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Post by kconner on Sept 16, 2013 11:57:47 GMT -5
I'm looking into getting rid of the stock tires on my cross bike. I'm not looking for a racing tire, just something that will work well for local pavel rides, especially when the trails are too wet to ride. I'd really like something with a good balance between low rolling resistance and grip, and I'm currently riding with a Specialized Ground Control up front and a Specialized Fast Track on the back of my 29er, set up tubeless, to give you an idea of what I like on my mountain bike. I'd also like the option to go tubeless in the future. I've talked to several people at the local shops, but I'd like to see if anybody has tried anything not offered by one of the local shops. How wide of a tire do you ride? Are you set up tubeless?
Thoughts, suggestions, opinions?
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Post by dgaddis1 on Sept 16, 2013 12:11:25 GMT -5
What don't you like about your stock tires? I can't remember what your bike has. I'm looking into tires right now myself. I can say that 28mm tubeless tires are a bad choice for bombing fast gravel downhills. Cut up my rear tire on Duck Pond Rd. yesterday. I am considering some Michelin Jet's next, they're 30mm CX tires. Not sure if I can go much wider than 30mm and still have some room for mud, the clearance in my fork is the limiting factor. I'd like to use some 32's or 34's.
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Post by kconner on Sept 16, 2013 13:17:57 GMT -5
The stock tires are Bontrager something or others....all I remember is that they're labelled as 32c but only measure up to 30c and have minimal tread. They slip more than I would like. I first noticed it on this ride but thought it was due to mud build up, but I also noticed some slippage today on the towpath, especially in some of the softer spots. I really want to go wider, like 35c-ish, and maybe wider. Not really sure how wide is too wide for the riding I want to do, but I can go wide, up to 1.8" as claimed by the manufacturer. As far as tubeless is concerned, I'm on the fence. I figured running tubeless would soften some bumps, but how many bumps are there really on gravel roads? Also, is it worth the added rolling resistance? It may add more grip, but I don't really know if it's worth it. AJBW had several CX tires in stock that they recommended, although I don't remember the models. Robert at Chain Reaction says he's happy with his Kenda SB8s, and also said he's heard good things about some Contis they had in stock (again, I don't remember the model).
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Post by Catalyst on Sept 16, 2013 14:45:13 GMT -5
My cross bike came stock with 35c Schwalbe Sammy Slicks. I've put about 650 miles on them and just ordered a 35c small block 8 for the rear. If it works out well, I'll probably get the slant 6 when the front needs to be replaced. I don't think the small block 8 would be very good in slippery conditions, but I don't really anticipate riding my cross bike in those conditions either. I've got the mountain bike for that.
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Post by wooglin on Sept 16, 2013 16:15:00 GMT -5
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Post by Catalyst on Sept 17, 2013 6:52:32 GMT -5
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Post by kconner on Sept 17, 2013 10:12:52 GMT -5
That Clement does look nice. I looked at the Small Block 8s, but I've heard people having problems with mud packing in the tread on the MTB version, and I'd imagine the CX version would have similar issues. Thanks for the input!
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Post by wooglin on Sept 17, 2013 12:30:10 GMT -5
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Post by kconner on Sept 17, 2013 13:08:09 GMT -5
If you're riding gravel, how much is mud an issue, really? I went on a ride that included anything from pavement to gravel to rock to sticky mud. Some sections of the route were fairly dry, but some sections probably got rain ~10 minutes before we rode through. I would think that the vast majority of what I'll ride will be decent, well draining gravel, but there's definitely some sub-par sections of road out there, and it would be nice to have tires that would do well in this type terrain, as long as I'm not sacrificing too much on the rest of the roads. Of course, I doubt that there is a truly ideal tire for that sticky red clay lol, but I'd like to have one set of tires that would do will in most conditions rather than have multiple sets for different conditions. Thanks again for the suggestions!
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Post by brianW on Sept 17, 2013 15:31:52 GMT -5
On day that the gravel is going to be to muddy, you could always just use your mt bike.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Sept 18, 2013 9:57:10 GMT -5
The Kenda Happy Medium looks really nice. Shouldn't pack up with mud, should roll fast and have decent cornering bite.
