Panaracer GravelKing ZX R Tubeless Tire

Gravel courses rarely stick to one surface. A single race can link smooth tarmac, packed dirt, and loose corners within a few miles, and swapping tires to match each section isn't realistic. Panaracer designed the GravelKing ZX around that problem, and the GravelKing ZX R puts the same three-zone tread on a race-focused casing. It's a tubeless-ready folding tire with an aramid bead, black tread, and amber sidewalls. Panaracer makes it in its own factory in Japan for gravel, dirt, and rough pavement.

The tread doesn't change across the ZX family. What sets the R version apart is TuffTex R, the race casing used only on R-series GravelKing tires. It's tuned to be supple and low in weight while keeping a protection layer under the tread. The numbers show it: the 700x45 ZX R has a claimed weight of 510 grams, compared with 560 grams for the standard ZX in the same width, and the 700x50 drops from 640 grams to 600. Independent lab testing weighed a 45mm sample at 504 grams, just under the claim. If you're racing and counting rotating weight, that saving is what the extra cost over the standard ZX pays for.

Setup should be straightforward. The BeadLock bead was redesigned to fit a wide range of rims, both hookless and hooked, and in most cases the tire seats with a standard floor pump. That's useful if you're running modern hookless gravel wheels or don't keep a compressor in the garage. The rubber is ZSG Gravel, a compound based on the brand's Zero Slip Grip formula. It's designed to grip and roll the same way from freezing mornings to hot afternoons, on both gravel and tarmac.... Read More