We strongly believe that the best bike is the one you already own – but… what about tyres?

Are you the kind of rider who sticks with a single set of tyres year-round, only replacing them when they’re fully worn out? Or do you switch between tyres (or even wheelsets!) depending on the ride, terrain, and weather?

Whichever camp you fall into, read on – especially if you’re new to bikepacking or unfamiliar with riding in the Peak District.

Choosing tyres for bikepacking

Think of bike tyres as your bike’s shoes. They come in all sorts of widths, tread patterns, sidewall constructions, casing types (tubed or tubeless), and – for the style-conscious – even sidewall colours. You can also mix front and rear tyres for different handling characteristics and play with pressure settings to dial in your ride.

While personal preference and riding style are big factors, there are some key considerations that are especially important for a bikepacking event like the Tor Divide:

Bike weight: You’ll likely be carrying bags with a sleeping system, food, clothes, and more water than usual. This added weight affects bike handling, especially off-road and on descents. A tougher tyre with a strong casing becomes crucial.

Ride length & terrain: The Tor Divide (150–250 km) takes in a mix of gravel (in all its forms), tarmac, cycle paths, and rocky singletrack. Some sections are fast and flat, favouring a low-profile tread. Others can be steep or muddy, where traction becomes critical.

Tyre pressure: Tyre construction and pressure affect both comfort and traction. Lower pressures (especially with tubeless tyres) improve both. But beware: running too low a pressure can cause tyre squirm and deformation under load. Always test your setup on a loaded pre-ride. And avoid low pressures with inner tubes – the risk of pinch flats ("snake bites") is high.

Our recommendations: A tyre for the Tor Divide should allow for lower pressures (i.e. tubeless), roll efficiently on smoother surfaces, and be robust enough to handle sharp rocks and mixed terrain without frequent punctures.

What are the best tyres for the Tor Divide?

We’ve used Schwalbe tyres for years – from commuting to ultra-endurance races – and they’ve been rock solid, including on all our recce rides for the Tor Divide.

Schwalbe not only offers a broad range of gravel and MTB tyres, but also gives riders the option to choose different casings (e.g. SuperGround, SuperRace) depending on their performance and protection needs.

The Tor Divide routes are primarily made up of rocky trails, hardpack, gravel, and tarmac – surfaces that generally don’t require an overly aggressive tread. However, sections of the Divide and Millstone routes involve single and doubletrack that can get muddy in poor weather. In such cases, we recommend checking the forecast and, if in doubt, opting for something grippier.

Regardless of conditions, tubeless tyres are strongly recommended.

Gravel tyres

G-One Overland

Part of Schwalbe’s G-One family (which spans everything from slicks to aggressive gravel treads), the Overland strikes a perfect balance for bikepackers.

Recommended use: 50% road / 50% off-road
Highlights: Excellent durability, stable cornering, e-bike friendly, smooth on tarmac

We've been running the 50 mm Overlands (also available in 40 & 45 mm) since autumn 2023 on most rides. They’re impressively tough – no punctures yet, and minimal visible wear. We cannot think of a better tyre to use on a long bikepacking or touring trip with a loaded bike and over different surfaces including tarmac and smooth compacted gravel.

G-One Allround

Another great option, especially for drier conditions. The Allround also comes in 650b – ideal for bikes with limited 700c clearance.

Fast on compact gravel
Reliable cornering
Best in dry weather – expect slippage in wet or muddy conditions
Solid puncture resistance (only two punctures to date)

We have been using a pair of 40mm Allrounds on all our route recces.

G-One RX Pro

This is the tyre we are most excited to try as we like to take our gravel bike on technical singletrack and we don’t shy away from muddy conditions.

The most aggressive tread in Schwalbe’s gravel lineup – perfect if you enjoy technical singletrack or don’t shy away from mud.

Available in 40–50 mm
Designed for rougher terrain
Our next test tyre – let us know if you’ve used it!

Gravel tyre recommendation for Tor Divide:

Tubeless gravel tyre with a 45mm width. In relatively dry conditions, we’d recommend the Schwalbe Overlands.

MTB Tyres

Racing Ray & Racing Ralph

We’ve used this combo on our “monster gravel” bike with over 2,000 km logged.

29 x 2.25", Super Race compound
Rear tyre (Ralph) takes the brunt of the load
Front tyre (Ray) prioritises control – especially on descents or wet ground
Front-rear mix improves both handling and wear distribution

At the Atlas Mountain Race (1,300 km of rocky terrain and thorny plants), we ran Racing Ralphs front and rear. Our first puncture came after 1,200 km in some of the harshest possible conditions.

When riding on soft terrain, as on parts of the Divide and Millstone routes, we prefer using a Racing Ray at the front to always be in control.

Pro tip: Losing grip on the rear tyre can usually be saved. Losing the front often can’t. Choose a more aggressive front tyre for technical or unpredictable conditions.

Winter-tested: Our Racing Ray has even handled snow – not its intended habitat, but it held up admirably!

Rick XC

Best for outright speed. Available in 2.25” & 2.4”, and different compounds. This is a tyre that wants to go fast, but has sufficient side knobs to stay in control both at the front and rear.

Advice from the expert

To help you choose the best setup for your riding style, we spoke with Ben Tomkinson at Schwalbe:

“Schwalbe recently launched the Rick XC – one of the fastest tyres on the market (5/5 rating from Rolling Resistance). It rolls faster than the Racing Ralph and is more robust than the Thunder Burt.

The Racing Ralph is our go-to all-rounder, ideal for front or rear use. Many pair it with a Racing Ray for added front grip. The Rick XC offers even better cornering and braking grip than the Ralph up front.

Puncture protection is mostly determined by the tyre casing. For bikepacking, the Speedgrip/SuperGround compound is ideal – it balances protection with performance. For short, fast rides, the SuperRace/Speed compound offers the lowest rolling resistance.

Another tyre worth mentioning is the Wicked Will – a “down-country” tyre with more grip than the Ray & Ralph combo, but nearly as fast. It’s incredibly secure on tough terrain. The SuperGround Speedgrip version weighs just 830g, lighter versions in different casings are also available.”