In this article I’m going to cover the best 27.5 inch hybrid bike tires.
The term hybrid within the bicycle industry originated in the 90’s, when there was an explosion of different bike types on the back of the mountain bike craze. Hybrid bikes back then were bikes meant for active leisure and resembled road or city bikes with flat bars and mountain bike groupsets.
The tires sat between normal commuter and what was dubbed as mountain bike tires back in the day. The same applies today, with hybrid tires trying to find the sweet spot between a traditional commuter tire and the offroad nature of mountain bike tires.
The cycling industry has come a long way in three decades, and the tires as well. So you can still find classic and affordable tires to turn your bike into a versatile commuter. But there are a number of race-worthy premium tires to go fast no matter what road conditions you find yourself on.
Another thing is that many standard commuter tires are being offered in plus sizes, and offer so much puncture protection that your bike can be used for gravel riding on hardpack without any issue.
Gravel riding has kind of taken over the role of what used to be called hybrid bikes: bikes meant to go fast but be much more versatile than road bikes.
Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to find the perfect tire in this list of the best 27.5 inch hybrid bike tires.
Continental CONTACT Plus
The Continental CONTACT Plus is another great allround commuting tire from the German brand.
It sets itself apart from the other tires in the lineup because of a cut resistant casing, besides the puncture-resistant belt and reinforced sidewalls.
The tire sacrifices a low weight in favor of basically never running a flat, and does so perfectly. It’s flat center tread pattern means it’s a great long-lasting-durable commuter option.
- Extremely puncture-resistant
- Heavy
Continental CONTACT Urban
The Continental CONTACT Urban is, as its name implies, a slick tire meant for urban commuting.
It’s one of the fastest tires for urban applications, and has a certificate for it to be mounted on speed pedelecs up to a speed of 50 km/h. It has the performance-oriented PureGrip compound, which is a step below their race compound BlackChili used for mountain bike tires.
A strong nylon breaker sits underneath the center tread and serves as a lightweight, flexible, yet very puncture-resistant protective layer.
- Very fast, lightweight, yet puncture-resistant slick tire
- For those who prefer speed over durability
Continental Double Fighter III
The Continental Double Fighter III is an affordable semi-slick tire. With lots of sizing options you can turn any mountain bike into an urban commuter, or a road bike into one with a beefier tire setup.
It doesn’t pack any tire technology to speak of, hence should be used for dry conditions on tarmac.
- Affordable all-round semi-slick for dry conditions
- Doesn't excel in any category
Continental Terra Trail
If summer gravel riding is one of your favorite pastimes the Continental Terra Trail will prove to be a more than adequate companion.
It’s a typical allround gravel tire that scores well with respect to puncture protection, grip, and weight. But stay away from muddy trails, for the tread will clog up quickly and with it any grip you might be looking for.
That’s fine so long as muddy rides are not your forte, and even if it was, you’d rather stay dry. The tire excels on dry hardpack, gravel, and fire roads.
- Solid gravel allrounder
- None
Schwalbe G-One Allround
The allround in the Schwalbe G-One Allround refers just as much to its application as to its tread pattern.
It’s a fantastic grippy tire meant for riding in dry conditions. It has a pattern rather than easily discernible knobbies, making this the fastest allround gravel tire of this list. That’s why it performs exceptionally well on tarmac as on gravel.
The Super Ground carcass is found on tires that need to perform well in various conditions, and offers great rolling-resistance, durability and weight characteristics. The ADDIX SpeedGrip compound obviously favors speed above traction.
The tread pattern, the compound and tire carcass, all of those components make this one helluva speedy gravel tire for dry conditions.
- The best allround gravel tire from Schwalbe
- None
Schwalbe G-One Speed
If you’re a person who likes fast, plush rides on pavement and slightly coarse roads the Schwalbe G-One Speed is probably the best tire money can buy.
It’s an exceptional big volume road tire that’s light, nimble, and lets you rip down the road with a big grin on your face. It’s a step up in width from your average road tire, which means you get an incredibly supple and plush ride and loads of grip. Sure you have to sacrifice a bit in the rolling-resistance department when compared to a 25 millimeter road tire, but this tire is simply more fun to ride and much, much more comfortable.
And this tire doesn’t shy away from light gravel riding as well, broadening the range of application beyond very fast commuting.
- Extremely fast-rolling tire, great option for both gravel and commuting
- None
Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)
The Panaracer Gravel King SK has become my favorite gravel tire on the market. In my mind there are two brands that stand out from the crowd, and those are american-made WTB and their Japanese counterpart Panaracer.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Panaracer. When the gravel-craze took hold of the bicycle industry, they created the tire that would serve as the de facto standard for gravel tires with the GravelKing SK. It has just the right weight, just the right tread pattern, just the right puncture protection, and all wrapped up in a beautiful package, both in black and tan-wall options.
Deservedly so, the Panaracer Gravel King SK is in my mind the true fit-and-forget, all-weather, all-season option for gravel aficionados. But will serve those bikepackers and hard-riding daily commuters just as well.
- Superb allround gravel tire, very lightweight, with excellent puncture protection, ride characteristics, and with japanese build quality.
- None
Kenda Alluvium Pro
The Kenda Alluvium Pro is a great summer gravel bike tire for dry conditions with just enough bite to tackle rougher conditions, should you encounter them.
A traditional-looking gravel tire has a rather smooth center tread and raised side knobbies. Such a design ensures a low rolling-resistance when going straight, but increased cornering confidence when you find yourself on rougher and twistier roads. The Alluvium pro has such a design and as such is a great allround option, that performs well enough when you start to demand more from your bike.
