If you’ve spent all of your riding life using road oriented tyres, then taking to the tarmac on a full blown adventure knobbly can be a little daunting!
However, with the growth in adventure bike sales over the last few years, more and more riders are now turning to dual purpose rubber.
All of the major manufacturers now offer a seriously off-road capable option for modern ADV bikes, so riders certainly have plenty of choice open to them as well.
For German tyre brand Metzeler, that option is the Karoo 3, which has been the tyre of choice for the South Wales based Off-Road Skills centre run by Simon Pavey for several years.
Off-road traction is provided by the Karoo 3‘s unique block arrangement which are layed out in a V-shape with composite orientation of the working edges and variable spacing between knobs.
The longitudinal grooves between the blocks help to improve the self cleaning properties of the tyre for more consistent performance off-road, while the larger central blocks improve stability when riding on the tarmac.
In a new video shot for Metzeler, Simon Pavey has a few helpful tips for riders who are thinking about running a tyre like the Karoo 3 on the road.
It’s also worth remembering that several tyre manufacturers now offer a product which sits in between their road oriented adventure touring tyre and their traditional on/off-road tyre.
In the case of Metzeler, this is the Karoo Street.
It sits between the Tourance Next and Karoo 3, and is designed to give a good level of off-road grip but not to the detriment of on-road performance and mileage.
The Karoo Street may not give as much off-road grip as the Karoo 3 on tough terrain and when things get muddy, but it will certainly be more than adequate for many riders who are looking to take their adventure bike off-road, and it’ll be better on the road too.
When it comes to choice of tyres, ADV bikers have never had it so good!
