I’m currently running 28 Randonneur Crosses however I’ve been reliably informed these suck. I thought the sliding out in any slight damp grass or mud was part of the activity but perhaps other tyres would give better grip. Does anyone have any recommendations?
I’ve been racing / riding on 35mm Ritchey Excavaders, me ending up horizontal has more to do with skill than equipment currently, but they worked pretty well on the DDCX courses.
Nikcee has probably tried more tyre types than all of us here to date.
FWIW, 35mm Schwalbe Racing Ralphs work great for me. Make sure you get the pressure right (i.e. low) whatever tyre you use - makes a huge difference in my experience.
Also paging nikcee!
Ritchey Speedmax Comps have served me well and kept me upright (just) in DD2.
Worst tyre ever lol
Shit in the mud, no better on the dry stuff compared to a similar sized road tyre…
The one plus is that they seem to last a while
I dunno Tom. Despite being my first CX tyre, they have done me ok. Like Blakey says, my mishaps were due to me being shit as opposed to the tyre. i’ll make a call when i try another type though.
I used them on my Steamroller all of last year and they’re decent on everything but mud, but still… the times when I would ever consider a semi slick I’d rather go for the randos/marathon xr when it’s majority road or a fast rolling cross tire like the Continental Cyclocross when it’s mostly dirt.
was told the schwalbes are good. might look up wiggle or the like. after my disastrous tyre buying attempt on saturday i can’t justify paying twice the online price for a single tyre at a lbs
Got pretty muddy on Sunday through the Yarra trails and my 35mm Maxxis Locust CX’s suprised me. I didn’t think they’d be as good as they were.
wiggle has these which are the tits. everyone has stopped carrying them in the states so i may have to pick up another pair before they vanish from the face of the earth forever
Vittoria Cross XN
michelin mud 2 - decen tin the sloppy stuff.
Ritchey speed max folding - Were awesome in summer, they feel a little weird when you lean them over on the road but you appreciate the cornering knobleys in the loose stuff. Not too heavy either
Maxxis larsen mimo folding 32c - Flipping awesome in seemingly all conditions but the compound is SOFT so they dissapear pretty quickly if you do alot of asphalt Km’s, light too.
I’m also trying maxxis locust 35c at the mo’ to try get better durability on the road still be able to stay upright in the mud when the occasion takes me. Haven’t had a good chance to give them a workout yet.
Jeremy
oh hello chaps!
i’ll say that for an all-round tyre i’ve really like my vittoria XGs. they seem to last ok… wiggle/pbk/etc have them
forget about the XNs unless you are riding in the dry (ask mckenny) - the mud here will have you laying down faster than you can say ‘cross rules’.
i’m loving my wtb crosswolfs for the loose stuff (tacky mud/loose ground). very supple as well.
the mimis (n fact anything with a kenda small block 8-like tread) seems to get some great reviews for allround riding as well.
the michellin mud2s (ignore the name) are highly rated for all-round grass/slight mud riding… and are a favoured tyre for one of favoured bike mechanics. he also is a fan of the jets which im keen to try when the trails get dry in a couple of months.
i really like the look of the higher end schwalbes… and would love a set of challenges (but wouldnt ride the roads i do normally on them)
tyre pressure is VERY key to how your tyres perform. those side lugs, and agressive tread dont really come into play when your pressures are high. i’ve been running ~35psi in both tyres lately (closer to 30 up front), havent really hit the trails with more than 40 for quite some time. i’m pretty lightweight so i can run my tyres lower… but if you dont bottom out at least once on the ride they arent low enough 
work on your bike handling to avoid pinch flats.
of course if you have the skills you can run file tread and high pressures… but i’ll take all the help i can get right now.
Does anyone here use tubulars for CX…?
Just finished making a new 23mm lightweight CX tubular rim, to be released any day now.
I’ve not used tubular, and I don’t really ride in mud much… and I don’t much care about going super fast, but the locust 35s are dong fine for everything I come across, and that does include bits of mud. The Duro Braves that I have are still the fastest for mixed sealed/not sealed. A mate rides the ritchey speedmax delta and rides it well, though i guess tis not so good in mud.
I have to edit this to say that a conversation about cx tires is probably similar to a conversation about mtb tires… totally dependant on the ride you’re about to do. All tires are pretty great in certain conditions. “worst tire ever” is pretty big call. Worst that you’ve tried for the rides you do, OK.
The Major Toms!
A certain ever-vigilant admin pointed them out to me a week or so ago.
I have had plans to run tubs, but as yet havent made the leap as I prefer being able to switch my tyres depending on trail condition (which down here can vary a lot from week to week) and dont have the inclination to spend the $ or space to keep multiple wheelsets.
goose whats the retail on those rims going to be?
Hutchinson mud cross, 30mm.
I think that is what they are called.
Maybe a little small.
I’d say around $100-$110 like most our rims.
Black with MSW.
Are Velocity going to release some Tubs called ‘Ground Control’?