Tyres !

rokt

Looking at entering an Urban Cyclocross race and I’m not sure if I’m over thinking this, but what tyres would be recommended ?

imposter2.0

Define 'urban'?

rokt

City centre !

rokt

So a road tyre as wide as I can get ?

imposter2.0

Rokt wrote:

City centre !

You're not really giving too much away, are you mate.

'City centre' doesn't necessarily mean 100% tarmac. Unless you can be a bit more forthcoming about the type of surfaces you are likely to encounter, then nobody is going to be able to help you and you might as well just flip a coin...

cougie

Is it one of these ?

http://sheffieldurbancx.co.uk/

rokt

Yes, you’re right, I’ve been a little vague !

I’m looking at giving the Sheffield Urban Cyclocross a go on the TCX I’ve just bought.
The terrain on the first one looks manly tarmac and I’m quite concerned that the Super Swans that came on the bike could be a bit slippery ? When you get older your fear of coming off plays on your mind, well at least it does with me

Just wondering if I should look at a wide, 40/42mm road tyre.

Thanks for the advice.

bendertherobot

It has less contact patch and could be squirrely. Yes, a wide more road orientated tyre could be better. Though it's hard to say. Something like the Schwalbe G-One 38c would be good as you could then use it for other off road ish riding.

roger_merriman

The Super Swans are OEM tyres aren’t they, which tends to be the cheaper tyres, and thus less grippy.

I think the G-ones are not a bad shout, they are expensive high end tyres. Off on a tangent I personally like nice tyres, and can feel the difference but your mileage may vary.

asprilla

Just fitted tubeless 35mm G-One Speeds to my CX for the commute this morning. Excellent tyres. Felt very quick indeed and superbly comfortable.

ryan_w-2

Asprilla wrote:

Just fitted tubeless 35mm G-One Speeds to my CX for the commute this morning. Excellent tyres. Felt very quick indeed and superbly comfortable.

They’re great but wear far too fast for my liking (but I'm heavy, 86kg).

asprilla

Well it was that or Clement PDXs and I don't really want to wear my favourite mud pluggers for a tarmac commute.

How many miles do you get out of a pair?

ryan_w-2

Asprilla wrote:

Well it was that or Clement PDXs and I don't really want to wear my favourite mud pluggers for a tarmac commute.

How many miles do you get out of a pair?

Still have the front. Rear lasted a couple of months of 25km a day road riding / commuting in London.

wullrich

For commuting around town, why not the Schwalbe Marathons? They make a (slightly) lighter folding version now, and they are as close to puncture proof as you will get.

asprilla

wullrich wrote:

For commuting around town, why not the Schwalbe Marathons? They make a (slightly) lighter folding version now, and they are as close to puncture proof as you will get.

But they also feel like you are rolling on wooden wagon wheels. I prefer to fix punctures three times a year than ride Marathons everyday.

imposter2.0

wullrich wrote:

For commuting around town, why not the Schwalbe Marathons? They make a (slightly) lighter folding version now, and they are as close to puncture proof as you will get.

Nobody here is talking about commuting...

tgotb

What tyres do you already have? I've ridden 33mm Vittoria XG Pros on the road at 40psi; rolling resistance is surprisingly low, fast cornering feels very secure, and you still get a reasonable amount of grip off road. Anything else with a Grifo-like tread should be similarly good, file treads even better. Try it, and you'll see what I mean.

My tyre of choice for 3 Peaks is a Tufo tub with Grifo-like tread at ~80psi (to avoid pinch flats on sharp rocks). Even at that pressure they're fine in mud.

So long as you avoid aggressive mud treads, keep the tyre pressures high (40psi) and don't use your best handmade cotton carcass tubs, pretty much any CX race tyre will be fine.