Mud tubulars

trickydisco
trickydisco Posts: 173
edited October 2013 in Cyclocross
What's everyone mud tub choice? I've never had the privalage of a 2nd set of wheels but thinking some of the courses are going to be proper muddy this season.

Heard good reviews of the FMB super mud and the pdx clement

Noticed as well some racers run a mud tub on the front even on drier courses as they are much grippier on the corners

Comments

  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    The super mud is great, rhinos are great. No need to look beyond those really. Rhino's reduced at Hargroves ATM.
  • FMB Super Muds here. I've not tried any others, so nothing to compare to it, but no complaints.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,115
    I've only ever heard positive comments on Rhinos, FMB Super Muds and Challenge Limus. I've used the former myself and the amount of grip you get in the mud is something to behold.
  • Best (uk) place to get fmb supermuds?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,115
    Jedi Sports are, I believe, the UK importers. Not sure if anyone else sells them.

    http://www.jedicyclesport.co.uk/Store/FMB/FMBTYRES.html
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    This guy sells FMBs slightly cheaper than Jedi. He quoted me £155 for a pair posted, but I only needed one, so went with Rhino from Hargroves, which are great value ATM at £55 each.

    http://www.ukcyclocross.com/forum/topic ... ular-tyres
  • John Holmes sells them - details on crossjunkie's blog post here: http://crossjunkie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/ ... eview.html
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    I am going to willfully misunderstand your question and answer something you didn't ask. It is the internet afterall. I've ridden FMB's former mud tubular, the Gripo XL (http://www.fmbtires.com/fmb_cotton_gripo_XL.htm) and Limus (properly tested in sloppy stuff).

    The Limus were amazing in really soggy races last year. I was amazed at how they hooked up in corners and on inclines. They subscribe to the narrow, deep philipsophy, that is, cut through the upper layer of slop and find traction. As such they have very few side knobs to avoid any float and instead are about clawing onto things that are firm. They were clinchers too but that's less important when you're going through black soup.

    OTOH the knobs on the FMBs Gripo XLs are more, smaller, and splayed out further from the centerline. If they could talk they'd say "we'll grab onto virtually anything around us that we can get our hands on to give you traction soft or hard". The Muds look like they speak the same language as the Limus. I'd buy them as narrow as your weight and ability allow you to ride, i.e. 32mm if you're south of 76-80 kgs: http://www.worldclasscycles.com/mm5/mer ... gory_Code=
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • Cheers FrancsJacques!

    i've never ridden a mud tub before so interested to hear experiences. I've been riding mountain bikes for years and understand the narrow profile tyres 1.5 (mudshark or conti's) work very well n mud on a muddy course

    I'm 68kg so yea narrow profile would be good

    I noticed lots of racers in the summer cyclocross league were running limus on the front all season. Even on dry courses. maybe due to the great grip?1 Something i found hard when switching to cross was cornering. I was used to going into corners sharp and getting very good traction on a mtb. I started using grifos and noticed they didn't corner well when you bank the bike over. So maybe a limus or supermud will give me more cornering confidence

  • Oh my god.. that is the identical tread pattern to the original schwalbe racing ralph surely?

    fmb_grifo_xl.jpg
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    Seeing as we're discussing mud tubs...

    I am just going to try a pair of Typhoon's for the first time. Anyone running these, and how do you mount the rear? Facing forward, or reversed?

  • Oh my god.. that is the identical tread pattern to the original schwalbe racing ralph surely?

    fmb_grifo_xl.jpg

    You'll notice that super mud tread pattern is similar to the rhinos as well!
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    What do the best guys use for mud?

    See 0:29 into this video, it's all anyone needs to know: http://www.cxhairs.com/2013/10/18/svenness-2-3/

    In can you're wondering, the tread is a Super Mud. As to what carcass it's on is anyone's guess.

    One thing I had to understand when I was a newbie to cross was the tread and carcass swapping that goes on. It's worse than a street full of 60 year old swingers with wisteria growing in their front yards. You'll see anyone's treads on anyone else's carcass. Racers understand how a certain tread design rides and corners then they look for the best, supplest foundation for it, and bingo - you have a new tub combo. It's cool if a little extreme and esoteric.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • todays race i ran a clement pdx clincher on the front. Wow! absolutely amazing. The traction in the mud was amazing. I was still runningtubular grifo on the rear so that was quite squirmy. Put a latex tube in which meant i could run a bit lower pressure. very impressed