Gravel tires ask you to pick a lane—either you're rolling fast on hardpack and fire roads, or you're grinding through loose terrain and mud. The Ritchey Comp Alpine JB splits the difference with a tread pattern that John Borstelmann developed specifically for mixed-surface riding where conditions change faster than you can swap rubber. The center tread runs low-profile knobs for efficient rolling on packed surfaces, while the shoulder blocks step up in height and spacing to bite when you lean into loose corners or push through soft ground.

The casing construction uses a 30 TPI thread count, which sits on the durable end of the spectrum for gravel applications. Lower thread counts mean thicker individual threads and more rubber between them, translating to better puncture resistance and sidewall durability at the cost of some suppleness compared to higher-TPI race casings. For riders who prioritize reliability over gram-counting—or who regularly encounter rocky terrain, thorns, or rough chip-seal—this construction makes sense. The wire bead keeps costs down while adding some rotational weight compared to folding bead versions.

Ritchey offers the Alpine JB in both black sidewall and tan sidewall versions, which is purely an aesthetic choice with no performance difference. The tan sidewall option pairs well with steel frames and classic builds if that's the look you're after. Available in 700x40mm sizing, which fits most modern gravel frames with clearance to spare and provides enough volume for comfortable pressures on rougher terrain without ballooning into full touring-tire territory.... Read More