Get wider tyres they said..Impression of Gravelkings X1+
A disclaimer
This post is about my experience upgrading my tyres on my gravel/commuter bike and initial impression with the Panaracer Gravelking X1+.
Just giving my impression and looking for feedback, encouragement to keep going I suppose.. — info dump below
My original tires came with my bike which was Schwalbe CX Comp 38 mm and I “upgraded” to the Gravelkings X1+ for a fair bit of money.
Having been bike commuting since September I have really enjoyed leaving the car at home and slugging it last autumn and winter in UK weather.
This forum was a big part of helping me to make the change and I am grateful for all the positive people here who encourage and promote cycling as a way of transport. And for all the positive voices on the questions I asked here (including the infamous 4 hour tyre change post with Frankenstein bike holder)
The Tyre change
The biggest upgrade to your bike that you can make is tires and wheels. This is what I kept reading so I looked forward to a bit of a transformation, perhaps 😅
So my bike ride was generally fine and quick feeling with the CX comp but after three flat tyres (tube) at the back within six months I knew I needed a better tyre with some protection. Every YouTube channel on bikes seems to be promoting wider tyres and being a newbie I fell for the trap hearing things like better traction, better roll, more comfort etc and the Panaracer came highly regarded (with experts claiming it rolls equally good on tarmac as on gravel)
I decided going from 38 to 40 wasn’t such a big deal but didn’t take into account other factors such as the width of the tire, the weight and the feel.
Making it short, I’ve noticed how on the Gravelkings I seem to roll much better, it’s slightly more dampening of the road, and I appear to be quicker on the road (rough undulating gritty pothole infested roads)
However I “feel”heavier and don’t like the ride feel with these tires, missing the feel of my old Schwalbe CX comp which felt more nippy.
Kinda like going from a go cart to a big suv.
It’s such a weird phenomenon for me, feeling heavier but being quicker.. but ultimately I think I have buyers remorse with these, it is early days though..