Panaracer was already producing gravel tyres when most people still considered cross-country racing to be a crazy winter sport for bike enthusiasts. The Japanese manufacturer has been offering special gravel tyres since 2014, pioneering and paving the way for one of the most successful bike categories of recent times. It is therefore a perfect fit that Panaracer is now extensively revamping and expanding its range of tyres for gravel bikes during the gravel boom.
New for Panaracer Gravelking 2024: X1 profile variant
First of all, the Japanese promise to improve the construction and tubeless capability of all existing gravelking tyres. The "beadlock" bead of the bicycle tyre should now work better with hookless and normal rims, simplify assembly and ensure that the tubeless setup is also possible with a floor pump.
The rubber compound has also been updated: the ZSG Gravel Compound - ZSG stands for Zero Slip Grip, i.e. zero slip traction - is designed to deliver performance in a wide temperature range on both tarmac and loose surfaces, with lower rolling resistance.
The biggest and probably most visible innovation is the new tread design called "X1". Panaracer promises with its Gravelking X1 that this gravel tyre will run almost as smoothly as a slick tyre despite the coarser tread. This opens up a wider range of applications.
Panaracer R-series: De-luxe gravel tyres new in the line-up
The existing profile variants of the Gravelking - Slick, Semi-Slick, SK and now X1 - are now available in an R version that has been announced as particularly high-quality. The de luxe tyres with a skinwall look are said to roll even more smoothly and are slightly lighter thanks to the use of a newly developed TuffTex-R insert. They are not available in all black.
An extra puncture-proof PLUS version is also available. As we know from Panaracer, the manufacturer offers different widths and diameters of all gravel tyres.
- The new one: Gravelking X1 TLR Gravel - 59,99 Euro
- The noble one: Gravelking X1 R-Line TLR Gravel - 74,99 Euro
- The puncture-proof one: Gravelking X1+ TLR Gravel - 74,99 Euro
In terms of price, they do not differ from the existing Slick, Semi-Slick and SK bicycle tyres. All three new variants are available in the widths 700x35c, 700x40c and 700x45c.
Panaracer Gravelking: bicycle tyres made in Japan
Panaracer develops all its tyres - including the Gravelking - in Japan and produces over 90 percent of its tyres in its own local factory. Founded in 1952 in Japan, Panaracer initially began by manufacturing rubber products for commercial and private applications. With the growing interest in cycling, Panaracer then concentrated entirely on bicycle tyres.
Marc Strucken
Editor
