Review: Panaracer GravelKing X1 Tyre

So there I was. Close to midday, caked in dust and sweat at the side of a busy bridleway, frantically worrying that my day was done. I had a spare tube, a CO2 inflator and strong thumbs and a can-do attitude. None of this was any use to me, however – unlike many others on the Stone Circle Gravel ride who had succumbed to curse of the puncture fairy, I was rubbing at my throbbing temples trying to work out why my gears weren’t working.

About three hours into the Jester Route (see reports passim) of this year’s event, and after initially fretting that every pistol-shot of crunchy gravel that pinged into the undergrowth was a sniper bullet to wreck my day, I realised I hadn’t been thinking about flinty death knells and had started looking forward to a nice sit-down and a biscuit at the rapidly approaching feed station.

Back at the start of the year, I had been neglecting my outdoor riding in favour of the less uncomfortable pursuit of recording and uploading videos to use on the Rouvy Training App. As the days got dryer and longer, I thought I’d better get cracking on trying out the Panaracer GravelKing X1 tyres I’d fitted on my Giant Revolt.

Initially, I was worried about my chosen colour – a striking yellow limited edition colourway – but began to realise they were exactly what went really well with my terracotta coloured frame. I’ve never had issues with fitting GravelKings on to my wheels and these were no exception. Of course the generous 47c width meant there was more purchase to be had for pushing, even with my arthritic thumbs. A quick blast from an air line supplied the reassuring crack of bead seating, and I was good to go.

Despite their chunky profile, they weren’t that noisy on tarmac. I rode out to a local section of bridleway to check their off-road abilities and was pleased to learn they easily exceeded my level of talent. The unusually dry spring weather had baked the mud on the hoof pocked trails that, weeks before, would have been boggy and treacherous. The rutted tracks posed no skid risk that the tread couldn’t handle and, although in danger of losing my glasses or biting chunks from my gums, they didn’t prompt and rapid involuntary dismounts.

So, dry performance was good, but what chance had I of testing their credentials in the wet, when the mercury was creeping closer to 30 celsius in the hottest part of the UK? Opportunity knocked in the form of a camping holiday in Northern Ireland, in the northern shadow of the Mourne Mountains. The site I was staying on had a number of good-quality all-weather trails and a reassuring lack of horses – and those that were about had their own dedicated paths.

A couple of good long rides around the estate confirmed my suspicions. Even loose gravel and drenched, peaty singletrack and forest trails were shrugged off with barely a hint squeaky-bumness, and they were particularly impressive climbing on loose and wet shale. A plus point was that all the standing water washed the X1s clean, so they looked pristine travelling back home on the rear of the camper.

Up until then, however, I’d never been more than a few miles away from a rescue and didn’t give much of a thought to their durability. This all changed on the start line of Stone Circle, and was compounded within 10 minutes of being waved away under the bunting. In the Downs between London and Brighton, where I mostly ride, it’s all a bit muddy and dusty. We don’t have any particularly aggressive surfaces – but, lordy, Wiltshire is like spreading the contents of overturned bottle bank on to a BMX track. I cannot recall much of the scenery in the first two hours of that ride and my whole body tensed up every time a climb or descent beckoned, in fear of the inevitable hiss of escaping sealant, spreading an off-white stripe despair either on the trail ahead or up my back.

It never came. Pretty soon, even the facial tic I’d developed in anticipation of a blow-out morphed into a grimace, and then into a smirk and then a smile. I became more confident at hopping over the ridge between ruts without a care, other than to avoid any overhanging brambles. It was only when I’d stopped to check for a reason for my electronic shifter malfunction that I discovered that the spare tube in my tool bottle was not accompanied by any CO2 cartridges, or a regulator. Not that I’d needed them thus far, or worried that I may need them in the run back to the event village.

These are superb gravel tyres. I’ve not tried them in really boggy conditions – to be fair I’d probably have to wait until maybe October before there’s a sniff of significant rainfall round here – but they’ve excelled in every situation I found myself in over the last four months. I do love the colour and I think they fit well with my frame – heads have turned wherever I’ve stopped. Or that could be the sight of me in lycra.

As for longevity, I’ve been running the tyres for about eight months now. Wear is minimal, although the rear tyre is starting to show signs of small cracks around the base of the knobs. Could be related to the colour in the compound? Whatever the case, it’s not affecting the front tyre, nor is it detrimental to grip or rolling speed.

I can’t let this review end without a shout out to JF Frankel’s excellent “Yellow Tires Guy” strip on The Radavist. If you’re on the fence about rocking a set of shouty coloured tyres, check it out – and free the yellow tire guy inside.

The GravelKing X1 is close to perfect for any ride I have done. Fast rolling on tarmac, grippy in the wet and tenacious on loose, rocky or rooty singletrack – and, so far, damned near bullet-proof over filthy, flinty or hard gravel.

Panaracer GravelKing X1 TLR – €74.99, www.panaracer.eu