Panaracer GravelKing EXT+ TLC folding tyre

The Panaracer GravelKing EXT+ TLC copes with British conditions really well thanks to a deeper tread than the rest of the range and increased puncture protection. They are well priced too, but wider sizes would be welcome.

I've used pretty much the whole range of these tyres, from the GravelKing Slicks to the SK Small Knobs (stop giggling at the back) and the Semi Slick in between.

They are all great tyres, but due to their lack of tread depth are kind of limited to dry conditions only. By contrast, the EXT+ has a tread around 2.5mm which can cope when the going is soft. A lot of by-ways and the like are a mixture of gravel and mud so can get slippery in the wet, and these have enough bite to still get traction in all but the sloppiest of conditions.

On the flat and the climbs they minimise wheelspin by shedding mud quickly, and the side knobs dig in on the corners giving plenty of confidence to let the bike go and have some fun.

I mainly used them on my favourite loop, which takes in gravel (obviously), grass, mud and clay, and there I found the EXTs very competent. Wet chalk was probably their toughest challenge and while they still slipped around a bit, they were better than a lot of gravel tyres. The quick tread clearance is the main factor.

Rolling

At some point you'll probably find yourself riding on the road to string together your gravel sections, and these roll well enough. The middle tread zings along well on the hard surface and, while you lose some purchase in the bends compared to a standard slick, the ZSG (Zero Slip Grip) compound is soft enough you don't have to worry about them sliding out.

At 38mm they're wide enough not to sink in soft conditions, but I'd like to see some wider options: 38mm, 35mm and 33mm are the only choices. For my gravel routes I find 40mm about right, and 45mm even better, especially in the winter.

Puncture protection

For puncture protection these use AX, which Panaracer says is an extremely narrow cord woven at super-high densities into the casing, and improves resistance to cuts and abrasions. Also, there is ProTite Shield + Plus (yes really, they're obviously double-plus good), which is a reinforcing material wrapped around the whole tyre. That also protects the sidewalls as well as the main tread.

In practice I found these tyres very robust and durable. Various sections of my rides had seen hedge trimming activity, and I never had any issues with punctures or cuts.

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The TLC part means they are tubeless compatible, and I found them simple to fit to a range of wheels using both hooked and hookless rims. The sidewalls wept a tiny bit of sealant after inflation, but taking them straight out for a ride saw them seal up quickly – after that I only had to top them up with air once a week.

Value

At £54.99 these are within a fiver of the Maxxis Ravagers, which Jo described as 'sturdy rufty-tufty proper off-road gravel tyres.'

Schwalbe's G-One Ultrabite is cheaper at £43.99, but Jamie wasn't massively impressed, saying they are heavy (571g versus 474g for the Panaracers) and slow rolling.

Overall

While personally I'd like some wider options, I still really rate the EXT+ TLC gravel tyres for year round use in the UK.

Verdict

Limited width options, but they work really well on wet, slippery gravel trails