The Teravail Updraft Light and Supple is a fast rolling and grippy tyre for hardpacked, dry surfaces and really comes into its own if your route has you hopping between the trails and the road. This long-term review has found it to be a durable, fast rolling tyre with a supple ride quality.
I received these Updraft tyres back in September 2025 and due to the typical UK weather conditions – i.e. wet with muddy gravel trails as a result – they got limited use. Even on hardpacked paths, like my local canal path, I needed something with a bit more grip until the sun turned up.
During the winter months, I used them mostly on rural country lanes where they suited the broken tarmac and a surface that was more grit and gravel than smooth asphalt. The Teravails stood up well to the detritus coated roads, even in the wet, with no damage to the tyre compound or side walls. Considering how bad the roads can get around here, I’ll admit I was impressed.
If you wanted to boost reliability though, Teravail also offers the Updraft in a ‘Durable’ casing option with more robust sidewalls.
With a smoothish mid-section, the Updrafts roll well on the road, and they have a compliant feel to them thanks to their 120TPI construction.
Teravail has used its ‘Fast’ compound rubber which has a grippy feel to it. On steep, wet climbs I didn’t have any wheelspin when out of the saddle, and when cornering the grip gave plenty of confidence for a gravel tyre.
With raised tread on the shoulders, you won’t be banking these tyres over on the road, so high-speed technical descending is definitely reserved for off-road shenanigans.
The Updraft is a gravel race tyre though, so performance there is what really matters and it’s very good.
It comes in a range of widths of 35mm, 40mm, 45mm and 50mm so it’ll suit a lot of different bikes and riding styles. The narrower two options will work well on allroad bikes, and those larger ones will suit the most modern of gravel machines.
The 45mm option we have here weighs 508g, so about 30g lighter than the Maxxis Rambler HYPR-X EXO we reviewed recently, and a whopping 86g lighter than the similarly designed Hutchinson Caracal Race tyre.
From a fitting point of view Teravail recommends an inner rim width of at least 25mm, so fitting them to the majority of gravel wheels (there are always exceptions) should be as easy as I found it. Setting them up tubeless just took a standard track pump and a bit of thumb pressure.
As the weather improved, and the trails dried out, the Updrafts became my go-to for quick blasts on the gravel.
My gravel testing route runs around a military firing range with the bulk of it made up of large aggregate tracks used for the transit of military vehicles. It’s far from smooth, but it is hardpacked and the Updrafts worked really well, and definitely felt quick.
The suppleness of their build soaked up the bumps and I was surprised by how well they transmit feedback from the surface to the contact points of the bike. This meant that I had loads of confidence to really push the speed on the downhills and the pronounced tread on the shoulders had a decent amount of bite through the bends.
Moving away from that surface onto dry chalk and grass again, the Updrafts felt secure and surefooted. Even the short sections of woodland singletrack were handled with ease thanks to the shoulder tread biting in on the corners.
Basically, anywhere it is dry and hardpacked, the Updrafts fly.
On any route though you are likely to encounter a loose surface and while the 45mm width of these test tyres allowed them to float over the top of larger aggregate, on anything small or deep they’ll start to scrabble around for purchase.
If your typical routes are of the smooth and compact variety, or you want some fast summer gravel tyres, then these are definitely going to be a great option – albeit quite a pricey choice at £69.99 a tyre.
Those Hutchinson tyres I mentioned earlier are £54.99, while Specialized’s Pathfinder TLR Fast Gravel tyres are £45.
The Teravails aren’t quite as extreme as the Vittoria Terreno Pro T50 Mixed Grave Race tyres though at £85 a throw.
While the initial outlay might well be a chunk of cash, it is offset by the fact that the Updrafts seem to be robust and reliable. After about 700 miles of use they still look in great nick, especially the rear which is showing no real signs of wear on its centre section.
I’ve had no issues with punctures throughout the year either.
Conclusion
If speed and low weight are your ultimate goals then these will be a great choice for the drier months, especially if some of your gravel riding takes you onto the roads for a bit. The ride feel is great, they balance durability with a minimalist design well and they are easy to fit.
The only drawback for me is the price, although they aren’t alone in that.
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
For sustained speed on gravel roads and race courses, Updraft is a clear winner. Our gravel race tyre features a fast-rolling modern file tread down the centre to maximise acceleration and speed on hard-pack gravel, while supportive shoulder knobs provide assurance through loose and unpredictable corners.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
120 TPI tubeless-ready casing delivers a compliant ride with minimal weight
Centre file tread minimises rolling resistance for easier acceleration and sustained speed
Shoulder knobs are raised and staggered for traction and tactile feedback when cornering
Fast rubber compound reduces rolling resistance for better acceleration and sustained speed
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
There are a couple of similar options available for less, as mentioned in the review, but the Teravails aren’t quite as extreme as something like the Vittoria Terreno Pro T50s.
Any comments about ride quality? Are they comfortable? Do they feel especially quick, or slow?:
Supple ride quality regardless of the surface type.
How easy were the tyres to fit? If you ran them tubeless, how easy was that to set up?:
Setting them up tubeless was very easy. They went onto the rim with ease and inflated with just a standard track pump. Teravail recommends fitting them to wheels with an inner rim of 25mm and above.
Did you have any punctures during testing?:
No.
How have the tyres worn? Is there obvious tread wear after testing? How are the sidewalls?:
The tyres are looking in really good condition after about 700 miles of use on a range of surfaces. Wear looks to be limited on the rear, and overall durability has impressed me.
Tell us more about grip. How are the tyres in different conditions?:
With a smooth central tread, these are intended for hardpacked gravel and they work well. The tread on the shoulders does offer some bite if needed, especially in the corners.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Use this box to explain your overall score
While their cost is a big initial outlay, you do get an impressive ride feel and plenty of durability from the Updrafts.
