Best tires for Ultra and Racemax 418 – Gravel Bike Tech

These tires help you get the most out of your 3T Exploro Ultra and Racemax 418 frame

Posted by Gerard Vroomen - 04 April 2022

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 418 (and Exploro Ultra) frame. For the Racemax 415 frame, please check its specific tire recommendation page. As always, it is important to verify you have sufficient tire clearance between your frame and fork and your particular tire, regardless of the below recommendations.

Step 1: Are you running a front derailleur or 1x?

If you are running a2x setup, then in some cases, it’s not the frame that limits the tire size but the front derailleur. Below you can find the maximum WAM if you want to maintain 4mm of clearance between tire and front derailleur. Please note the below estimates come with some limitations:

Every tire has a distinct shape in cross section, meaning the WAM is not in the same place for each tire. That affects the tire clearance
The exact positioning of the limits and the height of your front derailleur can affect the clearance
These effects are small, but as we’re working with small clearances to begin with, it’s important to always check that your resulting setup is safe

FRONT DERAILLEUR	MAX WAM 700c	MAX WAM 650b
SRAM AXS standard (45.0mm chainline, 46/33T, 48/35T, 50/37T chainrings) unless you used a hack to put 43/30T on a narrow crank	43mm WAM	47mm WAM
SRAM AXS Wide (47.5mm chainline, 43/30T chainrings (unless you used a hack and put bigger rings on wide crank arms)	no limitations	52mm WAM
Shimano GRX mechanical	no limitations	53mm WAM
Shimano GRX Di2	43mm WAM	57mm WAM

Step 2: Determine the width you need

To find the best tire, determine the approximate tire width you need. We’re talking the real width WAM of course, not the width on the tire label) you need where you ride. Understand more about defining tires using WAM & RAM in “How big is my tire?”

Don’t worry too much about the “perfect” width. Take a guess, 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, enjoy the ride regardless.

Step 3: What rim are you using?

Because WAM depends partially on the inner width of the rim, you might want to use a different tire on a different rim. This is not only important for tire fit 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 4: Find the tire with your desired WAM and rim

As the WAM changes, so does the RAM. This is not so critical in most cases, but in the case of the Exploro Ultra (and RaceMax) it is. At the same time we’re optimizing the tire width for your grip & puncture resistance, we’re 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.

35-46mm low profile (oversized road)

RIM INNER WIDTH	BRAND	TIRE MODEL	ETRTO	WAM	RAM

19mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	35-622	37	352
19mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	40-622	39	354
19mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Velo	35-622	34	350
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Zero Gravel	40-622	40	355

23mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	35-622	38	352
23mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	40-622	41	355
23mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Velo	35-622	35	352
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Zero Gravel	40-622	42	355

25mm inner width	WTB	Exposure	36-622	38	351
25mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	35-622	38	352
25mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	40-622	41	354
25mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Velo	35-622	37	350
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Zero Gravel	40-622	43	355

29mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Velo	35-622	39	348
29mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	35-622	40	351
29mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing slick	40-622	42	352
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Zero Gravel	40-622	45	355

35-46mm with profile

RIM INNER WIDTH	BRAND	TIRE MODEL	ETRTO	WAM	RAM

23mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	35-622	37	350
23mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	40-622	41	355
23mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	35-622	37	351
23mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	40-622	41	356
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Dry	40-622	42	356
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Wet	40-622	42	357
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround	35-622	37	351
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround	40-622	41	355
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One R	40-622	42	354
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One RS Evolution TLE Super Race	40-622	43	354
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Performance TLE	40-622	42	354
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Evolution TLE Super Ground	40-622	43	355
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Performance TLE	40-622	43	356
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Evolution TLE Super Gr.	40-622	44	357
23mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	35-622	38	354
23mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	40-622	40	355
23mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	43-622	43	357

25mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	35-622	37	350
25mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	40-622	42	355
25mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	35-622	37	351
25mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	40-622	42	356
25mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Dry	40-622	43	356
25mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Wet	40-622	43	357
25mm inner width	WTB	Riddler Fast light TCS	37-622	39	352
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround	35-622	38	351
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Speed TLE	35-622	37	350
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Speed TLE	40-622	40	354
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround	40-622	42	355
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One R	40-622	42	354
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One RS Evolution TLE Super Race	40-622	43	355
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Performance TLE	40-622	42	355
25mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Evolution TLE Super Ground	40-622	43	356
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Performance TLE	40-622	43	356
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Evolution TLE Super Gr.	40-622	44	357
25mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	35-622	38	351
25mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	40-622	41	354
25mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	43-622	44	357

29mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	35-622	40	350
29mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel H (hard surface)	40-622	44	356
29mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	35-622	40	351
29mm inner width	Pirelli	Cinturato Gravel M (mixed surface)	40-622	44	357
29mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Dry	40-622	44	356
29mm inner width	Vittoria	Terreno Wet	40-622	44	357
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround TLE	35-622	39	348
29mm inner width	Schwalbe		35-622	40	348
29mm inner width	Schwalbe		40-622	44	352
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Speed TLE	40-622	42	352
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround	40-622	44	355
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One R	40-622	44	353
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One RS Evolution TLE Super Race	40-622	45	354
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Performance TLE	40-622	44	353
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite Evolution TLE Super Ground	40-622	45	354
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Performance TLE	40-622	45	356
29mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Ultra-Bite Evolution TLE Super Gr.	40-622	46	357
29mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	35-622	41	350
29mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	40-622	44	354
29mm inner width	Panaracer	GravelKing SK	43-622	46	355

53-61mm with profile

RIM INNER WIDTH	BRAND	TIRE MODEL	LABEL	WAM	RAM

23mm inner width	Panaracer	Gravel King SK	27.5×2.1″	56	345
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Barzo isotech 4c tnt	27.5×2.1″	53	345
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Barzo isotech 4c tnt	27.5×2.25″	57	352
23mm inner width	Vittoria	Barzo isotech 4c tnt	27.5×2.35″	60	356
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround TLE	27.5×2.25″	58	345
23mm inner width	Schwalbe	Rock Razor TLE	27.5×2.35″	61	356

28mm inner width	Vittoria	Barzo isotech 4c tnt	27.5×2.1″	55	351
28mm inner width	Vittoria	Barzo isotech 4c tnt	27.5×2.25″	59	356
28mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Allround TLE	27.5×2.25″	61	352
28mm inner width	Continental	RaceKing Performance	27.5×2.0″	54	348
28mm inner width	Schwalbe	G-One Bite	27.5×2.1″	56	348
28mm inner width	Panaracer	Gravel King SK	27.5×2.1″	58	351