Does anyone use Panaracer Gravelking Plus SS / Semi Slick

[T4tomo]

I use the SK / Small Knob (not tyres for the self conscious) in their plus version. I should treat the OH's gravel bike, currently being refurbished (separate thread), to a new set of tyres (currently running my cast off kenda small block 8). We're have a upcoming Coast & castle Newcastle to Edinburgh which is mainly on road but has sections of path and mixed surface, and most of our, and definitely her, non road bike stuff is mainly on road or good off-road surface so I'm wondering if she can get away with with semi slicks as they should offer up less rolling resistance than the SKs, which will be helpful for the on road bits she does. She doesn't do any wet or muddy stuff, so it whether the SS's offer up enough grip for light dry offroad.

Has anyone used them and even better if you've also used the SK version too.

Definitely going for the plus version as it has better puncture protection. I did look at Schw G One all rounds, but I'm led to believe they dont roll as well as the SKs anyway and have puncture protection on a par with the non plus gravelkings, and the SK's are a known entity etc.

 

[Ian H]

I have the 38mm slicks on one bike. Really good off-road, surprisingly. I do get the odd puncture on rough surfaces, but I'm running them tubeless so it doesn't really matter that much.

 

[StuAff]

Someone had Gravelkings on the FNRttC last weekend. Definitely not a Plus version, he'd had six punctures by the 25 mile mark. With regards to the G-One Allrounds, they roll very nicely indeed on tarmac. I did get a fairy visit this weekend, but that's after something like 2k miles (with tubes) so I'm not reading too much into that. Certainly up to light dry off-road.

 

[ade towell]

I've got the 42mm semi slick with tubes - which I use on all terrains in the summer - not the plus version and only had one puncture which was on the King Alfreds Way which is notorious for being hard on tyres. With the last 2 dry summers they have been great off road and on, decent rollers with enough grip on the gravel

 

[T4tomo]

Update - fitted the Semi-Slick +'s last week and they got a good test out at the weekend.

The verdict from the OH was that they rolled well and she liked them, so defo a step up on the Kenda SB 8's. I like the look of them, the centre band looks good for road use, but there is enough edge tread for gripping on light off road.

They were a bit of pig to get on new, but coaxed on with liberal use of talc and a tyre lever.
I actually nicked one tube installing them, replaced it with what I thought was a good tube, but actually had a slow puncture, so i replaced that for another (after one ride), albeit with a different length valve and then replace it with a matching tube last night. Only thumbs and talc were involved in the subsequent fittings so they definitely ease up with a couple of removal / refits / rides which is good

 

[Andrew Br]

I'm a bit late to this since you've already bought the tyres but my thoughts:-
I've run both SK and SS 32mm on my (now dead) On One Dirty Disco.
I found that the SS version seemed a little quicker on road but not by enough to offset the extra grip that the SKs give off-road.
Before the death of Disco, I was running a 35mm SK on the front wheel and the 32mm SS on the rear purely to use the SS.
My other bike has 38mm SKs on it; when the time comes I'll probably try 42mm SKs.

My original SKs were the standard version, the SS and the new SKs are the + variant. I can't say that I've noticed any difference.
I haven't run any of the tyres tubeless but it's on the "to do" list.
I've had one puncture on the SS, none on the new SKs. The puncture was caused by a rather large thorn that, I think, would have taken out most tyres this side of a Marathon +.

I found the tyres difficult to fit initially but they come off and go back on very easily now; I don't need to use levers to replace them.

I'm a fan.

 

[T4tomo]

Update - fitted the Semi-Slick +'s last week and they got a good test out at the weekend.

The verdict from the OH was that they rolled well and she liked them, so defo a step up on the Kenda SB 8's. I like the look of them, the centre band looks good for road use, but there is enough edge tread for gripping on light off road.

Verdict from doing Newcastle to Edinburgh on them is they are ideal for the job. Roll lovely on the road and plenty of grip on dry light offroad stuff.