Help me decide between two tyres........

[rabbit]

Right, my new gravel bikey has proper gravel tyres on, which is great for the offroadey stuff here but not so great for the long tarmac miles of audax.

I only have one wheelset but I don't mind swapping tyres.

I am hoping to get back to regular audaxing over the next few months, and have booked into Mr Blacksheep's Drover's Roads in June and then the Salisbury Old Roads and Drove Roads in August - both are on mixed terrain with various off road sections (although the majority will be tarmac).

I am also keen to do some standard road only audax events.

Tyres are so darned expensive or I would buy both the following, but I really can't afford both sets. So, do I go for:

1)  the Schwalbe G-One RS https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Schwalbe-G-One-RS-11654390

or

2) The continental GP5000 in 32s?   https://cambriantyresb2b.co.uk/Catalogue/Road/Grand-Prix-5000S-TR-R14

The G-one is a semi slick and, according to bike rolling resistance, has a higher rolling resistance and, surprisingly, less puncture resistance, than the GP5000.

So the GP5000 seems to be faster all round/ require less of my limited watts to keep them rolling over big distances I haven't done for many years.

But I'm not sure if the GP5000 will be enough for the off road sections of these audaxes?

And I would be able to run the G-One on some other gravel events - unless they are particularly off-road/wet, in which case I'll have proper knobbilies on

Would be interested in opinions - particularly from anyone who has run the G-One Rs tyres.

[freeflow]

For reference I've done the Old Roads and Drove Roads (several times - including the time we rode over newly laid half bricks) on Vittoria Hypers  which are 3mm rubber .  Only one visitation coming out of Imber where the front tyre was well and truly pierced by a rusty nail.  Where that nail came from in the middle of nowhere I've no idea.

[FifeingEejit]

FWIW I semi-regularly batter along farm tracks on 28mm (more like 30) GP4Season and have also done so on 32mm GP5000s

They're fine for that though more width wouldn't go a miss.

[quixoticgeek]

I run 32mm gp5k on my bike. They struggle in sand, but I have no issues with them on former off road stuff. Last year's winner of RaTN gravel edition did so on 28mm gp5k.

J

[rabbit]

Ahh, thanks all.

I am minded toward the GP5000s, even more so now with the input from here 

[Frank9755]

I think that's the best decision. 

FWIW I used GP5000 for the Transcontinental in 2022.  They stood up fine to the off-road sections with no major cuts or anything.  Of course they have no tread so you have influence rather than control over steering in anything loose, but I'm sure you know that.  I think I probably used them for the Drovers' Roads a few weeks before and they were fine for that. 

I wouldn't use G-One or similar unless it was maybe 40%+ gravel

[Woofage]

I have Schwalbe G-One Speed 40mm, owing to my inability to check properly what I was ordering (I meant to choose another in the G-One range  ). I'm not sorry though as they're a great tyre: low rolling resistance on tarmac but perfectly fine on off-road surfaces. Crap in sticky mud though, as I found out on a recent Peddars Way ride but I think all but the chunkiest knobblies would have struggled there. Ditto sand, but you'd need a fat bike for some of the trails in this region.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Bicycle rolling resistance says that none of the G-one tyres have low rolling resistance. https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews/compare/continental-grand-prix-5000-as-tr-35-vs-schwalbe-g-one-rs-35-vs-schwalbe-g-one-speed

Conti GP 5000 comes out on top

[Morat]

OTOH, thanks to this thread I just found a G-One in Tubeless/30mm for £35 from Fawkes cycles. This is good news for me as I know they fit under my too-tight mudguards and last time I looked they were £70!

[rabbit]

I think that's the best decision. 

FWIW I used GP5000 for the Transcontinental in 2022.  They stood up fine to the off-road sections with no major cuts or anything.  Of course they have no tread so you have influence rather than control over steering in anything loose, but I'm sure you know that.  I think I probably used them for the Drovers' Roads a few weeks before and they were fine for that. 

I wouldn't use G-One or similar unless it was maybe 40%+ gravel

I had almost changed again and asked rhe bike shop to order the g ones 

Now I'm stuck GP5000 TR S in 32 or the GP5000 all seasons in 35 mm 

WHY IS THIS SO HARD? 

[Frank9755]

I think that's the best decision. 

FWIW I used GP5000 for the Transcontinental in 2022.  They stood up fine to the off-road sections with no major cuts or anything.  Of course they have no tread so you have influence rather than control over steering in anything loose, but I'm sure you know that.  I think I probably used them for the Drovers' Roads a few weeks before and they were fine for that. 

I wouldn't use G-One or similar unless it was maybe 40%+ gravel

I had almost changed again and asked rhe bike shop to order the g ones 

Now I'm stuck GP5000 TR S in 32 or the GP5000 all seasons in 35 mm 

WHY IS THIS SO HARD? 

Sorry for messing you up!  I expect either would be fine.  Tyres have come on a lot over the last decade. 

FWIW I use the fastest GP5000s for ultras and they have always been fine - although I realise there are risks with fast tyres (and also with slow tyres) so do carry tubes and something I can boot with if need be (eg a £5 note) as I have had to do that twice in the last 10 years.

[rabbit]

Thanks Frank - really appreciate the input.

My biggest worry, other than wasting unnecessary watts, is getting a flat on the tubeless tyres. I am not even sure my hands are strong enough to get a tyre off my new rims.

I have finally made a decision. I've gone with the 35 mm GP5000 TR AS (all seasons) because

1) although more rolling resistance than the GP5000TR S, it is only a few watts
2) I have a habit of hitting stuff and the higher puncture resistance is very appealing
3) they come in 35 mm and we all know, bigger is definitely better on the comfort front. The watts I loose running the AS instead of the S will be made up in my longevity because of comfort, I hope.
4) I will be able to run them for winter audaxes no problem on our shitty lanes

[Frank9755]

I'm sure they will be great - and a few watts will not be noticeable on an audax!

As I'm sure you know, it's about tyre / rim combination and some tyres work OK on some rims but are impossible on others - but hard to find out before you test them. I found the first generation of GP5000 tubeless were near-impossible to get off my rims, so I had to put them on some old wheels, but I have no problem with the newer ones.

I laugh about strong hands as, last year, I had a sidewall blowout when descending on a tandem at the end of a long ride (Schwalbe Pro Ones).  Neither my stoker nor I could get the tyre off to fix it.  Luckily a big, strong guy with massive hands walked past while we were struggling and saved the day!

[rabbit]

I laugh about strong hands as, last year, I had a sidewall blowout when descending on a tandem at the end of a long ride (Schwalbe Pro Ones).  Neither my stoker nor I could get the tyre off to fix it.  Luckily a big, strong guy with massive hands walked past while we were struggling and saved the day!

I wonder if I could fit a bit strong guy in my panniers....