Wheels. Tyres. Tubes.

jezzasnr

Currently using OpenProCD rims, 32 spokes 3x, Hope Hubs, Challenge Grifo, the standard cheap clinchers & butyl tubes.
Novice to racing, but love it & fancies an upgrade.
So.... Challenge Grifo Open & Latex tubes.
Was quite taken by the difference open & latex made on the road bike.
Also, could I use my RS81 C24 wheels, or would they not really be up to the rigours of CX.
I'm 81 kgs, so no lightweight, but I don't think im that hard on my kit.

devhads

The cheaper Grifos and the open tubular version have the same tread pattern but where you'll notice a massive improvement is the ability to run low pressure, especially with latex tubes.

I'm also 80kg and I had my Limus with latex tubes at 23psi front and 25psi rear at the weekend. I dare say I could have gone a pound or two lower as they didn't feel all that squirmy. If you want to go any lower than that you'll need to think about tubs or tubeless. So definitely an upgrade and if you're going to stick with clinchers and tubes you'll be hard pressed to find another combination that would let you run those kind of low pressures.

FransJacques

With Challenge, if you're interested in good 'feel' buy the open tub models with the high threadcount and not the cheap black walled ones. Never tried the cheaper ones and they're probably not that bad but what's £10?

Other thing - it's amazing how well road stuff holds up to cross. Many people refuse to believe this and they think that for some reason you must race cross with 36 hole 14 gauge cross 4 spokes else your bike will disintegrate into 1000 pieces right after the whistle blows. These people might think you need a Range Rover to drive to Tesco as well, I'm not sure. But really I think many folks have little knowledge of the limits of their equipment and so the typical old-wives-tales prevail. You can read them in any cross forum. Bit of a soap box there but there is so much disinformation. Also, some people are not cycling technocrats, they're cycling luddites and dispense advice along these lines.

I'm 83-85 kgs and have raced all combinations of my DA 7850 CL24s, RS80s, and Ultegra 6700s and all have held up fine. I'm not easy on equipment but don't forget you have a great big balloon tyre providing the cushioning to your wheels. Hitting potholes in Surrey or Kent at 40 kph with a 23c is much more violent in my experience.

I've seen people race Fulcrum Zeros, Reynolds Assaults, Stans very flexible 340s. I think the only limit is your imagination. So if you're looking to spice up the feel of your bike, maybe something lighter that RS80s is the way to go. Of course with all the recent and coming rain, and extra 2-3kgs of mud on your bike will dull the sensations a bit, so a pit crew for really sloppy races is a must. I only have 1 bike, but teammates say that swapping from a muddy to clean bike is the best feeling during a race.

tgotb

+1. I guess it's because people are used to seeing MTBs built like tractors. It's mud, twigs and grass in your drivetrain that kill CX equipment, and that's pretty much a constant for any kit. Even with discs, my cross wheels are no heavier than my lightest road wheels.

That said, for a fixed budget, you might benefit more from having two sets of cheaper wheels (with different tyres) than one really flashy set.

DavidBelcher

TGOTB wrote:

Even with discs, my cross wheels are no heavier than my lightest road wheels.

As CX is the focus of my racing activities, I've a hunch that my cross wheels may well be lighter (and are certainly of flashier spec) than my road wheels!

As for tyres, based on recent racing outings I cannot speak highly enough of Clement PDXs for typically "British" racing conditions and weather (I suspect that early-season races with a mix of loose, dusty soil and fast, rock-hard ground isn't good PDX terrain though*) now that I've sussed out what pressures work best. The Misterton course this afternoon had a bit of everything, yet the bike felt very sure-footed with good, fast cornering and no loss of traction in the muddy parts. It's almost like I've suddenly acquired a new bike**!

David

*Although the road ride from Rugby station up to HQ seemed fine to me.
**Couldn't be wider of the mark. I'm still riding the same steel frameset I built up 10 years ago with the proceeds from my first ever real job since leaving University.