Schwalbe’s G-One Allroung; not the latest, still one of the greatest

Words and Images - James Raison

It’s an unusual time to review the Schwalbe G-One Allround because it’s so late in the product life cycle. They were released in ancient times of 2016, and approaching mid-2020 the range is likely due for a refresh.

I felt, nonetheless, that it was a product worth writing about for a couple of reasons:

until a refresh, it’s still current tech
they’re still flippin’ excellent
the gravel tyre market has exploded with diversity but not necessarily innovation.

So let’s dive into why the Schwalbe G-One Allround is still a great tyre to buy in 2020.

THE SETUP

I fitted the Schwalbe G-One Allround Microskin TLE to a set of Shimano GRX RX570 wheels on the Bossi Grit Ti and used Tune One Shot sealant.

This setup his just ticked over a thousand kms which is a good time to run through how it’s faring.

THE TREAD PATTERN IS STILL GREAT

That tightly packed, low-profile stud layout is an excellent all-round pattern.

It rolls very respectably well on tarmac for a gravel tyre. It’s not road-tyre-fast but it’s closer than many other gravel tyres. Its tight tread pattern means it hasn’t worn down much from smooth tarmac. The Continental Terra Speeds by contrast, got chewed up very quickly under mixed terrain use.

The Schwalbe G-One Allround on the left and the Continental Terra Speed on the right represent different approaches to tread design.

Naturally you should be more concerned about gravel grip and the G-One Allrounds fall into the “pretty darn good” category. There’s always a grip limitation to the tightly packed tread. The tyre can’t get purchase on shifty surfaces - like lush gravel for example - because there’s no gaps in the tread, so it rolls across the top. I found the same with the Panaracer GravelKing SKs. You need to be mindful of how slide happy tyres like this can get. That said, I found plenty of confidence on the G-One Allrounds. They held onto grip quite well and rarely surprised me with unexpected sliding.

TUBELESS SETUP

Schwalbe means it when they say “tubeless easy”. I’ve found their gravel and road tyres to be exceptionally easy to set up. The seal they’ve made with the Shimano GRX wheels has been inconveniently good. I tend to pump up my tyres a little higher than normal and let them lose pressure while riding because I find standard floor pumps imprecise. These don’t lose pressure fast enough.

The tyres were set with a healthy dose of Tune One Shot sealant

WEAR AND TEAR

I’ve treated the Bossi Grit as a truly mixed terrain bike. It’s chewed up plenty of dirt and a decent amount of tarmac. I’ve been using it as a commuting rig too because gravel bikes are perfect for smacking about the city with their big, tubeless tyres and simple 1x drivetrain.

They’ve done the full spectrum of gravel from smoothly cured to some trail nastiness so there’s been ample opportunity for shredding the tread and causing some punctures. The rear tyre is only showing a small amount of tread wear, and the front still looks near-new with the excess rubber from the mold still visible down its centre. By comparison, the Continental Terra Speed tyres were visibly worn after only 400 km, and the Panaracer GravelKing SKs fared better but looked a bit tired after 1000 km.

There’s still very little wear on the rear tyre, despite how much tarmac they’ve seen.

SWEET BARGAINS

The G-One AllRounds have been available long enough for prices to drop. Do some digging around and you’ll find awesome prices on these tyres.

WHY YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO GRAB A SET

For balance here’s a couple of things I don’t like about the G-One Allrounds.

SIZE OPTIONS

The range of widths feels very 2016 when you look through it. There weren’t many bikes with the colossal clearances we see nowadays so the largest gravel width is 38 mm - which measures at 40 mm on my setup. I want to see more and bigger widths when the updated version comes out. Specifically in 700c I’d like a 43 or 45 mm, and a 50 mm. In 650b I’d like a 2.0” which I’d buy immediately and put on my Grove R.A.D which is rocking Hunt Adventure Carbon wheels. I did notice that the G-One Speed has newly been released in a 650b 2.0” width in tanwall option so hopefully that’s the first sign of range refresh coming soon.

FAIR WEATHER HEROES

Most gravel tyres are easily overwhelmed by moisture and the Schwalbe G-One AllRounds are no exception. Their tight, short tread pattern can’t get purchase when the surface gets sloppy. That’s rather common for gravel tyres. Anyone looking for something a little more capable should check out the Continental Terra Speed or Schwalbe’s own G-One Bite and Ultrabite.

South Australia’s generally dry, dusty terrain suite the G-One Allround perfectly. For me they’re ideal for 11 months of the year, only being unsuitable for winter slop. If they expand the size range they’ll be a little more capable in gross weather.

WRAPPING UP

The Schwalbe G-One Allround is still an excellent gravel all-rounder for dry climate riders. They might not satisfy the neophiles given their age, but they offer fantastic bang-for-buck gravel performance.

Disclosure statement: These were sent for review by Schwalbe Australia distributor Bike Box. It’s not a paid review and we don’t get any incentives from Bike Box.