Are the Pathfinder Pros durable?

We've been staggered at the durability of the Pathfinder Pros. After 2 years and close to 20,000kms of riding my pair still has life left in them, and what's more - they've not punctured once. By any measure, that's superb durability.

What sizes do Pathfinder Pros come in?

The Pathfinder Pros come in a variety of sizes to fit different wheel diameters and widths: 700c: This is the most common diameter for road and gravel bikes. The Pathfinder Pro tires in this category usually come in widths like 38mm and 42mm. I personally use the 42mm version, which represents a nice balance between speed and comfort. 650b: Also known as 27.5 inches, this size is popular among riders who want more tire volume for added comfort and off-road capability. The Pathfinder Pro tires in this size come in 47mm width.

Are they reasonably priced?

With an RRP of £45, these tyres sit pretty much in the middle of the prices you can expect to see for a gravel tyre these days. I would suggest they are very reasonably priced, and punch well above their price point with regards to durability and performance.

Are these fast gravel tyres?

On paper there are faster, lighter and more supple tyres on the market than the Pathfinder Pros. That said, this tyre has been ridden to 1st place spots at the biggest gravel races in the world - such as Unbound. With this in mind, these are certainly no slouch - representing a good mixture of practicality and efficiency.

This will depend on the surfaces you are riding, in mud I can say from experience that they provide less grip than I'd like. For hardpack and loose dirt roads though they are fantastic - the centre slick tread is surprisingly grippy on a mixture of terrain.

Specialized Pathfinder Pro Review | Gravel Game Changer?

Overall Impressions

I have been riding a pair of Specialized Pathfinder Pros, in 700c x 42mm width & set up tubeless, for the last 2 years. Racking up roughly 8,000-ish kms each year, these tyres are still going strong and miraculously have not had one single puncture in that time. Genuinely – not one.

I ride a mixture of trail and road, likely with a 60% swing towards trails up here in the Highlands of Scotland. In this landscape, I have only felt under-equipped with the Pathfinders on a small handful of occasions, where really a mountain bike would have been a better choice for the gnarlyness on display.

For me the Pathfinder Pro is the best gravel tyre I’ve tried for this type of mixed-surface riding. It’s more than capable on fire roads, rocky paths & single track, energisingly rapid on tarmac, exceptionally durable and represents excellent value-for-money. Read on for more detail on this cracker of a tyre!

Pathfinder Pro tyres in their packaging — The Pathfinder Pros in their packaging.

Gravel Tyre or All-Road Rubber?

What is particularly striking about these tyres is their centre-slick tread pattern, with knobbly lugs on the extremities of the tyre for when the going gets rough. I was dubious as to how this slick tread would operate on dirt roads and trails, but have genuinely been astounded at the grip on offer in spite of the lack of knobbles. I’d compare the grip to a stalwart tyre like the Schwalbe G-One, which is on paper a much more rugged looking tyre. The unlikely prodigious grip on trails is matched by a surprising sense of sprightliness on tarmac. This is certainly not a road tyre, but it doesn’t drag anywhere near as much as more knobbly options.

I will often take my Ribble CGR Ti gravel bike out for some winter road miles, and the Pathfinder Pros don’t make this seem like a plodding experience. For long bikepacking days as well, I would wager that these are the perfect balance (for me) between all-trail versatility and speed/efficiency. All told – this works both as a gravel tyre but also as a more broad adventure/all-road option.

Durability & Puncture Resistance

Specialized has equipped the Pathfinder Pros with frankly an unbelievable degree of puncture resistance. The tyre comes with an ‘Endurant’ casing, which combined with a blackbelt layer of puncture resistance does undoubtedly do the intended job. I may simply have been lucky here, but 2+years on I remain punctureless, and there is still life left in my rear tyre, and it almost looks like the front tyre hasn’t even worn at all. So impressed have I been in this longevity and bulletproof puncture protection, that I have a spare pair of the Pathfinder Pros read to roll for when my current ones finally kick the bucket – whenever that may be (watch this space…).

pathfinder pro close up of their centre tread pattern — Nearly 20,000kms in the tank, and still plenty of life left in the rear tyre.

Value for Money?