Road/gravel tires are definitely all about compromise. There is no good tire in that sticky red clay, and nothing will grip well in deep loose gravel, even MTB tires struggle in it.
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Post by kconner on Sept 18, 2013 20:48:34 GMT -5
Road/gravel tires are definitely all about compromise. There is no good tire in that sticky red clay, and nothing will grip well in deep loose gravel, even MTB tires struggle in it. Red clay is a pain for sure....the trick is to find a tire that works well for most conditions you ride in, unless you just have the money to own a different set of tires for different routes/conditions, which I don't lol. So far, I'm liking the Clement MSOs and the Kenda Happy Mediums....hopefully I can find some time to snoop around the interwebs and get some reviews soon.
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Post by kconner on Feb 3, 2014 22:06:52 GMT -5
For those looking into some of the above tires, I got my first ride in on my brand new Clement X'plor MSO. I went with the 40mm, 60 tpi version, and thanks to a combination of gift certificates and Chain Reaction's volunteer rewards, I didn't pay a cent for these tires! Thanks again Chain Reaction and Santa! Today's ride was just a short ride around the forest service roads around FATS and was riding with tubes and 60psi. The roads were mostly damp/wet, but there was a decent mix of hard pack, loose gravel, a bit of mud, potholes and even some ruts to play around with. The tires were great throughout, fast rolling, and super grippy. Never felt anything slipping or sliding and the corners were awesome. Never noticed a problem with mud packing in the knobs, but I didn't ride the super sticky red clay either. I even played around with them at work yesterday and found that they squirm a bit through sand, but found these tires cut through the sand pretty well and found hard dirt to grip on to. Very nice! Close up of the tread: Luke approves of big tires for gravel roads!
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Post by Catalyst on Feb 4, 2014 6:39:23 GMT -5
Very nice! I just mounted the same tire on the front of my cx bike and rode to work on it yesterday. It was comfortable on a mix of streets and the canal tow path. I'm looking forward to trying it out on some gravel!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 4, 2014 8:11:48 GMT -5
Very cool indeed. I'd try dropping the tire pressure some more Keith, I bet you can go lower and still roll fast and not have too much worry about pinch flatting.
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Post by kconner on Feb 4, 2014 10:45:57 GMT -5
Very nice! I just mounted the same tire on the front of my cx bike and rode to work on it yesterday. It was comfortable on a mix of streets and the canal tow path. I'm looking forward to trying it out on some gravel! What do you have mounted on the back? Very cool indeed. I'd try dropping the tire pressure some more Keith, I bet you can go lower and still roll fast and not have too much worry about pinch flatting. Yeah, it has 55 psi as the minimum pressure on the sidewall, so that was just a starting point for yesterday's ride. I also want to try to run then tubeless in the future.
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Post by Catalyst on Feb 4, 2014 11:01:56 GMT -5
I've been riding a 35mm Kenda Small Block 8 for a few months now. I was a little concerned about it packing up with mud, but so far it hasn't been much of an issue. I've ridden it a few wet laps around canal trail with not too much problem. When it wears out, I'll probably get the Clement for the rear too, mostly because of the great width.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 4, 2014 11:23:28 GMT -5
Yeah, it has 55 psi as the minimum pressure on the sidewall, so that was just a starting point for yesterday's ride. I also want to try to run then tubeless in the future. I'd guess you could get down in the 40's...but that's a guess. I've never ridden a tire that size. Let us know what works! I know Ross was using his at 50something, but said they felt rock hard at that pressure.
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Post by kconner on Feb 4, 2014 13:17:30 GMT -5
Yeah, it has 55 psi as the minimum pressure on the sidewall, so that was just a starting point for yesterday's ride. I also want to try to run then tubeless in the future. I'd guess you could get down in the 40's...but that's a guess. I've never ridden a tire that size. Let us know what works! I know Ross was using his at 50something, but said they felt rock hard at that pressure. Yeah, 60 was rock hard, I'd imagine the 40 is where you'd start to feel some cush. I'll find out for sure shortly.
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