Tire Choice

Tire Choice

    Tires are the only piece of the bike that is in contact with the ground, and those two contact spots are very small. So it is super important to get the right tire for the right situation. It is even more important on a cyclocross bike because of thin tires, and lack of suspension. It also doesn’t help that there is a max limit of 33 millimeters. I am going to focus on cyclocross tires because of all of these limiters.
    First off there are three tire systems out there. The cheapest and most ubiquitous are clinchers. Almost all bikes come with clinchers, and for most people they are perfect. Clincher rims have hooks that hold the tire from coming off. To hold air they use a tube in between the rim and tire. One of the advantages of clinches is the fact that they are the easiest to maintain and change flats. They also have an almost unlimited amount of options for wheels and tires. But they do have a lot of drawbacks. For one they flat more easily than tubeless and tubular tires, and have less contact area. They are also much less supple than tubular tires, and most importantly they cannot be run at very low pressures. Pressure can be  more important that the tread pattern. The reason for this is because when running low pressure the tire conforms to the ground much more, and in turn there is more contact and grip. Probably the best and most popular clincher tire is the Clement PDX. The PDX has a very open tread pattern, and sheds mud very very well. It is also one of the most supple clinchers out there, but it is also fairly durable.
    The next option is tubeless, and is the middle ground between clinchers and tubulars. Tubeless systems work the same way as clinchers, but instead of using a tube to hold air the tire seals against the rim. I use tubeless for cyclocross and for mountain biking. They are a good option for racers on a budget who want a better performing tire. One major advantage to tubeless is less flats. Because they do not have a tube they are almost impossible to pinch flat. A pinch flat happens when you hit the rim when going over a square edge. The tube gets pinched between the rim hooks and the tire making a hole on both sides of the tube. Another way it prevents flats is the use of sealant. Sealant will plug up any small holes from thorns or small air permeable holes in the tire. Sealant can be used in all tire systems, but it is not necessary in any other except tubeless. Because there is less risk of flats you can run much lower pressures safely. However they are messy, and sometimes a hassle to set up. There is no tube to push the bead hooks of the tire into hooks of the rim, so a large volume of air in a small amount of time is needed to create the pressure needed to seat the hooks properly. Most pumps do not create enough pressure to seat the hooks, so a canister of Co2 or an air compressor is needed to provide enough pressure. There are also not very many options of tires and wheels available. It has been around in mountain biking for years, and there are almost as many options for tubeless as clinchers for mountain bikes. But it is a fairly new technology for cyclocross, and can be harder to find good tires and wheels for it. It is also fairly easy to burp the tires if they are not tubeless specific. Burping a tire is when the tire comes unseated and lets the air out of the tire. It usually only happens when going around a corner, and with the right tire it will not happen. I have found that the Hutchinson Bulldog with a carbon bead is the best tubeless tire for cyclocross. It clears mud very well, and I have never burped one even while running pressure below 20 psi. They are not as supple at the PDX’s but they make up for it with lower pressure.
    The third tire system is tubulars. Tubulars are the nicest and best performing, but the price is far more than both tubeless and clinchers. The tires alone are usually twice the price as a good tubeless or clincher tire, and the wheels can be four to five times as expensive too. But all of this is worth it if you want ultimate performance and comfort. Tubulars do not attach to the rim using bead hooks, instead they are glued to the rim. Tubulars are the choice of pros and serious racers. They can be run at extremely low pressures, flat less often, and are the most supple. The tube is sewed into the tire, and cannot be changed. Because there are no bead hooks for the tube to be pinched against, it is nearly impossible to pinch flat. The down side to sewing the tube in is that it cannot be changed, so it is not practical for training. Gluing the tire to the rim lets the tire have more contact with the ground because the tire is not restricted by the side walls of the rim. Gluing a tubular tire onto the rim takes at least three days, and is very labor intensive. Changing tires isn’t easy either. You have to take off the tire, clean the rim, and re-glue a new tire onto the rim. Pros will have multiple tubulars so that they can have different tires for the conditions. Tubulars are also supremely supple. They conform to the ground so much better than tubeless and clinchers. The added traction also comes with super light weights, and sometimes added durability. Tubular tires are not what’s light, but the wheels are light due to the lack of sidewalls. A nice pair of carbon tubulars could drop a pound or more, and are usually more durable. Carbon is ten times stronger than steel, but is still super light. I personally have not used tubulars for more than one race, but the most popular brands are Clement, Dugast, and Challenge. For pros and aspiring racers tubulars will give you the best performance and help you get to the top of the podium.