quick question, tyre related

blablablacksheep

Hi chaps.

First race this sunday on my DIY built cx bike:)
Its in hitchen nomads circuit and given the recent weather im guessing its going to be muddy.
I've entered as senior rather than novice as i just love the idea of slogging guts out for 1 hour .

Recommendations for a tyre please? currently have some victoria ones (no idea of name) but they dont look suitable for muddy conditions.

cheers

tgotb

Depends what you mean by looking unsuitable. By MTB standards, a CX mud tyre will not look very aggressive at all; in some ways the gaps between the nobbles is more important than the size of the nobbles themselves (big gaps allow mud to clear) and the shape is also important.

If you have Vittoria XMs you should be fine; that's my mud training tyre. Even XG pros will probably be ok for your first race; I was beaten by someone on Grifos (very similar tread to XGs) a couple of weeks ago, on a course that included some fairly muddy sections; it's more about how you ride the bike, and what pressure you run them at (for clinchers, generally the lowest you can go without too much risk of pinch-flatting).

blablablacksheep

Just checked they are xms but very worn so don't think they going to hold up very well in mud.

Suggestions for replacement? Wheels are fulcrum racing 5s.

Looks like going to be a very muddy course judging by weather lol.
Thanks

bendertherobot

Clement PDX will go down to very low PSI, awesome in mud.

tgotb

bendertherobot wrote:

Clement PDX will go down to very low PSI, awesome in mud.

Unless it's very sticky mud. When that happens, the wide profile of the tyre means you get more mud sticking than you would on a narrower one, which makes the bike heavier. To compound that, you reach the "so much mud between the stays that the wheels won't go round" point much sooner. So great for grip in wet mud, bad for clogging in drier sticky mud.

Edit: Just looked at the forecast; not much rain after tonight, so the mud is more likely to be sticky than slick (especially as a lot of the course is apparently on a farmer's field). Having ridden with both XMs and PDXs, I'd stick with the XMs even if they are worn. Even if you do end up sliding around a bit, it won't be half as bad as having a 20 kilo bike with wheels that don't go round (I've been there!)

PDXs are absolutely fantastic when it's pouring with rain.

Which race are you doing? I'll be there in the V40s.

imposter2.0

Schwalbe CX Pro - good, cheap mud tyre..

blablablacksheep

its my first race so senior men ofc (novice, ha never lol)

Im tempted to try get some Clement PDX if i can get them from someone, or might just buy a replacement pair of victoria XMs as they seem to be a great all round tyre esp in mud.?

imposter2.0

'Vittoria'...no 'c'...

Just to add, it's possible to spend an awful lot on tyres, to very little effect...

Moonbiker

Unless it's very sticky mud. When that happens, the wide profile of the tyre means you get more mud sticking than you would on a narrower one, which makes the bike heavier. To compound that, you reach the "so much mud between the stays that the wheels won't go round" point much sooner. So great for grip in wet mud, bad for clogging in drier sticky mud.

What tyre do u usw for thoose conditions? 8)

tgotb

Moonbiker wrote:

Unless it's very sticky mud. When that happens, the wide profile of the tyre means you get more mud sticking than you would on a narrower one, which makes the bike heavier. To compound that, you reach the "so much mud between the stays that the wheels won't go round" point much sooner. So great for grip in wet mud, bad for clogging in drier sticky mud.

What tyre do u usw for thoose conditions? 8)

For racing, I'm using FMB Supermuds in those conditions, but it's a bit OT for the OP as they'e tubs. If I didn't want to use tubs, I'd race with the XMs.

JoostG

Imposter wrote:

Schwalbe CX Pro - good, cheap mud tyre..

+1

blablablacksheep

Update... Tyres from ribble didn't turn up... ;/

Double checked ones on bike and they XN pro so not much grip in mud.

Tried going to bike shops and grabbing emergency replacements and no 1 sells cx tyres lol.

So tomorrow could be a 1 hour of carrying bike haha

devhads

There's a bike shop in Letchworth, about 5 minutes drive from the venue, Trisports. They may have some CX tyres in. I've bought Challenge tyres from them before and they have a CX team.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Stand ... 0896?hl=en

blablablacksheep

Cheers, going to try a decathlon store tomorrow then if not il risk the XN pros and see how the hold up. Hilarity will certainly ensue