Tires for Riding on Gravel?

[belrix]

I live in the country and would like to be more comfortable riding my NC700X down gravel. I've had my bike a couple months and have only managed 600 miles. I live down a gravel road and my NC700X is unsettling to ride on gravel, tires are stock Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact's. I would like to be comfortable on gravel, my area has lots of reclaimed mine land to explorer, but it is only accessible via gravel roads.

I've been reading all I can in the forums about tire options and believe I have narrowed it down, but I am fairly ignorant and I know I might missed some good options.

I am thinking about the Shinko 705's but don't know if I want to go with a non-standard size or the Pirelli MT60R's.

Any and all advise is greatly appreciated!

brian

 

[TrackCage]

See this thread for tons of tire choices based on your on road / off road preferences http://nc700-forum.com/forum/tire-tech-talk/4984-tires-fit-nc700.html

 

[2brnut2b]

I've been very satisfied my first set of Continental TKC-80. On an off/road. My next tires will be TKC-80 again.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I like the Continental TKC 80 front and rear also, when I know I will be on a trip with a lot of off rode riding. I have now consumed two full sets of TKC 80. As they wear the front tire does cause vibrations. But I do get good tire mileage from these off road tires. For street just can not beat the value of the Continental Motion tire.

 

[2brnut2b]

I like the Continental TKC 80 front and rear also, when I know I will be on a trip with a lot of off rode riding. I have now consumed two full sets of TKC 80. As they wear the front tire does cause vibrations. But I do get good tire mileage from these off road tires. For street just can not beat the value of the Continental Motion tire.

A friend told me he turn his front tire at half life. This reduce the vibrations he says...I'll give a try next spring...for now NC sleep deaply for the next 4 months.

 

[670cc]

A friend told me he turn his front tire at half life. This reduce the vibrations he says...I'll give a try next spring...for now NC sleep deaply for the next 4 months.

I don't know about TKC80s, but most motorcycle tires are direction and front/rear specific. Reversing the direction of the tire alters the way water is squished out from under the contact patch. Proceed at you own high risk.

Tire balance changes with wear. It probably is wise to re-balance them at their half life.

For another point, see below:

Tires Directional Arrows Explained By Avon Tyres
Published by Cyril Huze August 23rd, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Wheels.

Before we can talk about directional arrows you must first understand a bit about tread patterns. There are many different tread patterns but there is one main reason to have any tread and that is to disperse water. (dust, dirt)

A tread pattern can be designed to disperse more water by making it rotate in only one direction. Thus, the need for directional arrows. The arrow tells you which way to mount a tire for maximum water dispersal. Another, less apparent reason for directional arrows is the tread splice.

What is a tread splice? When a tire is manufactured the tread portion of the tire starts out as a long flat strip. This strip is wrapped around the tire and the two ends are cut on an angle so one end overlaps the other rather than having square cut ends.

This overlapping point or splice offers a bigger surface area to bond together, rather than the small surface area provided by square cut ends. (Imagine gluing your fingertips together, as opposed to gluing along the entire length of your fingers laid on top of each other. Like an angled splice, the overlapping fingers result in a much stronger bond).

To further ensure the strength of this bond along the tread splice the directional arrow will show you which way to mount the tire so that when the rider is “on the gas”; the acceleration force on the rear tire is pressing the splice together, rather than peeling it back.

As for braking, 80 % of the braking should take place in the front on most bikes. Therefore, the front tread splice is run in the opposite direction than that of the rear, so when the rider is on the brakes, he’s not peeling the tread splice back.

If you are using a tire that has a directional arrow for rear rotation only and for some reason you want to put it on the front, make sure it is rotating in the opposite direction so you don’t aggravate the tread splice. Avon Tyres.
- See more at: http://cyrilhuzeblog.com/2009/08/23...explained-by-avon-tyres/#sthash.4a9DehhW.dpuf

 

[belrix]

Thanks for all the feedback, it really helps a newbie like me!

So I guess running a 120/90 tube-type Heidenau K60 Scout front tire won't work?

brian

 

[L.B.S.]

Thanks for all the feedback, it really helps a newbie like me!

So I guess running a 120/90 tube-type Heidenau K60 Scout front tire won't work?

brian

A 120/90 will have a fairly higher profile (sidewall height) than the OEM 120/70, so it may interfere with the fender, and need a fender raising project before you could ride, but that's just speculation on my part. The peeps here who have put chunky high profile front tires on their NC's (Shinkos I think?) have had good success with a carefully measured fender relocation brackets, so it's nothing to have worry excessively about, at least.

I'm another extremely happy dude with TKC80 front and rear tires, so personally I can't say if any other knobbies are better/worse than what I am familiar with.

 

[belrix]

Thanks again for the replies! I spent last night reading and reviewing tires options and opinions and have decided on the TKC80's front and rear!

I also played hockey from work after lunch and rode several miles of gravel and for some reason I was handling it much better. I actually enjoyed it!

 

[2brnut2b]

A 120/90 will have a fairly higher profile (sidewall height) than the OEM 120/70, so it may interfere with the fender, and need a fender raising project before you could ride, but that's just speculation on my part. The peeps here who have put chunky high profile front tires on their NC's (Shinkos I think?) have had good success with a carefully measured fender relocation brackets, so it's nothing to have worry excessively about, at least.

I'm another extremely happy dude with TKC80 front and rear tires, so personally I can't say if any other knobbies are better/worse than what I am familiar with.

1.9 inche more in diameter...not negligeable this will eat the fender

 

[TrackCage]

how many miles do you think you get out of the tkc80's? what percent of those were on/off road?

I like the Continental TKC 80 front and rear also, when I know I will be on a trip with a lot of off rode riding. I have now consumed two full sets of TKC 80. As they wear the front tire does cause vibrations. But I do get good tire mileage from these off road tires. For street just can not beat the value of the Continental Motion tire.

 

[Nortwestrider]

Thanks for all the feedback, it really helps a newbie like me!

So I guess running a 120/90 tube-type Heidenau K60 Scout front tire won't work?

brian

I believe the 120 scout is a rear tire,it will not handle well at all in the front.Look at the tread pattern of the rear scout compared to the front scout.I get around 15,000 miles out the rear K60 and 12,000 + out of the front TKC.




Live life,be yourself !!!!.

 

[L.B.S.]

I believe the 120 scout is a rear tire,it will not handle well at all in the front.Look at the tread pattern of the rear scout compared to the front scout.I get around 15,000 miles out the rear K60 and 12,000 + out of the front TKC.




Live life,be yourself !!!!.

That's the one, clear, undeniable advantage the Scout rear has over the TKC, the phenomenal mileage potential!

I will count myself very lucky if I get say, 10,000 +/- miles out of my TKC rear tire. Most likely I will swap out long before that number, as I have a brand new one sitting and ready to go, in my living room, lol

Trackcage- for me, a theoretical 10K mile number would be about 80/20 on/off, if only due to the darned highway distances I rode to get to the non pavement places the past few trips. Unless I only do tons of short trips within a few hundred miles of home, I'm looking at a lot of pavement riding before getting to the places I want to go, as deliberately staying off pavement all the way to my destinations, I'd simply run out of holiday time because the going would be too difficult/impossible to do, on an NCX.

 

[Old Can Ride]

With the TKC I get about 8,000 on the front before the front end vibrations start, and about 10,000 on the rear.

 

[roborider]

I've got Shinko 705's front and rear and find them very good on the gravel. But I don't know yet how long they'll wear.

Roborider - NC700x - Southwest Virginia

 

[gboswellsac]

Delete this post... Thanks