CX Tire Q

[bagtagley]

I've got Happy Mediums right now and have been happy with them for this area. We see some mud, but not too often, and not real thick. However, I've got some rides planned in WV where the mud flows like so much snot from my son's nose. I'm also signed up for a "race" in June, and I'd like to be a bit better prepared. Skip to 3:00 for a pretty good idea of what I'm almost certain to experience.

https://vimeo.com/102581785

I want something that will grip decently in that crud, but won't completely suck on the gravel and road sections.

[jamal]

Try something like a clement pdx or michelin mud on the front while keeping the happy medium rear. They seem to do alright for general riding and you will still have fairly low rolling resistance. If the rear spins and slides too easily then buy another tire.

Most of the last year I mixed a similar rear tire (clement las) with a standard front and it worked pretty well.

E- I guess it also depends what size your tires are. try to find something the same size or slightly larger for the front. pdx and mud are only 32-33.

kenda kommando?

[VTskibum]

Presuming tubeless? I run (stans kit converted) small block 8, 35s for more gravel road riding and have had good luck. Probably not too different than the Happy mediums but with a bit more tread. Have also been pretty impressed with Maxxis Mud Wrestler (33) which is tubeless ready. Vitoria TnT tires also get love around here for cx racing in slop; XM, XL, XG

Not a fan of the older Kenda Kommando converted tubeless rolled it off during a grass cx race.

[bagtagley]

I'm running tubes. The Happy Mediums are 40s. I'd consider going smaller in the rear, but not sure I'd want to do that up front, particularly since there's room for a bit bigger tire.

The bike won't see any CX races anytime soon, so I don't want to compromise the road/gravel performance too much.

[jamal]

Yeah I realized you probably had bigger than 33s awhile after I posted. So an "all purpose" cross tire that is that large would be a good bet. Surly knard 41, something else that big from kenda, or possibly a 1.8-2.0 XC mtb tire if it will fit? Clement has the MSO in 40 that is meant more for gravel and touring than cx racing.

Although in really muddy conditions a big tire can sometimes be a bad idea I think, because it will pick up more and there is less clearance.

[bagtagley]

Yeah I realized you probably had bigger than 33s awhile after I posted. So an "all purpose" cross tire that is that large would be a good bet. Surly knard 41, something else that big from kenda, or possibly a 1.8-2.0 XC mtb tire if it will fit? Clement has the MSO in 40 that is meant more for gravel and touring than cx racing.

Although in really muddy conditions a big tire can sometimes be a bad idea I think, because it will pick up more and there is less clearance.

Yeah, I thought about that. I might stick with 40 because of that. I mostly want something that will be a bit more confidence inspiring when going fast. I think climbing will be fine.

The Knard looks solid. Thanks for the suggestions.

[milestogo]

http://www.bgcycles.com/new-page/
I have these on my cross check for all purpose riding. Love them.

[XtrPickels]

For some reason I feel the Happy Mediums are slow. I don't know if it's a compound thing, but they don't roll (IMO) as well as a file tread ought to.

I didn't see anything in the HillBilly Roubaix video that warranted significant tread.
If it were Me, Id run a Clement MSO or USH (depending on the amount of pavement to "gravel" expected).

When it comes to mud, it's more about pressure than tread pattern. There just isn't space on a CX / Gravel tire to do it with tread alone.

If you're running tubes, Latex is the way to go. A bit touchy to install (they tear easy). They dry out over time. However, they're more pinch-flat resistant, lighter and roll faster than Butyl.

[creaky fossil]

CST Pika?

I put one on the front of my CXSS (with a CST Cultivator on back) last summer, worked really well for riding everything, including singletrack rides at speed. Yoann Barelli might not like them but they're pretty good, and cheap compared to the Clement MSO I ran on front before.

[bagtagley]

For some reason I feel the Happy Mediums are slow. I don't know if it's a compound thing, but they don't roll (IMO) as well as a file tread ought to.

That's pretty interesting. When I first got the bike, I noticed the rolling resistance compared to the borrowed CX bike I'd been riding. That bike had 33s, so I just assumed it was the larger size.

When it comes to mud, it's more about pressure than tread pattern. There just isn't space on a CX / Gravel tire to do it with tread alone.

