I have a Fairlight Secan and I used to use it with two sets of wheels, until my second set died. I can’t justify at the moment to buy a new wheel set, but I want to get back to gravel this year, so I’m looking for some tyres. What would be your suggestion for a scaredy cat (use a 35mm Conti GP5000AS on the road because UK roads), like me, that offers good traction off-road (the roads around us not super rough or technical, just a lot of loose gravel) but also not super slow on tarmac…
Tufo thundero or speedero. Been using them the last couple of years. I get about 5000km - 6000km on a tire with about 50/50 road / gravel riding. They are also cheaper than their competitors in Europe and roll fast. I’ve ridden them on everything from road to mtb single track and never had any issues with durability.
There are two versions an HD and the regular but I have only used the regular.
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I can’t recommend the Schwalbe G-One RS enough. Riding them in 45mm front / 40mm back on my gravel bike and often times can’t tell the difference to my aero roadbike with 30mm Conti 5000. All while having tyres that can handle almost all gravel conditions, short of heavy mud / deep gravel.
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Would agree with the G-One RS suggestion or the Hutchinson Caracal.
And, if your bike can fit them, Thunderburt 2.1’s are surprisingly good on tarmac.
Given your description of the gravel roads and desire to have a tire that handles road well, too, I’d suggest you consider Schwalbe G-One Allround TLE. I’ve used them for the last 3 years. They do well on easy to moderate gravel yet also roll fast on the road.
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This would be my recommendation 
I have a second wheelset for my gravel bike with these tyres and it’s an absolute blast. I love heading out on mixed terrain rides and being able to zoom along the gravel without sacrificing much on the inevitable road parts.
I really like Specialized Pathfinders 38mm for mixed riding. The central band is practically slick which is great for upright road kms, while the minimalist knobs add a bit of traction and work well on a lean on gravel.
They have the added advantage of wearing much more slowly than full knobbed tyres like the G-ones or similar.
I can’t comment on how they go in the wet as I am, generally, made of rice paper.
I love my g-one rs pros but the other day I looked at them funny and they punctured… maybe unlucky and only the one so far but it was not a problem I had with the g-one bites I used to have on it. Feels muuuuch faster now though, so it’s a trade off I’m willing to take for now
I’m going to completely buck the trend here.
- You say you lack confidence
- a 60/40 split in favour of gravel will equate to a higher percentage (~75%?) of ride time on the gravel.
- I suspect you’ll always be closer to the traction limit on the gravel than on the road.
So …..
- 50c Dubnitols could be a great option. Race Kings/Dubnitols are proven to roll well on road, and especially off-road, 50c is a great compromise width for mixed surface rides where gravel is the majority, and when they do let go, they do so preditably and in a controllable way that will allow you to build confidence.
- 45c Terra Competition tyres (or equivilent from other brands) could be a good option, if the gravel is particularly smooth, or predominantly straight, as the rolling resistance isn’t far off your 35c AS tyres, but they won’t be so good for banking into gravel turns.
Ultimately, it depends on what you want. If you are happy to take it super easy in the gravel corners, or they are open enough that you don’t need to care, then the Terra Competitions (or similar suggestions above) would be fine and likely be the fastest all round option.
If you want the most confidence inspiring/building off road experience, or your gravel is relatively twisty, I’d suggest going for the Dubnitols.
For reference, I too have a Secan, and run 650Bx2.2 Race Kings the majority of the time. I have a wheelset with Terra Speed tires for when the ride will be much higher percentage road (or very smooth gravel), which feel faster, but not by much, and may actually be a wash - they feel a bit better on the road, but off-road it doesn’t need to get too rough before the Race Kings win out easily.
I would consider runing the 50c Dubnitols and be done with it, but I’d encounter toe overlap issues and wouldn’t be able to run mudguards (54R frame size).
I would strongly suggest you check out bicyclerollingresistance.com - it’s amazing how a tyre that looks fast on paper, isn’t, and visa versa.
Hah, what a wonderfully reasoned response. Having looked at the Dubnital 2.0, it looks promising. My Secan is 60cm, so toe overlap might not be a big issue but I run 700c wheels, so the 50mm claimed width will definitely test the 50mm claimed clearance of the bike itself. Plus, it doesn’t seem to be available at the moment - the earliest I found was the 28th July. I’ll keep looking but I think you are right and I will look for something that gives me confidence in corners.