around my house.

I've just this week bought a Triban 540 road bike, fitted with hutchinson equinox 25mm tyres. I've had a couple of spins on the road and I'm loving it. But as part of of my preferred loop there is a 5 mile section of old railway track that is a mix of hard packed gravel and dirt.

Are my current tyres going to cope with that surface without ruining them or the bike, or coming a cropper? Is there a better tyre for that surface that will still roll well on the road?

Thanks

*just read about these, could be what I'm looking for? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/panaracer-gravel-king-folding-road-tyre/

dj58

Yes those would be a good start, however IIRC your bike will take a 32mm wide tyre without mudguards so you could go for the 32mm Gravel King http://www.panaracer.com/road.php

arlowood

Another option is the Michelin Pro4 Endurance in 28mm. These fares pretty well in a Cycling Weekly review

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/tyres/michelin-pro4-endurance-tyres

Available from Ribble for ~£25 each

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Michelin-Pro-4-Endurance-V2-Folding-Tyre-Blk-Blk-700x28mm/MICHTYRF150?utm_campaign=Googlebase&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=Googlebase&geoip=UK&gclid=Cj0KEQjwl6GuBRD8x4G646HX7ZYBEiQADGnzuhdy6LAYlJ3TwNTWRIjBPa_7CLd1ewluN4fYST93RX0aAl8N8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

ugo.santalucia

if you can take 32, then you want a pair of Vittoria XN

bendertherobot

You can! The 540 has huge clearance. Enough for 32. Shame it won't do 35 as the Clement XPlor USH are very good. May well be my most conditions CX tyre this year.

ugo.santalucia

... or michelin Jet

mcstumpy

Thanks all, appreciate the advice. Yes, the 540 can take up to 32 mm.

The trail I mention would usually be part of my training run, but I am looking to try my first sportive now I have the road bike, eyeing up a 70k run at the end of September. Ideally a 25mm tyre that works well on the hard trail but would also be fine for the road sportive is what I'm after but I appreciate that's probably too big an ask. Perhaps sensible thing to do is have 2 sets of tyres for training loop and road sportive and swap them over?