The Pathfinder Pro tyres are priced competitively, sitting slightly towards the cheaper side of the market. Given their above durability, I would say this value for money is accentuated further. Compared to the aforementioned Schwalbe G-One tyres, my previous pair of those lasted maybe 7,000 kms before balding completely and needing replacement. The Pathfinders have done me well over double that in terms of distance, and with fewer punctures to boot.

Currently priced at £45 a tyre on Specialized’s site, these have (like everything) gone up in price these last couple of years. I got my first pair for £35, which was silly value for money. Even at £45, I would say these are still superb value for money. Often you can find them on sale on sites like Sigma Sports, and I’d advise snapping up when they do – as they often sell out fast from what I have seen.

Tubeless Setup

From reading various articles on the web, it seems that the generally established litmus test for a tyre that seats easily for tubeless setup is the ability to do so with a track-pump. Happy to report that these tyres pass that test with flying colours – they seated first time with 0 issues. If you’re interested in “going tubeless” for the first time, these represent an easy first foray into this realm – as it can seem intimidating at first glance.

Ribble CGR Ti bike with pathfinder pro tyres — I love the look of the tan wall version of the Pathfinders.

Traction & Comfort

As you may have guessed by the general tone of this review, I enjoy the ride feel of the Pathfinder Pros. The 700cx42mm width provides a great balance of stability off-road and efficiency on-road. While this is not a supple tyre, I rarely feel uncomfortable on them (being set-up tubeless undoubtedly assists in this regard).

Traction is another area where the Pathfinder Pro shines. The tread pattern is designed to offer grip in a variety of conditions, from dry, hard-packed surfaces to wet and slippery trails. The outer knobs provide extra grip in corners, while the center tread ensures efficient rolling on straightaways.

One down side of this tyre is that when cornering, say around a hair-pin, on tarmac it can sometimes feel a bit disconcerting when the tread transitions from the slick centre tread to the knobbles on the side of the tyre. As a result I often take some twisty road descents a bit slower than I would have done on previous tyres. I am however not a speed demon, so this is a downside I am more than happy to trade for the otherwise excellent blend of traction, comfort and durability.

Concluding Thoughts on the Pathfinders

I honestly struggle to find things to complain about with this tyre. It is fast, grippy, durable and affordable. Everybody has different preferences when it comes to gravel riding, but this is certainly close to the Goldilocks tyre of being “jut right”. It’s not as light as other tyres out there, it’s likely not as fast or grippy on trail as more dedicated burly off-road options, but it fits in perfectly with the rugged terrain I ride in Perthshire.

I still can’t quite believe how much life they have left in them after 2+ years of riding and tens of thousands of kilometres underneath them. To have done this with 0 punctures is yet another accolade that deserves repeating.

If you’re looking for a capable gravel tyre, that doesn’t compromise when it comes to on-road performance, then look no further.

Pathfinder Pro FAQs

Are the Pathfinder Pros durable?
We’ve been staggered at the durability of the Pathfinder Pros. After 2 years and close to 20,000kms of riding my pair still has life left in them, and what’s more – they’ve not punctured once. By any measure, that’s superb durability.
What sizes do Pathfinder Pros come in?
The Pathfinder Pros come in a variety of sizes to fit different wheel diameters and widths:
1. 700c: This is the most common diameter for road and gravel bikes. The Pathfinder Pro tires in this category usually come in widths like 38mm and 42mm. I personally use the 42mm version, which represents a nice balance between speed and comfort.
2. 650b: Also known as 27.5 inches, this size is popular among riders who want more tire volume for added comfort and off-road capability. The Pathfinder Pro tires in this size come in 47mm width.
Are they reasonably priced?
With an RRP of £45, these tyres sit pretty much in the middle of the prices you can expect to see for a gravel tyre these days. I would suggest they are very reasonably priced, and punch well above their price point with regards to durability and performance.
Are these fast gravel tyres?
On paper there are faster, lighter and more supple tyres on the market than the Pathfinder Pros. That said, this tyre has been ridden to 1st place spots at the biggest gravel races in the world – such as Unbound. With this in mind, these are certainly no slouch – representing a good mixture of practicality and efficiency.
How grippy are they?
This will depend on the surfaces you are riding, in mud I can say from experience that they provide less grip than I’d like. For hardpack and loose dirt roads though they are fantastic – the centre slick tread is surprisingly grippy on a mixture of terrain.