Steilacoom or Barlow Pass

[Eric Karnes]

Hi guys-

I'm investing in some new tires for my paved path / gravel path rambler and wanted to get some opinions. My usual ride for the rambler consists of – surprise, surprise – about 50/50 asphalt and finely packed gravel (with a few rougher sections). Any suggestions on whether to go with the Steilacoom or more conventional Barlows? Do the Steilacooms really perform as well on asphalt as the Compass website claims? Anyone have flat issues with the extra light version of either?

Thanks in advance!

Eric

[Deacon Patrick]

Barlow will do you just fine. I’ve ridden them on fairly technical single track, no worries (though I prefer the Steilacooms for their grip in loose and mud and ruts/roots). Some people get more flats, depending on terrain, debris, and riding style. My suggestion: get the EL and experience the plush ride benchmark. That way you can do your own cost/benifit analysis.

With abandon,
Patrick

[Tim Gavin]

I rode Steilacooms on my bike all spring, and I swapped them for Barlows once the ground dried.  Steilacooms are fantastic tires, and very very fast for a knobby.  They roll great on everything; they have enough tread for a little mud, but that tread doesn't seem to drag too badly on the road.

However, Barlows really are better on pavement.  On pavement, the Steilacooms feel like they roll at 95% efficiency, where the Barlows feel like 99%.  

The Steilacooms have an audibile "hum" on pavement from the tread, but Barlows have an audible "whoosh" noise when rolling.  A tossup.

Both tires are about equally great on gravel.  

I haven't flatted any of my Compass tires yet.  So long as I don't ride in the street gutter (where the sharp debris collects), I don't have a lot of flats with any tire.  But I'm not in goathead country.  Both tires are tubeless-compatible, which is claimed to reduce flats in thorn country.


Eric-

In your situation, I'd recommend Barlows.  The tread on Steilacooms is intended for muddy cyclocross courses, and it is overkill for dry roads.

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[Bill Schairer]

To me, the Steilacooms are annoyingly noisy on pavement.

Bill

[Ryan M.]

I would just go with the barlows if you don't find yourself on grass or mud and don't ride getting out of the saddle on gravel hills very much. I'm riding Antelope Hills on a mtb turned gravel duty and they have been fantastic tires except if I get out of the saddle to push up some loose gravel. They seem to slip them, but that also has to do with me being as graceful as an elephant. The Steilacooms ELs make excellent cyclocross tires which is how I've been using them. Muddy, grassy, dirty stuff where I run them as fairly low pressure. They grip better than my Clements used to, but they also are wider than the UCI accepts. Not at all a concern with me, but there is more tread hitting the course than the Clements. I don't really ride the Steilacooms on the road too much, but from what I have done I've found they ride like a knobby tire rides on pavement, which is to say they are noisy.

I've gone tubeless on both setups and haven't experienced a flat yet.

[Eric Karnes]

Barlows it is. Thanks guys!

Eric

[Mark Schneider]

I use both on my Atlantis and Homer, The Steilacoomm's work great on pavement and excellent in the mud, but they do hum along on pavement and are possibly overkill most of the time. Barlows are pretty good on gravel but not so hot when it's muddy. If you truly ride 50/50 I'd op for the Steilacoom's because they are fantastic off road and you don't loose much speed at all on the pavement.

[Deacon Patrick]

Ryan, on standing climbs up loose stuff, shift weight to the rear tire by leaking back and using the handlebars to help compensate. I often am barely off the saddle doing this and it works well. Knobs v. slick are better, but it is surprising what a wide, supple tire can grip with a wee bit of weight.

With abandon,
Patrick