Our tyre of choice for gravel riding, regardless of the bike we're using is nearly always a Vittoria Mezcal. This article isn't intended to be a review of many different tyres from diffierent brands, but rather our experience of the Mezcal on everything from a Whyte Saxon Cross, GT Grade, Topstone, XC 29ers to YT Jeffsy 140mm full suspension trail bike dressed in XC rubber. Gravel tyre - what is the best width? Given the range of bikes we use the tyre on, it may come as no surprise that the Mezcal comes in a wide range of sizes, from a 700c / 35mm to 29" 2.6 XC MTB tyres. https://www.vittoria.com/ww/en/tyres/mtb-xc/mezcal NB We don't sell tyres, there's no paid promotion or affiliate links. We just happen to use these tyres, because we like them. If we tried other optios, we may blog about those too! Why we use the Mezcal? Other tyre / brands are available too!
Firstly, let's understand what the Mezcal is designed for. It's nominally a dry weather tyre, that's fast rolling (very fast as we'll see later), that is good on mixed terrain with exception of mud. We don't have much rain here, so mud is rare. We don't do frozen either in the Valencian region, so again not a issue. We do have, dry, dusty, rocky and loose over hardpack trails. Lots of them. We also have myriad fire-roads and gravel routes.
We first came across the Mezcal when riding with locals and then wanting to purchase new tyres from our local bike shops upon our arrival here in 2018. For most XC and light trail riding, the Maxxis Minion and Onza Ibex tyres were overkill and were frankly a positive hindrence on the long non-technical climbs, where we can rack up 1000m of elevation in 16km. We were quickly pointed towards the Geax Mezcal, as it was known back then.
Mountain biking is big here, especially lycra clad mountain biking on skinny hardtails sporting 26" wheels to the latest 29ers carbon race rockets. XCM is racing big here, with several professional teams based in Ontinyent. And latterly gravel bike riding and racing is becoming extremely popular, with many races being hosted in region. People are riding and racing the same trails on MTBs and gravel bikes, that they've been riding since the days when 26" were cutting edge.
Today, the Mezcal tyre is an extremely popular and great value option for everything from gravel bikes like our GT Grades and Cannondale Topstone's to our hardtail and full-suspension MTB's. We'd definitely consider ourselves converts and have extensive experience, across the entire range of widths available., excluding 2.6.
The Mezcal is very fast tyre, with a low profile and decent corner traction when the bike is leaned over. On our dry trails, we're riding confidently with the grip on offer, happy with low rolling resistance on road and trail and appreciate it's consistency and predictability. Life span is good across the range too.
Interestingly, Vittoria list the Mezcal on their site as an MTB tyre and it's supplied on many new gravel bikes from the likes of Cannondale, GT, NS Bikes and others.
35c and 38c Mezcal as Gravel Tyres
We find ourselves covering many of the same sections of trails on our gravel bike as we do hard our XC MTB's and the Whyte Saxon Cross we were riding, fitted with skinnier cyclocross centric Maaxis Raze tyres or Schwalbe G-Ones were fine, up to a point. However, the Mezcals offered a bit more volume, they blow up wider than the stated 35mm on our wheels. This means, we run them at a little lower pressure, for more grip and trail comfort. The difference is weight isn't noticeable and the performance on tarmac and hardpack, smooth gravel is very good indeed. Our fleet of GT Grades now run with Mezcal 38c tyres. We had tried swapping them over to road tyres for a little more speed and battery life to get a little more distance, but it's honestly not been worth the hassle. The Mezcals are more than good enough for this kind of usage too. For the less experienced cyclists hiring these bikes, the extra volume and comfort is greatly appreciated. They blow up to measure just over 40c,
40c and 45c Mezcal as Gravel Tyres
We use the bigger variety for the Topstone Lefty and GT Grade in size XL, to offer a little more comfort for larger riders and a little more capability off road. Again, they're not be found wanting on mellow trails and tarmac, but it's on steep and looser climbs and descents where they really shine. Again, the Mezcal tend to blow up a little larger than stated.
When it's loose, a large tyre offers susbstantially more grip. It can still be an exercise in shifting your weight on the bike, to weight the rear tyre on the uphills to maintain traction or to the side to load the side knobs when cornering, but we've been astonished at what a gravel bike with good tyres and a little suspension can do.
If the trail turns bumpier or the gravel is not quite so hard packed, a ride on any non suspended gravel bike can soon become jarring regardless of the tyre, often to the point of being scary if it's downhill or you're carrying speed; or it becomes tiring if it has just been long day in the saddle.
