Muddy cross pressures and to stud or not to stud?

Paul 8v

Hi,

I'm very new to the world of cross, I rode my first race in the dry last week and got bounced about a fair bit. I was running 30mm Michelin's at 40psi. This week it is going to be very muddy by the looks of it, should I reduce my tyre pressures?

Also it looks like there may be a fair bit more running about in the mud, I think my shoes have the facility for studs at the front, should I be fitting football studs/spikes? Sorry if this is a dumb question, as I said I'm very new to cross!

This is the shoe (Shimano M086)


Thanks

Paul

milese

Yeah stick studs in. I just use football studs.

I'm no expert on tyre pressure and it's quite a personal thing.

If there is no risk of pinch flats from rocks, curbs etc maybe you could go lower.

I've had a couple of pinches in races and now run 40psi. It's better to be too hard than going home after 10 minutes, but it's down to your own trial and error!

Paul 8v

Thanks milese, I hit a few rabbit holes last week so perhaps best to keep it at 40 then. Just need to go buy some studs now then. It was hard work last week, god knows what it's going to be like in the mud!