IRC Boken 36mm gravel tyre review

The newly released IRC Boken is a classic gravel bike tyre, with a file tread across its centre coupled to a row of more widely spaced knobs at its edges. Unwrapping the tyre, the first thing you notice is how tacky the rubber feels. IRC emphasises its ultra-gummy compound, designed for added traction.

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Like most gravel tyres, the IRC Boken is tubeless ready. Tubeless set-up is hassle free; it’s easy to get the tyre over the wheel rim and I was able to seat the beads and pump up to 60psi without any more effort than it would need to pump up an inner tube. There was little or no escaping air before or after the tyre beads popped into place, even before adding sealant.

The IRC Boken tyre comes in 36mm or 40mm widths. For the 36mm variant, IRC recommends inflation pressure between 45 and 65psi on the tyre sidewall, 40 – 65 psi on its website. Strangely, the minimum recommended on the site for the 40mm variant is higher at 45psi.

As with most wide tyres, running tubeless means that you can comfortably drop below this and realise gains in traction and a less bumpy ride, without the risk of pinch flats. I rode the IRC Boken tyres at 30-35psi without problem. Like most gravel tyres, there’s enough sidewall height to stop bottoming out on roots and bumps at low pressures.

The company says that the IRC Boken tyre is developed for extreme gravel racing. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of grip over rough surfaces in the dry, so they have been fine to ride in the drought of this summer. But the tread doesn’t have enough grip to keep you moving confidently once things get proper damp or muddy.