Proof that there are no mysteries in off-road tyre thread design: Continental TKC 80. Just blocks far enough apart. Those are the best tyres I’ve ridden on the BMW R1200GS Adventure (AKA “The Cow”). On dirt, that is, but they work surprisingly well on-road if you don’t push the bike into a corner like Marc Marquez.
On dual-track unsurfaced roads like this it shines! The knobs grip and it pushes through loose gravel, mud, smaller stones and erosion ruts without being deflected much from the intended course. You gotta take these paths standing up but even so the bike moves less under you than with a compromise tyre that has more positive thread. Plus, this tyre doesn’t pick up and throw as much dirt around as those with a more closed pattern.
Sure, the more you ride it on the road, the faster it is going to wear down. That’s ok with me, it only has to last me through the winter. I’m hoping for above-freezing temperature and a lot of playtime in the dirt, dancing with my cow.
