Best tires for RaceMax 415 frame & Ultra Boost- Gravel Bike Tech

These are our favorite tires to get the most out of your 3T RaceMax 415 & Ultra Boost frame

Important!

There are 2 versions of the Racemax frame, the Racemax 415 and the Racemax 418. If you’re unsure which version you own, please note:

Racemax 415 design:

  • All Racemax frames with EXPLORO written on the back of the seattube
  • All Racemax Italia Founder’s Edition and 60th Anniversary
  • All Racemax Boost (this remains Racemax 415 also in the future)

Racemax 418 design:

  • All Racemax Italia frames EXCEPT Founder’s Edition and 60th Anniversary
  • All non-electric Racemax & Racemax Italia framesets and bikes on our website or sold by 3T to its retailers from now forward (except Outlet where Racemax 415 frames are explicitly indicated)

Need to measure to know:

  • Standard Racemax frames (so not Racemax Italia or Racemax Boost, for those see above) with RACEMAX written on the back of the seattube. These may be either version. You need to carefully measure the BB-to-rear axle distance to see if the chainstay is 414-415mm (Racemax 415) or 417-418m (Racemax 418).

On this page you will find the tire recommendations for the Racemax 415 frame. For the Racemax 418 frame (and the Exploro Ultra), please check their specific tire recommendation page. As always, it is important to verify you have sufficient tire clearance on your frame with your particular tire, regardless of the below recommendations.

Step 1: Determine the width you need

The tire width you need depends on your skills and the terrain you ride. You can find more about that in “What tire do I need?”.

That blog post will give you some idea if you don’t know, and don’t worry too much about it. Estimate it the best you can, go get the tires and then you’ll learn if that was the right decision. If not, tires wear out and you’ll know to get bigger or smaller next time. In the meantime, just enjoy the riding regardless.

Step 2: What rim are you using?

Because the Width As Measured (WAM – find out more here) depends partially on the inner width of the rim, find out this number either by measuring it or looking it up on the rim manufacturer’s website. This is not only important for tire sizing but also for its performance. A very wide tire on a narrow rim is very flexible sideways, meaning that in corners your handling won’t feel as secure. So as you move from road tire widths (28-35mm) to real gravel widths (35+mm), you ultimately may also want a wider rim.

Step 3: Find the tire with your desired WAM and rim

As the WAM changes, so does the RAM (Radius As Measured). This is not so critical in most cases, but for properly designed aero gravel bikes. While we’re optimizing the tire width for your grip & puncture resistance, we’re also optimizing the gap between tire and seattube cutout for aerodynamics. We recommend the tires below based on:

  • WAM & RAM
  • Tire profile
  • Casing design
  • Rolling resistance (keeping in mind the profile)
  • Puncture resistance (keeping in mind profile & weight)
  • Aerodynamics (this one is tough as we can’t put every tire in the wind tunnel)

Please note that while WAM & RAM measurements are more accurate than the dimensions on the tire label, there are still variations:

  • While inner rim width is the biggest rim factor, the exact shape of the rim bed and depth of the flanges also affects the shape and size of the tire mounted.
  • Tires vary due to production conditions, so two tires from different batches may size differently. That means an individual tire’s RAM may be off by a few mm (much less for WAM), and that is a lot when you’re trying to create a proper fit between tire and seat tube.

So with WAM and RAM, we’ve gotten closer to a solution but we’re not 100% there yet.

Always check for sufficient clearance between the specific tire you use and your bike frame irrespective of WAM & RAM listed here. 

35-42mm low profile (oversized road)

RIM INNER WIDTHBRANDTIRE MODELETRTOWAMRAM
19mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick35-62237352
19mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick40-62239354
19mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Velo35-62234350
23mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick35-62238352
23mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Velo35-62235352
25mm inner widthWTBExposure36-62238351
25mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick35-62238352
25mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Velo35-62237350
29mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Velo35-62239348
29mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick35-62240351
29mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing slick40-62242352

 

35-42mm with profile

RIM INNER WIDTHBRANDTIRE MODELETRTOWAMRAM
19mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround35-62236351
19mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing SK35-62238353
23mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround35-62237351
23mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing SK35-62238353
25mm inner widthWTBRiddler Fast light TCS37-62239352
25mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround35-62238351
25mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Speed TLE35-62237350
25mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Speed TLE40-62240354
25mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing SK35-62238351
25mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing SK40-62241354
25mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Gravel H35-62237350
29mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround TLE35-62239348
29mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Speed TLE35-62240348
29mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Bite TLE40-62242352
29mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Speed TLE40-62242352
29mm inner widthPanaracerGravelKing SK35-62241350
29mm inner widthPirelliCinturato Gravel H35-62240350

 

53-61mm with profile

RIM INNER WIDTHBRANDTIRE MODELLABELWAMRAM
19mm inner widthVittoriaBarzo isotech 4c tnt27.5×2.25″55346
19mm inner widthVittoriaBarzo isotech 4c tnt27.5×2.1″53343
19mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround TLE27.5×2.25″58343
23mm inner widthPanaracerGravel King SK27.5×2.1″56345
23mm inner widthVittoriaBarzo isotech 4c tnt27.5×2.1″53345
23mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround TLE27.5×2.25″58345
28mm inner widthVittoriaBarzo isotech 4c tnt27.5×2.1″55351
28mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Allround TLE27.5×2.25″61352
28mm inner widthContinentalRaceKing Perform.27.5×2.0″54348
28mm inner widthSchwalbeG-One Bite27.5×2.1″56348
28mm inner widthPanaracerGravel King SK27.5×2.1″58351