Gravel riding was meant to be the escape. A rebellion against the rigid world of road racing. No rules, no regulations—just you, your bike, and a whole lot of dirt. It promised freedom, particularly in the rubber department. Fat tyres, slick tyres, tan walls, tubeless setups—whatever worked.
But fast-forward a few years, and that early go-to tyre setup—38 to 40mm rubber with lightweight, supple casings that you could call oversized cyclocross kit—is starting to show its limits. Now, a noticeable trend is emerging: Elite gravel racers are ditching traditional gravel tyres and running full-blown XC mountain bike treads. Maybe it's time we all started paying attention.