Lower pressure for mud?

A guy I ride with rides the MSO and likes it. I'll take his bike for a spin and see how they feel. That Pika looks good, too. I know squat about tread for gravel/dirt, but the mountain biker in me likes a nice, solid shoulder knob.

What's the deal with tubeless conversions for the road? I'm not running crazy high pressure, but high enough that I'd be concerned about a conversion holding up.

[creaky fossil]

Pika and MSO both grip better than their knob profile might suggest, but of course you have to have PSI fairly dialed, rock hard and they're not gonna grip much. It's a little odd to look at either one as your front tire after riding MTBs with stout side knobs on the front tire, but they seem to work despite resembling a typical low-knob cross tire rather than a Minion or similar. But maybe that's because I Ride Like Stuckie and never break past the 4-5 mph barrier anywhere?

[XtrPickels]

Lower pressure for mud?

A guy I ride with rides the MSO and likes it. I'll take his bike for a spin and see how they feel. That Pika looks good, too. I know squat about tread for gravel/dirt, but the mountain biker in me likes a nice, solid shoulder knob.

What's the deal with tubeless conversions for the road? I'm not running crazy high pressure, but high enough that I'd be concerned about a conversion holding up.

Yeah, Lower for mud. Allows a larger footprint, better conformity to the ground. On hard surfaces its slower, also increases chances of flatting etc. It's all a balance. CX racers will run 17psi on tubulars in the mud, which is basically riding the rim.

I run my CX tires tubeless on MTB rims, including larger tires like MSOs. works well at the pressures I run (25 to 40 psi). Lower than that causes issues. No need to run higher. I don't think I'd try a larger tire (35c or bigger) on a road width rim and not tubeless.

[XtrPickels]

Pika and MSO both grip better than their knob profile might suggest, but of course you have to have PSI fairly dialed, rock hard and they're not gonna grip much. It's a little odd to look at either one as your front tire after riding MTBs with stout side knobs on the front tire, but they seem to work despite resembling a typical low-knob cross tire rather than a Minion or similar. But maybe that's because I Ride Like Stuckie and never break past the 4-5 mph barrier anywhere?

Its funny how capable equipment can be. Our perception is often what holds us back.

Those CSTs look a little overkill for gravel, but like they'd crush it with singletrack (which I've been trying to ride more of to help CX racing)

[VTskibum]

....
What's the deal with tubeless conversions for the road? I'm not running crazy high pressure, but high enough that I'd be concerned about a conversion holding up.

ROAD tubeless conversion is a TERRIBLE idea on non tubeless rim/tire combo's. CX/Gravel tubeless in my experience isn't nearly as sketchy and more reliable, though still requires a bit of trial/error.

I have 2 wheelsets for my CX bike one of which is a non-tubeless Reynolds Solitude. These wheels have been converted tubeless using Stan's Cyclocross kit (rubber rim strips) for 2 seasons once I found the right tire combinations; currently 35c Kenda Small Block 8 up front and Vittoria XN Pro file tread rear, both are NON tubeless tires. Run 35psi for more single/doubletrack and 45 - 55psi for road/gravel rides on 33c (@ 160lbs) I'm not worried about it and has proven reliable. We have quite a few gravel roads in my area and ride most of my local mtb loop (skipping really rocky sections) so get out on this setup pretty often. My preferred width is 35c for my terrain, short of the real mug-bogs in the video I've ridden a lot of roads like those on 32-35c setup.

Successfull tubeless tires:
Kenda Small Block 8 35c non tubeless - popular gravel tire around me.
Several non tubless Vittorias; XN, XL 32-33c, wish they made some of these in 35c.
Maxxis Mudwrestler 33c - success on tubeless rim only, haven't tried non-tubeless rim, but imagine they'd seat perfectly given my experience. Have been running this lately in the rear for all types of rides (road, sngl/dbl-track, gravel).

Unsuccessful
Kenda Kommando non tubeless - sealed up, but could tell it wasn't holding air well over a few days. Ended up rolling it off the rim on my tubeless wheelset during a CX race @25psi. There is a tubeless version that is supposed to be better.
Continental Speed Kings 35c - couldn't get them sealed up with all the tricks and wheelsets I had. Wanted to like them but not happening.