Schwalbe G One Tyres

Paul Horta-Hopkins

A review of the Schwalbe G One Tyre.

The G One comes under Schwalbe’s road tubeless range, but they’ll take you much further than a normal road tyre. I’ve been riding around on the G One for a while now so I think I’ve got a good feel for them. So what are they and who are they for?

Schwalbe’s G One tyres are aimed at the gravel market

According to the Schwalbe website the G One is a gravel tyre whose “Tubeless Easy technology make it a pleasure to ride over forest paths and rolling fields”. Well after my test period I would agree with that. In fact it handled almost everything I rode it over. The only no go, was thick mud or wet greasy grass. This big, bouncy tyre was fast and furious all the way. I rode it on a couple of CX Sportives and the BHF’s off-road London to Brighton route, it handled both with ease.

The G One comes in either Evolution of Perfomance Line ranges. The Evolution Line uses the best materials and technologies, while Performance Line is more value for money. 700C and 650B sizes are available in both ranges, with the 650B tyres having 1.5″ and 2.8″ widths. The 700C range comes in 35mm or 38mm. Only the Evolution Line uses Schwalbe’s Tubeless Easy technology and it was a set of 38mm tyres from this range that I was testing.

The G Ones came in at 458g, a whole 2g under the stated weight. Marginal gains anyone?

The G One is a supple, folding tyre and weighed in at 458g. Setting them up on a set of non-tubeless rims was simple, as I’ve come to expect from Schwalbe. Having such a large volume of air to play with means you can go quite low on your pressure and still get a good feel on most surfaces. I ran mine around 30psi, sometimes a little lower and only noticed a little wallowing when cornering on tarmac when I went under 25psi. I weigh around 64kg, so you may need a little more if you’re of the larger persuasion!

Once pumped up the G One measures 40mm across and 37mm high. On my frame it meant there wasn’t a lot of clearance, but as I wasn’t intending to use them on anything really muddy, this wasn’t an issue. First ride was impressive, despite being set up on a pair of hefty thirty-six spoke touring wheels, they felt fast. They roll quietly on tarmac, the little dimples providing a constant surface, which also made cornering predictable. Climbing up the chalk slopes onto the billiard table like grass on the top of the downs didn’t faze them. They gripped well on the loose chalk surfaces and once on the short grass, were off and rolling.

Got a rough track that needs hammering? The G Ones are your tyre

Their first big test was the CX Sportive Gold Rush. This seventy-five kilometre ride covered probably every surface you could think of; except for snow and ice! I had cut the sidewall on a tyre riding this event the previous year and consequently was intrigued to see how they fared. One of the off-road sections is a long descent which is covered in tons of large chunks of flint. Probably a tyre’s worst nightmare. This year I flew down without a problem. Some short stretches of rutted, deep mud – thank you off-roaders – had me off and walking. This kind of thick sticky mud will block the tread.

Next up was a ride along the off-road version of London-Brighton. The G Ones loved this route as part of it is the Downs Link, which is something like thirty miles of old railway track. This is flat, gravel heaven and they blasted along here at speed. Both these rides saw me putting in fast times, and seeing as I wasn’t running super light wheels says a lot for the G Ones. The big carcass gives a comfortable ride, which on long off-road rides is a major factor in keeping fresh. And the Tubeless Easy Microskin carcass did it’s job with no punctures or cut sidewalls.

They just look right on the ‘cross bike!

The only thing I didn’t try the G Ones out on was some summer ‘cross racing. On dry grass and dirt I would be intrigued to see how they handled under race conditions. I think for dry, summer courses they would be worth trying out and might give them a go next season. Another event that these would be perfect for a long distance gravel rides like the CX Century and Dirty Reiver. The extra cushioning provided by that big air pocket and the puncture resistance are exactly what you want on these kind of rides.

The G One has had a slight re-branding since I first got them. For 2017 they are now the G One All Round. There is also a G One Speed, this was the S One, which I am also reviewing. The G One Speed is a 30mm racing tyre, designed for tackling the cobbled classics, it’s also available as a tubular.

So in conclusion; the Schwalbe G Ones, they’re big, bouncy and fun! Exactly what you want in an a gravel tyre. Highly Recommended.

Schwalbe

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