User submitted reviews
Review by T2MCoach
These are really good all around gravel tires, with a great balance of rolling resistance, puncture resistance (particularly sidewall), and grip (check out Bike Tire Rolling Resistance site for the test data). In the real world, they perform as the data would suggest (fast, reasonable puncture resistance, and have more grip than a lot of fast rolling tires). These are my primary tire when gravel is chunky with embedded rock (e.g. AZ, Flint Hills, etc.), or for B roads (limited maintenance roads). I coach several cyclists who ride/race gravel, and all have been happy with these tires as well. Sure, for some gravel races with more tame gravel, you can find faster tires (some of the semi-slick or slick gravel tires from Challenge, Panaracer or Rene Herse, but for riding/training and racing in tough conditions... these are really hard to beat.
Review by Anonymous
For my 40% pavement, 50% gravel, 10% �wish I were on a mtb� riding, these are stellar. Relatively low rolling resistance and good braking/cornering grip. HD version durability tbd but they�ve handled jeep trails at speed just fine and I�m not a featherweight or a delicate descender.
If they sound great - they are - but my set happen to lose air unlike any tires I�ve run before, particularly over long stretches of hot days. The 5 or more psi they require 3-5 times a week is worth the performance, for now
Review by gravelwannabe
I've been running these on my gravel bike for about 200 miles now. So far I've used them for my commute, which is a mix of road and hard-pack fire road, as well as recreational gravel riding. Coming from WTB Riddler (fast-rolling) tires, it feels like the Tufo tires have a fair bit less rolling resistance when near the max PSI, yet they maintain similar grip to the WTBs when aired down. I haven't had any issues with punctures yet, and they seated with zero sealant seepage when installed.
Review by Robert T
I put the Thundero in 40's on my Trek Domane SL6 to cross over into a little gravel riding. I love them so much that I am unlikely to switch back to my regular road tires (another brand in 28's). These are just as fast, if not faster, and provide great traction in wet conditions when road riding. Plus I can quickly take a detour on to gravel roads without any concern. I also rode in two gravel races so far this season (2024) and they held up just fine without a single issue or puncture. These also work wonderfully well in my longer endurance style riding. Summary, I love these tires and I will keep using them for all my types of riding.
Review by bcv
I use on a Trek Hybrid bike that came with too small of tires. I prefer meatier tires and switched to these in 48mm and really like the cush, low roll resistance, and traction in mixed pavement, and light trail duties. This tire has all the qualities I was looking for.
Review by Anonymous
These tires are fantastic. Fast, supple, I haven't had a single flat in 1000 miles of mixed terrain, and they are perfectly round. These feel almost as supple as the Rene Herse extralight snoqualmie pass tires that I used to ride, but I'm not worried about these blowing off the rims.
These roll noticeably faster than my friends' tires, as we can see when coasting side by side. They feel about as good as the 32mm slicks on my road bike.
Review by Anonymous
I�ve been enjoying these tires on road and light gravel routes. They roll fast and feel great over chipped roads and gravel access roads. I give 4/5 because they loose a point for chunky and technical trails. The tire tread just doesn�t hold the trails as well as my previous tire and I don�t have the same confidence. If I was only riding paved and gravel access roads then this would be a winner for me.
Review by Tom
These are great tires for both pavement and gravel. Good trip with little rolling resistance on hard surfaces.
Review by DC
Moved into the Thundero as my NorCal summer tire. Only wish I would have done it sooner. My concerns with traction on the loose dry stuff are largely in the rear view after a few rides. The speed I've gained has been surprising. After seeing the great review on bicyclerollingresistance.com I made the leap. I'll move back to my winter tire (Specialized Rhombus) once the rain hits in the fall/winter. Thanks Bike Tires Direct. I'm hoping you'll stock the Thundero HD in the near term as well.
Review by outdoor_jared
I read good things about this tire so I went for it and i'm glad I did. I've ridden a few hundred miles on it with one 65mile gravel race, plenty of paved road, and commuting and they are doing great. When you get the tire you can see and feel quality. The 44's roll nearly as well as my 32 GK slicks and much faster than the 38 GK+. That was the main reason, gravel kings were just sluggish.
Review by KATYTX
These started out as a great riding tire, but the quality is poor, and my first rear tire lasted about 200 miles and sprung about 100 leaks in the tread. BTD sent a replacement, and I got a flat the other day and it will not reseal and cannot be repaired. Certainly, their special puncture proof layer does not work or does not exist. I still have quite a bit of tread so I will run with tubes for a while until I decide what to replace them with.
Review by PC
Rolls fast, good grip, enough tread for dirt roads in New England but not so much that you get annoying knob sound on asphalt. Pretty much the only tires I need on this bike. Yes they are good.
Review by Anonymous
For me, the Thundero has been the perfect compromise between speed, grip, and cushion. It rolls well on pavement and absolutely shreds on trail.
Review by dillymeister
I decided to give these a try after reading a positive review for them on bicyclerollingresistance.com. They score very well there in many of their categories and are highly recommended. First of all, the tires look great, with a creamy tan sidewall and crisp lettering--very premium looking. They grip very well on pavement and hard packed gravel, and they even handle slightly looser gravel well. Ride quality is fantastic, too. I run mine with tubes at about 38-40psi and I feel like I'm just floating over the road. I'm looking forward to trying these tubeless someday.
Review by Anonymous
These tires felt good for the first 70mi or so. Logged a nice 50mi 40% asphalt 60% gravel ride on them and they felt quick. Nice curvature to the tread that lets you lean nicely into turns on smooth roads. Thin casing makes for lighter weight and a more supple ride. Second ride was pure road. 30mi in the bead on the front tire failed. Ouch. I reached out to the manufacturer (nicely) and sent them a photo of their defective product. Three months later... still no response. I deliberately did not provide them with the lot number from inside the tire so they would have to respond to obtain that info to investigate the defect. Avoid these at all cost. Injury is never worth it.
Review by Anonymous
Each time I ride a new surface, I find myself surprised again at just how well they perform. They�re confidence inspiring and feel and look well-built.
Review by RandyMac
Took a gamble on a brand I had never heard of and I�m very pleased with the tires. They replaced a set of 40mm Terra Speed tires and I�m impressed with the performance. The Terra Speed may be a tad faster, but barely so. I appreciate the wider tire, more than adequate grip for dirt roads in New England. 2 Months in and they seem to be pretty durable too. Will almost certainly be buying these again!
Review by KatyTX
These tires rode well in Hico and Chappell Hill. Mostly hard pack gravel with some loose spots on the hills. The tire held well while climbing and rolled fast on the asphalt. They are quite a bit lighter than a couple brands I used before. Easy to set up on tubeless and I installed Vittoria Tire Liners as well. I have about 150 miles on them now and they still look new out of the box.
Review by Anonymous
I am a gravel racer from the mountains of North Carolina. They roll really well on pavement and I have strong confidence in them on the descents. Highly recommend
Review by Anonymous
This was a replacement pair of tires for an unfortunate mishap that cut my first pair. I quickly reordered the same 45's. Fast tire in all conditions. Great grip in the corners and switchbacks. Surprising grip in loose over packed (don't get stupid, though, it's still loose!). A very compliant ride which lends itself to speed under rough conditions. I'm 6'2", 196 lbs, and an aggressive descender riding mostly Cat 3 forest service roads.