Cyclocross tyres for wet & muddy conditions

jonsi

Whilst the first couple of cyclocross events have been relatively dry and I have got away with the tyres that came on the bike (Kenda Small Block Eight's) I am a bit concerned about how these tyres would cope if it got very wet & muddy

Can anybody that uses these tyres tell me how good they are in mud and if they aren't very good can you suggest what would be better tyres

Thank you

explosifpete

I use the Schwalbe CX Pro for mud and they work really well, also they are under £20.

The Michelin Cyclo Cross Mud 2 has a lot of fans but I have never used them so can't comment but they do look good

Pseudonym

forget about the SB8s in a muddy race - they will clog. I'm currently on a pair of Kenda Kwicker 35s (they come up a bit narrower than that), which grip really well. CX Pros will also work well, and are pretty cheap..

jonsi

Thanks for the quick answers

You've confirmed my worries about the SB8's! Have seen CX Pro's with other riders & they look like they would be quite good in mud - will need to order some before it gets too wet!

hammerite

Bit of chat about this here.... http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12736487&start=260

Pete - have you tried Mud 2 in the actual mud? I was reading up about them and most reviews said that unlike the original Mud tyre the Mud 2 are more of an allrounder rather than a specific mud tyre. Which kind of put me off.

I had CX pros on my mountain bike for my first couple of cross races before I got a cross bike. I left them on the MTB and used them all winter and they always did a pretty good job in wet and muddy conditions.

Mike67

I ran the Mud 2 for the whole of last season. Just put them on again last weekend for this season as the first few races were bone dry so I got away with semi-slicks.

My bottle gives out before the tyres do especially in the corners. Found them more than grippy enough in some atrocious conditions and are holding up well in their second year of use.

The main factor in grip levels is tyre pressure. I have run them as low as 20psi and while the grip is great (especially up hill) I have bottomed them out a couple of times (I'm 70kg). They survived though and I got no pinch p***ntures with them. The tougher Continental tour inner tubes may have helped too.
I tend to run them a few psi higher now as my skill at avoiding roots etc and riding 'light' diminshes rapidly as the race progresses .