More which tire Q's

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Permalink Reply by John Quy on April 28, 2010 at 7:27am

Thanks, I must say that the term "file treads" lead me to assume that perhaps the treads were filed down, maybe for better rolling resistance. I am not as dumb as that comes across and know something about bikes but have gaps in my knowledge obviously.

My budget does not preclude buying whatever I need/want for my addiction to bikes. My riding conditions are occasional road but quite a bit of somewhat hilly rail/trail, the Virginia Creeper, which we have a house on. The surface tends to be somewhat loose small cinder/stone to 1 or 2 inch rocks. The hill is a steady 3 degree grade for 17 miles up the mountain. I have a set of 700 X 38c Specialized Armadillo Crossroads that came off a recently sold bike. They worked well on that bike but are somewhat heavy. I guess I am hesitant to pop the new ride, the Tricross, over the 20# mark with tires.

I'll do the research through the Cyclo Mag reviews and appreciate any input one and all can give.

Cheers, John Q.

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 29, 2010 at 6:11am

If you aren't racing and given the conditions you mention above I think a file tread would work, or even Panaracer Pasela's in a 35 would work. Maybe Ritchey Speedmax's, maybe the 40c width if you can fit them would be he way to go. That would give you a bit more volume to help even out the ride over the gravel.

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Permalink Reply by John Quy on April 29, 2010 at 6:53am

My LBS swears by Michelin Jets. Any opinions?

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 29, 2010 at 8:18am

Old ones were good. New ones... not so special. Good tires, yeah, but nothing you can't get from any other tire mfg. It would mean more if you are a racer but not so much given your stated riding terrain. Maybe they have Jets in stock and would rather move those than monkey with a special order.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on April 29, 2010 at 9:07am

Couple of things to consider:
1) Latex tubes are a great way to drop some wheel weight, and will improve ride quality. Make sure to get CX sizes (32-34mm). Challenge make a nice one. Boulder Cycle Sport has them in stock. The only downside is that you need to re-inflate them more often, but you're not a real crosser until you start obsessing about tire pressure.
2) Michelin tires (esp the muds) are cheap ( @ probikekit.com) & great for "real cyclocross" conditions (grass, mud, dirt without sharp rocks/roots/stumps), but for single track terrain were a endless stream of flats, at least for me. The jets I found pointless unless it was really smooth and hard terrain. The center tread on both does not last very long. The Kenda small block 8 or challenge griffo XS or normal griffo are pretty good places to start.
3) You might consider getting a set of Kenda Kross Supremes (with thorn-resistant tubes) from amazon.com for like $9/tire and use those for your bomb-proof tires when riding the really rough stuff, then switching to a smoother tire for CX season.
BTW I've got no relationship to Kenda, challenge or michelin but have found those products to work well.

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Permalink Reply by John Quy on April 29, 2010 at 9:39am

Good info.. Any feedback on the Specialized Armadillo Crossroad tires?

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Permalink Reply by andrew on April 29, 2010 at 4:14pm

hey john,

every once in a while I have to read our own (CXM) tire reviews to remember all the tires out there. we've got another big batch of reviews coming this summer too. I think the maxxis locust or kenda small block 8 could be the perfect tire for those gravel/rock trails. each has got a bunch of tight, tall robust knobs, yet rolls smoothly and hard pack. I personally don't like file treads on anything loose - it could be a nice hardpack trail but with pebbles, sand, or dirt on top of it, I like something that will cut through it a bit more and grab onto the hard stuff. the kenda is lighter, narrower, and the maxxis is wider and more burly. i like both tires a bit more in the rear than the front, but don't like either when it gets sloppy and wet. oh, the new tread of the schwalbe racing ralph is a pretty good tread for your type of riding too, and perhaps the most versatile of them all if you plan to race. disclaimer: maxxis doesn't advertise with us, kenda and schwalbe do.

hope that helps.

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