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1st CX Sportive

lanternerouge79lanternerouge79 Posts: 38
edited August 2014 in Cyclocross
This Sunday i'm attending the Kentish Ronde. Its a 40km ride from the Cyclopark in Kent with approx 70% being off road.

Only rode 100km on my CX and so far i've used Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pro which are fine on road and dry packed stuff but any loose and WET gravel/mud is a big no,no as i found out this morning.

I've just put some Vittoria Cross XG Pro's on. How do these generally handle in mixed conditions. i.e some tarmac (probably muddy) and some muddy trails.

Min PSI is 60. Would this be the best PSI to run? i'm only 63kg so no fat git

Posts

  • tgotbtgotb Posts: 4,714
    Yep, that sounds like a reasonable tyre choice. I certainly wouldn't go any higher than 60psi; in a race with minimal tarmac you'd probably be running them at less than half that pressure. One limiting factor will be that they'll squirm around when cornering on tarmac if the pressure's too low. In a CX race you'd live with that to a certain extent; I'd be inclined to go as low as you can without affecting the cornering on tarmac.

    Ignore the manufacturer's PSI recommendation; for CX tyres they're complete fiction.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,777
    The XG work well down to 40 PSI, even lower but you risk pinch flats if you hit a stone or a root.
  • Monty DogMonty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I weight 60kg and consider 30psi top-end for CX tyre pressures - try riding at different pressures/conditions to find what works best. I tried 40psi once, I struggled to hold a traverse across a slope.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • tgotbtgotb Posts: 4,714
    Monty Dog wrote:
    I weight 60kg and consider 30psi top-end for CX tyre pressures - try riding at different pressures/conditions to find what works best. I tried 40psi once, I struggled to hold a traverse across a slope.
    Couldn't agree more. At 85kg I never went above 20psi last season, once it got muddy. That was with tubeless to avoid pinch flats, but I probably wouldn't have gone more than a few psi higher even with inner tubes. On a race course, I don't mind babying the bike over the odd root if that's what it takes to stay attached on the off-camber sections.
    I assume that a CX sportive is more about hammering along farm tracks than tricky off-camber, but even then you'll benefit from better float at lower pressures.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • lanternerouge79lanternerouge79 Posts: 38
    Cool

    thats for the tips guys.

    I'll keep at 60 for the ride to and from the event then drop to 40psi for the actual route. Thankfully my pump has a pressure gauge.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,777
    I was nearly ready to sign up for this, then I realised it's got no signage and I'm too stingy to get a GPS (or a smartphone with GPS)... oh well... :roll:
  • tgotbtgotb Posts: 4,714
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was nearly ready to sign up for this, then I realised it's got no signage and I'm too stingy to get a GPS (or a smartphone with GPS)... oh well... :roll:
    Why not just use a paper map? OS 1:50,000 would be ideal, and if you don't want to buy the map you can even print one out for free...

    I've probably used paper maps for about 30 years of my cycling career, and electronic ones for 3; the paper ones take up a bit more space in your pocket, but I still reckon they're easier to read...

    Have we really reached the stage where people decide not to do an activity purely because they'd have to read a map?
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,777
    TGOTB wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was nearly ready to sign up for this, then I realised it's got no signage and I'm too stingy to get a GPS (or a smartphone with GPS)... oh well... :roll:
    Why not just use a paper map? OS 1:50,000 would be ideal, and if you don't want to buy the map you can even print one out for free...

    I've probably used paper maps for about 30 years of my cycling career, and electronic ones for 3; the paper ones take up a bit more space in your pocket, but I still reckon they're easier to read...

    Have we really reached the stage where people decide not to do an activity purely because they'd have to read a map?

    I do use OS maps, but I wouldn't drive to an area I've never been to do an organised off road bike event where I have to pull out a map every 3 minutes.

    When I ride in the North Downs I try to introduce new segments one or two at a time, rather than going full on for a completely new loop to avoid that... in time I have built a decent knowledge that allows me to leave the map at home. Plus I know the area, so I can be a bit more adventurous.

    Besides, if they don't even signpost the course, what exactly are you paying an entry fee for?
  • tgotbtgotb Posts: 4,714
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Besides, if they don't even signpost the course, what exactly are you paying an entry fee for?
    I've often wondered the same about Sportives in general; why pay an entry fee to ride on roads (or bridleways) that you could ride on for free, any time you like.

    More to the point: If you're not doing this, you should come to the CX training event at Hillingdon. That should be worth every penny :-)
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,777
    TGOTB wrote:
    More to the point: If you're not doing this, you should come to the CX training event at Hillingdon. That should be worth every penny :-)

    Day and time?
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 26,777
    TGOTB wrote:
    I've often wondered the same about Sportives in general; why pay an entry fee to ride on roads (or bridleways) that you could ride on for free, any time you like.

    For the signage, at least that's the reason I occasionally ride one, as in this country they are so dull there is no other reason you would want to
  • tgotbtgotb Posts: 4,714
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    More to the point: If you're not doing this, you should come to the CX training event at Hillingdon. That should be worth every penny :-)

    Day and time?
    Same day, details here:
    http://centralcxl.org.uk/2014/07/cxl-ri ... ining-day/

    The guy who's running it is a very good CX coach...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • lanternerouge79lanternerouge79 Posts: 38
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was nearly ready to sign up for this, then I realised it's got no signage and I'm too stingy to get a GPS (or a smartphone with GPS)... oh well... :roll:

    you could always tag along with someone else?
  • lanternerouge79lanternerouge79 Posts: 38
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I was nearly ready to sign up for this, then I realised it's got no signage and I'm too stingy to get a GPS (or a smartphone with GPS)... oh well... :roll:
    Why not just use a paper map? OS 1:50,000 would be ideal, and if you don't want to buy the map you can even print one out for free...

    I've probably used paper maps for about 30 years of my cycling career, and electronic ones for 3; the paper ones take up a bit more space in your pocket, but I still reckon they're easier to read...

    Have we really reached the stage where people decide not to do an activity purely because they'd have to read a map?

    I do use OS maps, but I wouldn't drive to an area I've never been to do an organised off road bike event where I have to pull out a map every 3 minutes.

    When I ride in the North Downs I try to introduce new segments one or two at a time, rather than going full on for a completely new loop to avoid that... in time I have built a decent knowledge that allows me to leave the map at home. Plus I know the area, so I can be a bit more adventurous.

    Besides, if they don't even signpost the course, what exactly are you paying an entry fee for?

    well its only £8 so no big expense plus if you don't know the area at least the route will be checked out first
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