Which tire to choose? - CX season is coming!

As the summer draws to a close, attention shifts from the Grand Tours to the excitement of the upcoming cyclocross season. Riders across many countries will be prepping their bikes for local leagues, but what tires should you choose? As having been the number one supplier of cyclocross tires to pro riders such as Tom Pidcock, Cam Mason, Anna Kay, Evie Richards, Challenge have the best choice of treads for any condition. But which one should you choose? This tire guide will guide you through the options.

The go-to tire for when the weather just can’t decide what it’s doing, or for a mixed surface cyclocross race, the Grifo with its fast-rolling center section and raised knobs on the outside provides excellent traction and ultimate braking efficiency for both wet or dry courses. An excellent choice also if you only have one set of wheels and don’t want to be changing tires for every ride, or are starting off and have a limited budget. When mud is not as deep, and you want a little more versatility for tracks with changing conditions, then the Baby Limus is the the go to as it provides good balance between grip and speed, thanks to its knobs design.

Perhaps the most difficult conditions to ride in due to lack of grip. Soggy, wet mud can create some of the best racing, especially for the spectators to watch, but for the riders! The number one option here is the Limus. With its aggressive and deep knobs designed specifically to find as much traction as possible, the well-spaced tread design also sheds mud quickly to ensure that no matter how challenging the terrain gets, grip will not be a problem.

Perhaps not the most common surface to ride on in many countries, but if we are blessed with good weather particularly as the cross season starts, the Dune tire would be the best choice. Designed specifically with speed in mind, with a low-profile diamond shaped tread pattern, the Dune is also a good option on hard frozen courses. Another tire would be the Chicane, which has the same central tread pattern but with more aggressive shoulder knobs, for improved cornering speed.

An often-confusing decision, but a key one is choosing the correct tyre fitment. Determined by the wheels you are using, tubular tyres have long been the choice of the pros, allowing super-low pressures to be used, ensuring excellent traction is provided by the chosen tyre. However, the fitting process takes time, requiring gluing and changing or replacing tyres can take time (cannot be done as a last minute thing). As a result many amateur riders have used tubes on clincher wheels for years, which are simple to fit and change when needed. However, tyre pressures can’t be run as low. In recent years and getting more common in other disciplines, are tubeless tires which can be used at a much similar low-pressures as tubular tyres, with the added advantage of having sealant. This sealant acts as a plug, quickly fixing any punctures from thorns or other sharp objects and keeping you riding to the finish.

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