On more technical terrain, it's often the lack of a dropper post that becomes a limiting factor and not the tyre, as it inhibits the bike and body separation required to lean the bike and get more grip. At this point the line between a gravel bike equipped with 45c tyres and an older hard tail becomes very blurred.
If the terrain you rides suits bikes such as a Topstone Lefty, a future shock equipped Diverge or Niner MCR for example, we'd recommend trying the Mezcal front and rear of possibly as a fast rolling rear with something burlier upfront.
2.1 2.25 2.35 Mezcal Tyres
Now many of you may be thinking we're firmly in MTB and territory, but what if you're simply using an MTB on the very same trails you'd be riding on the gravel bike?
Our first experience with the Mezcals came when one of our local bike shops fitted a 2.1 rear Mezcal with a 2.35 Barzo up front (we think it was called a Geax Gato back then) to our Whyte 29C carbon hardtail, which turns out to be something of widely classic combination for many XC MTB riders.
We're still using that bike today, as it's a lightweight rocket ship on gravel trails and yet capable of more technical stuff beyond any gravel bike.
As an aside, in many ways the gravel genre has matured to catch up with this type bike and not the 90's MTBs.
It runs a 100mm Rockshox SID fork on a frame with a 69 degree head angle, the same as the YT Szepter Gravel bike. Indeed, when running the SID at 25% sag and rarely using anywhere near full travel, the practical difference is small between that a Rockshox Judy XPLR 40mm at common 5% Fox AX fork with 50mm and 15% sag which regularly bottoms out.
At times we've been tempted to run 2.35's front and rear and to install a dropper post, but we've got more capable suspension bikes better suited for more technical stuff. However, we've settled on 2.1's front and rear and would consider a 45c
Our width recommendations
As with many thing, it depends on or where you are riding, what kind of trails and how much riding on tarmac is required to get to the good stuff
Riding the almost exclusively on gravel trails - with little or no tarmac - choose 45c to 2.1
This is often us and if it's you as as well, our general recommendation is to go big. Rolling resistance differences off road will be minimal and often a lot of terrain and lower pressure higher volume tyre will actually be quicker.If you're choosing a bike for this tyre of terrain, choose one with plenty of frame clearance for large volume 700c/29er tyres. Most of the time we now use a hard tail 29er.
Riding steep big gravel climbs and descents - 45c to 2.35.
Again, go big as possible. Consider a 29er based gravel rig too. Riding the biggest volume tyres possible , down a steep, sometime loose gravel descent, is a whole lot less terrifying tha soemthing with skinnnier tyres. We'd also recommend you consider flat bars, some form of suspension and a dropper.
Riding nearly all tarmac - 38c
We don't run 35c tyres these days, as there's very little to be gained over a 38c tyre and a fair bit of off road traction to be lost. However, one thing many gravel riders overlook, is using a standard road bike if the routes they are riding only have short and gentle gravel or broken road sections. You may well be amazed with what is easily rideable with a 32c road tyre.
Riding classic mixed terrain - 45c
Again, there's very little to be gained running a 38c over a 45c tyre and a fair bit of off road traction to be lost. A 45c is a good compromise. If we're wanting to ride some trails further away and perhaps take the road to get there, we may go with a Topstone and 45c tyres.
Other recommendations and tips
1) Bigger rubber up front
It doesn't have to be the same width front and rear. For years on MTB's, many riders have chosen a narrower rear and large front. Most gravel frames are more limiting than the forks with regards to tyre clearance, so perhaps gives this option a try to add a little more stability for the front end when riding techical or looser terrain.
2) Different tyres front and rear
Try something faster at the rear and with more bite and grip at the front. We've tried a Terreno Dry at the rear and a Mezcal up front and it's combination we'll be experimenting with this season on some of personal bikes before adding it is an option for our hire bikes.
3) Different tyres front and rear
Try something faster at the rear and with more bite and grip at the front. We've tried a Terreno Dry at the rear and a Mezcal up front and it's combination we'll be experimenting
4) Wheels with wider inner rims width
An expensive options, but something to consider if more grip and bigger volume tyres at a lower psi will open up more confident bike handling on the trails.
5) Add some suspension
We don't mean seatpost or stem suspension, but rather fork or frame. Suspension will afford more grip from tyre, resulting in better climbing performance on rougher terrain and faster descending.
6) Tyre Inserts
If it's good enough for Pro road and gravel riders and you're not confident changing tyres, this might be a left-field option to consider . They're popular on Enduro MTB's, but the tech is slowly trickling down to XC and gravel and ,might be worth looking at for those with time to experiment. NB They do add rotational weight, that can make things feel more sluggish.