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Recommend me some CX tyres

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cloggsy71
cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
in Social Groups
I'm heading up to Scotland & was toying with taking my CX bike. At the moment it is fitted out as my 'winter' road bike, with Scwalbe ZX Aqua 23's fitted.

Can someone recommend me some CX tyres that have a flat-ish profile for riding on the road, but with knobbly edges for rough trails, bridalways etc.?

Thanks in advance ;)

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  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
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    I asked a variant of this same question in the CX group a few days ago but got no response. For whatever it's worth, my coach (a very competitive Masters CX racer) is a big believer in the Clement CX tires. I just ordered a set of PDX tubulars for my race wheels, but those are probably too aggressive for what you need. I'd probably go with the MXP "All Condition" tires or maybe even better, the X'Plor USH. There was a very positive review of the X'Plors on Red Kite Prayer just a couple of days ago.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,683 Member
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    cloggsy71 wrote: »
    I'm heading up to Scotland & was toying with taking my CX bike. At the moment it is fitted out as my 'winter' road bike, with Scwalbe ZX Aqua 23's fitted.

    Can someone recommend me some CX tyres that have a flat-ish profile for riding on the road, but with knobbly edges for rough trails, bridalways etc.?

    Thanks in advance ;)

    pretty much what I'm running at the moment mate... Vittoria Cross XN Pro's - rough grade file tread on the main part, with edges that are a bit gnarlier.

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-cross-xn-pro-folding-cyclocross-tyre/

    Or alternatively Schwalbe Sammy Slicks

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-sammy-slick-folding-cyclocross-tyre/



    They don't either look particularly grippy and gnarly, but for prettymuch anything bridleway / sustrans type stuff they're good enough, and I don't have any problems with them around the local woods... they're not over brilliant as soon as its wet though... that's where something like the Vittoria XM's and XG's come in. And they're not a bundle of fun on the road. It's a trade off...

  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,683 Member
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    ntnunk wrote: »
    I asked a variant of this same question in the CX group a few days ago but got no response. For whatever it's worth, my coach (a very competitive Masters CX racer) is a big believer in the Clement CX tires. I just ordered a set of PDX tubulars for my race wheels, but those are probably too aggressive for what you need. I'd probably go with the MXP "All Condition" tires or maybe even better, the X'Plor USH. There was a very positive review of the X'Plors on Red Kite Prayer just a couple of days ago.

    Yeah, I saw your question in the Cross group, but didn't really have much to add, having not ridden cross on Tubs for the past 25 years or so, I think any information I'd have would be out of date - plus, most UK cross courses tend to be either on a school playing field or around a public park, so you're either on 4-6" long wet grass or 6" deep sloppy mud - neither condition being exactly what you were asking about. FWIW I used to use Clément Grifo's or Something very similar by Dugast or Wolber.


  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    TheBigYin wrote: »
    ntnunk wrote: »
    I asked a variant of this same question in the CX group a few days ago but got no response. For whatever it's worth, my coach (a very competitive Masters CX racer) is a big believer in the Clement CX tires. I just ordered a set of PDX tubulars for my race wheels, but those are probably too aggressive for what you need. I'd probably go with the MXP "All Condition" tires or maybe even better, the X'Plor USH. There was a very positive review of the X'Plors on Red Kite Prayer just a couple of days ago.

    Yeah, I saw your question in the Cross group, but didn't really have much to add, having not ridden cross on Tubs for the past 25 years or so, I think any information I'd have would be out of date - plus, most UK cross courses tend to be either on a school playing field or around a public park, so you're either on 4-6" long wet grass or 6" deep sloppy mud - neither condition being exactly what you were asking about. FWIW I used to use Clément Grifo's or Something very similar by Dugast or Wolber.

    Those Clément tyres ntnunk listed look pretty good; nice flat tread pattern in the middle with some slightly raised knobbly bits on the sides... Hmmmm...
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,683 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I thought he was posting about Tubulars though... or do they do a clincher version as well ?

    ETA: cancel that - you've found clincher ones.

  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    I couldn't justify running Tubs mate, especially on the CX :lol:
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,683 Member
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    well - depends on what you'r riding the cross bike for - for racing, I doubt i'd use anything else - typical UK cross courses are such that, frankly the only time I ever punctured was when I got knocked off into a bramble hedge, or ran into someone elses chainset while they were on the deck in front of me... as I say, public parks and school fields. Plus you could run maybe 30psi in there for grip without problems, which BITD would just never have worked with clinchers.

    But these days, I'm happy enough for what I do (non-competitive bimbleing around sensible offroad stuff) with clinchers, heavy duty innertubes, and a sploosh of liquid latex in the inner-tubes. It's slow compared to road tyres, but if I go on the crosser in that "rig" then I'm not really going to be going out to set road climb PB's anyway...
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
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    If you're just looking to ride rather than race, so many of my buds have raved about Kenda Small Block Eight tires for rail to trail use, I figured I'd give them a mention. Used on touring and adventure bikes, they are designed for hard pack dirt paths, gravel, and fireroads, so deep sticky mud is a definite disqualifier. But the Kenda Small Block Eight tires feature low rolling resistance, are pretty flat resistant, available in a wide range of tire sizes, and are a great candidate for relatively dry combined on-road, dirt road, and off-road use. I'm not at all familiar with the [potentially?] soggy conditions one might find in Scotland. Anyway, see the Small Block Eight Pro here: http://bicycle.kendatire.com/en-us/find-a-tire/bicycle/cyclocross-gravel/small-block-eight-pro/
  • starseedxo
    starseedxo Posts: 36 Member
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    I love my panaracer paselas for gravel races, I bet they'd be perfect for your needs.
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
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    Love my X'plors (non-USH in 40mm) and have >5000 miles on them (multiple sets). They ride quick on the road and just as fast off, if a bit squirrelly ifyou have them >70psi off road, usually run around 45-55psi with tubes. IN mud they're not so hot due to the more slick tread but doable. Running some Bruce Gordon Rock'nRoad tires right now that are awesome in gravel, dirt, quick enough on the road but quick wearing on said pavement. They look like they'd do well in the mud but don't (or it could be our sticky clay mud).

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