With its single ply casing it shouldn’t be the most puncture resistant when compared to its heavier brother the Kenda Flintridge Pro, but really rough and or wet and muddy conditions is not where you should take this tire anyway.
- Affordable gravel allrounder
- None
Maxxis Pace
The Maxxis Pace is a cross country tire with the most minimal tread pattern in Maxxis’ XC lineup.
It’s an excellent tire if you want to keep the MTB nature of your bike, being able to ride comfortably and confidently on surfaces other than flat tarmac. The tire has excellent rolling-resistance characteristics which makes it perfectly suitable for urban riding, while the minimalistic knobbies still provide enough bite for hardpack and gravel riding in dry conditions.
And with a 2.1 inch width the tires don’t feel out of place on your 29er. Furthermore it displays other features of a full-blown mountain bike tire, with it being tubeless compatible and having Maxxis EXO puncture resistance in a relatively lightweight package of 650 grams.
- Semi-slick XC-oriented tire, use front or rear
- Not the grippiest
Maxxis Recepter
The Maxxis Recepter is a great-looking option for people looking into 650b slick tires with gravel characteristics.
Just as with the Continental Speed King it has hardly any tread pattern to speak of, but has small side knobbies for added grip when cornering.
It’s a lightweight performance tire sitting at 485 grams for a 1.85 width version.
The Recepter also comes with Maxxis’ tried-and-true EXO protection, which is hardly a luxury when taking your bike on rougher roads.
It means that this tire is a perfect companion for fast-riding on dirt roads and hardpack.
- Semi-slick tire, very light
- None
WTB Byway
WTB has been at the forefront of providing high-quality gravel tires and the WTB Byway is another great example of why the brand reigns supreme in that department.
The slick center line ensures this minimal gravel tire is fast when going in a straight line. But the pronounced side knobbies allow for enough confidence in dry summer conditions when riding hardpack and dirt roads.
Even a great tire such as this one has its limits, and the minimal tread pattern won’t fare well in wet and muddy conditions. Also grip on steep inclines with loose gravel might be less optimal because of its semi-slick nature. But to be fair that’s not the intended purpose of this tire.
So if your average ride includes pavement and gravel and speed is at the top of your list, this is a gorgeous option to choose.
- Fantastic semi-slick gravel option
- None
WTB Horizon
The WTB Horizon is a gorgeous and supple 650b slick tire, available in both black and true tan-wall options.
The 47 millimeter width tire comes in both a single ply 60 TPI and a more supple 120 TPI version. The center tread has no pattern whatsoever and is flanked by dual herringbone patterns to provide a modicum of traction when riding anything else but smooth tarmac and pavement.
It’s fully tubeless compatible and the round tire ranging between 515 and 571 grams for the various versions will make a plush ride indeed for any type of light gravel riding or urban commuting.
- One of the best slicks for gravel riding, plush ride quality
- None
WTB Resolute
The WTB Resolute is an allround all-weather all-season gravel bike tire, or so WTB claims.
And this claim does make sense, with WTB basically applying a baseline of solid gravel tire characteristics into this product offering.
It’s both a lightweight tire which enhances acceleration. And it sits in between slick tires and the aggressive tread pattern of the WTB Sendero, ensuring good grip and traction in all kinds of conditions, while going in a straight line or in corners, going uphill or downhill.
So does that make the WTB Resolute one of the best all-rounders in the gravel department. The answer is a resolute yes, pun intended.
- Fantastic allround 4 season option, one of the best gravel tires on the market
- None
Specifications 27.5 inch hybrid bike tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WTB Horizon | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 532 | Black | Black | Dual DNA | tlr | 60 | ||
WTB Horizon | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 515 | Black | Tan | Dual DNA | tlr | 60 | ||
WTB Horizon | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 571 | Black | Black | Dual DNA | tlr | 120 | ||
Maxxis Recepter | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 484 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr | 120 | ||
WTB Byway | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 564 | Black | Black | Dual DNA | tlr | |||
WTB Byway | 27.5×1.85 | 47-584 | 535 | Black | Tan | Dual DNA | tlr | |||
WTB Resolute | 27.5×1.65 | 42-584 | 440 | Black | Tan | Dual DNA | tlr | 60 | ||
Continental Terra Trail | 27.5×1.60 | 40-584 | 430 | Black | Cream | BlackChili | ProTection casing | tlr | 3/180 | |
Continental Terra Trail | 27.5×1.90 | 47-584 | 460 | Black | Black | BlackChili | ProTection casing | tlr | 3/180 | |
Schwalbe G-One Allround | 27.5×1.50 | 40-584 | 450 | Black | Black | ADDIX SpeedGrip | Super Ground | tubeless | ||
Schwalbe G-One Allround | 27.5×2.25 | 57-584 | 650 | Black | Black | ADDIX SpeedGrip | Super Ground | tubeless | ||
Kenda Alluvium Pro | 27.5×1.80 | 45-584 | 514 | Black | Black | Single | tlr | 120 | ||
Continental CONTACT Plus | 27.5×1 1/2 | 42-584 | 990 | Black | Black | SafetyPlus Breaker | 3/180 | |||
Continental Double Fighter III | 27.5×2.00 | 50-584 | 860 | Black | Black | Sport | wired | |||
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×2.20 | 55-584 | 690 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | ||
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×2.00 | 50-584 | 615 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | ||
Continental CONTACT Urban | 27.5×1.60 | 42-584 | 515 | Black | Black Reflex | PureGrip | SafetyPro Breaker | wired | ||
Maxxis Pace | 27.5×2.10 | 53-584 | 620 | Black | Black | Dual | tlr |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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