U.S. Gravel Nationals: Which Tires?
In recent weeks, we got a lot of questions about tire choice for the upcoming U.S. Gravel National Championships in Minnesota. Nationals are not just for pro racers, who tend to be sponsored and thus limited in their tire choices. The best age group racers are lining up as well—and they chose their equipment based on what they think will work best. They’ve got experience, and they’ve seen many fads come and go. Many of them have been riding Rene Herse tires for years, and they asked which tires in our line-up we’d recommend.
The obvious person to ask is Jenna Rinehart. She’s a Minnesota native, and she’s raced here for decades. Here’s her take:
“I plan to ride either the 44 mm Corkscrew Climb or the 48 mm Poteau Mountain tires in the Extralight casing. We have pretty smooth gravel here in southern Minnesota, so I would recommend either Extralight or Standard casing tires. There may be some fresh gravel in spots on the course, but it is usually not sharp rock. I think the semi-slick tread pattern will be perfect for the course, which includes longer pavement sections and high-speed gravel downhills where grip is essential.”
We also asked Brennan Wertz, the 2024 Gravel National Champion, for his perspective as a powerful, heavy rider in the hard-charging pro men’s peloton. Here’s his take:
“For nationals, last year I ran the 44 mm Corkscrew Climb Endurance casing. I thought that was a great setup, and I will most likely have the same setup this year. The course is a bit too technical and has too many sharp, loose corners to get away with the slicks. I know the course is slightly different this year, but based on my extensive pre-riding and time spent in the region last year, I think the Corkscrew Climb or Poteau Mountain would be the two best options for most people. If someone want to be a bit safer and opt for a bit more traction, then the full knobbies would also be a choice.”
Two independent opinions. (We didn’t tell Jenna and Brennan what the other rider recommended.) The same recommendation: either 44 mm or 48 mm semi-slicks. Whether you run the Endurance or the Extralight casing depends on your weight and riding style. If you’re hard on your tires, the Endurance is the best choice. If you want the ultimate in speed, you’ll be happy with the Extralights. If your budget is tight, the Standard casing is remarkably supple and fast, with good puncture resistance, too. Jenna won the Lifetime Lutsen 99er on the Standard casing, proving that it, too, has race-winning speed.
Just as important as your tire choice is the pressure: Use our updated Tire Pressure Calculator 3.0 to figure out which pressure rolls fastest for your weight, your bike, and your terrain. Most of all, good luck to all the racers, no matter which tires you run!
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