Crafted from Panaracer’s ZSG GRAVEL compound and featuring a unique tread pattern, the GRAVELKING ZX has been designed to deliver speed and stability without the need to swap out tires between rides.
Credit – Andy Donohoe / Commuter Films
(14th April 2026, Hyogo, Japan) Panaracer has expanded its ever popular GRAVELKING line-up with the introduction of the GRAVELKING ZX, an all new gravel tire designed for riders chasing speed across mixed-surface gravel routes.
With modern gravel riding rarely sticking to one surface, moving from paved roads to loose descents and rocky climbs, there is a need for a tire that balances speed, grip and durability across varying surfaces. The GRAVELKING ZX meets this demand, delivering low rolling resistance alongside the grip and durability required when conditions become more demanding.
A Three-Zone Tread for Speed and Control
At the centre of the GRAVELKING ZX is a three-zone tread pattern, engineered to maximise speed while preserving confident handling across varied terrain.
This is achieved with a smooth centre tread that minimises rolling resistance and maintains momentum on tarmac and hard-packed gravel. The inner edge of the ZX uses a transitional tread that engages when braking and leaning into corners, maintaining grip and ensuring a predictable feel. On the outer edge, aggressive side lugs provide the traction needed for loose gravel corners, technical descents and rougher surfaces, giving riders the control required when terrain becomes more demanding.
Together, these three zones allow the ZX to maintain speed where it matters most while delivering the feel and confidence gravel riders expect.
Optimised for Mixed-Surface Riding
The GRAVELKING ZX has been tuned for the types of terrain commonly found in modern gravel racing and endurance riding. This balance makes the ZX particularly suited to fast gravel events and long-distance rides where efficiency on smoother surfaces remains critical, but grip is still needed for when conditions become tougher.
As a result the ZX is well suited to many of the world’s most demanding gravel races and endurance events, including:
- Panaracer UCI Gravel World Series events
- Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego
- Mid South GravelÂ