A survey of cyclocross tires
Dave Carr, Oct 1998
Updated July 2004
 
Introduction Over the past few years there has been a real explosion in clincher cross tire availability...all the better for us. At a recent race I looked at the bikes lying around and there were so many choices. Here's a partial list of currently available tires, with commentary where available. Remember that people's opinion of tires varies quite a bit and depends on the local course conditions, so ask around. 

This list also includes a few tubular selections. Sewups are difficult to repair and can be expensive, but they have an advantage with respect to pinch flat resistance. You can run them at a much lower pressure without fear of punctures, and the low pressure makes them more cushy and also improves traction in some situations. Or so it is said.

If you have experiences with these tires or any other that you'd like to share, please drop a line.
 

Where to get product Retail availability varies a lot for what is essentially a niche product, but in this Internet age you can get a lot of tires through specialty web sites such as:
Cyclocrossworld.com
Cambria Bicycle Outfitters
Bike Tires Direct

Here's a quick list of links to manufacturer web sites (also found in the text):
Bontrager, Continental, Club Roost, Geax, Hutchinson, IRC, Kenda, Maxxis, Michelin, Nokian, Panaracer, Redline, Ritchey, Specialized, Tioga, Tufo, Vittoria, Vredestein, and WTB.
 

A note on tire width Tires come in a variety of widths. Old-school CX tires are all narrow--27 to 28c--befitting the hard-as-nails roadies who originally rode them. Recently, however, wider tires have gained popularity because of their versatility.  I really like the Michelins, which measure 35C. For the hardpack courses and mud seen in Northern California, 35c seems a good balance between cushioning and pinch flat resistance on the one hand, and speed and mud-slicing ability on the other. A lot of people like narrower tires like the very popular 30c Ritchey Speedmax, claiming that narrower is faster. I don't agree: I think the primary factors in tire speed are tread depth and tire pressure. Again, ask around and decide for yourself.

However, if you are competing at national-calendar (UCI sanctioned) events, you should read the following information from Jim Crompton, USCF official and promoter of a UCI race in Nevada:

 "Dave,
The Men's Elite races at [UCI events] are UCI sanctioned, which means that the bikes will need to comply with the UCI rules. One of these rules is that the maximum width of the tires is 35c, so if you have your eye on some new tires for the Super Cup keep that value in mind. The other rules governing the bike are in part 1 [1.3.018 --Ed.] of the UCI regulations.
--Jim"

26" CX tires for small riders? (9/20/00) A number of readers have asked where to find 26" tires (to fit mountain bike rims) so that they can put together a 26" wheel bike for smaller riders.  I am not aware of any 'cross-specific 26" tires, but a number of manufacturers make narrow MTB tires.  Historically the thinnest tire you'd find is 26x1.5" which translates to about a 38c or 42c in practice--wider than most true cross tires but certainly smaller and lighter than the typical MTB tire.  However in recent years with the growth of 'cross, thinner tires have appeared - for example the Hutchinson Cross Comp at 26x1.3 (nominally that's about 35c).

26" narrow tires are publicized even less than typical 'cross tires, so your best bet is to go to the links above and dig around. Here are some suggestions for 26" tires from a recent scan of the sites:  Hutchinson Cross Comp, Panaracer Ridgeline (possibly discontinued), Continental Cross Country, Nokian Trek,  WTB All-Terrainasaurus, Kenda Kwick, Geax Hubi, and Club Roost Cross-Terra all are 26x1.5, more or less. 

You may have to dig around to find one of the above tires at retail.  A tip: Try visiting a cheap "family" bike shop because they often have tires in a variety of sizes for their city bikes. Reader Carl Eldh submitted the following (10/30/01): "Dave--I am one of the fakers when it comes to 'cross racing, namely I race my MTB. For muddy/single track courses I use the Continental Cross Country 1.5s. For grass courses I use a pair of Kenda city bike tires. I did what you said in your review: went to a bike shop and went through the QBP catalog with one of the clerks." 
Also (8/01): Online retailer Cyclocrossworld.com carries the Conti 26x1.5 tire. 

On the premium end, Independent Fabrications once made a custom 26" wheel CX bike, so I sent them an e-mail  hoping to turn up additional tire suggestions. The response (9/20/00):  "Dave, We actually went back to making 700c versions of the cross bike because there are no 26" tires available that meet the UCI max width limit of 35mm.  For local racers, I would recommend the 26" Kenda Kwick, about 38mm wide and a nice tread design.  We used these until the ruling change. --Steven, IF"
 


Here's your tire reviews, now alphabetized.
Bontrager Keith Bontrager has a long history in 'cross and started out years ago manufacturing some of the best lightweight 'cross race bikes.  However, it wasn't until he was bought out by Trek in the '90s that tires have appeared under the Bontrager name.

The Jones cross tire is a retro-Euro style tire, narrow with small square blocks a lot like the Vittoria Mastercross.  Unlike the Vittoria, though, the Jones is readily available for a reasonable price. 

Clement  Grifo Neve and Grifo Largo.  These tires have been around in Euro' cross for a long time. The Neve is narrower, the Largo (get it, large) is wider.  They have a tractor tread which is popular in a lot of Euro' tires like Dugast and Tufo.

(8/02) Update: Clement has ceased manufacturing these tires, but according to Cyclocrossworld.com a new manufacturer bought the molds and has re-launched the tire under the brand name "Challenge".

Club Roost Club Roost is an accessories company who offer a variety of mountain-bike oriented products.  Their Cross Terra tire features a moderately knobby tread and is offered in 26x1.5,  700x38C and 27"x1.38 versions.
Continental For years, Continental has offered a number of "City" and "Trekking" tires. One I've seen on CX bikes is the CountryGrip (37-38c), a big tire with lots of little knobs, apparently designed for off road touring and rather heavy--about 600g according to Conti's web site. The Cross Country is a more race-oriented tire which I have seen on a number of bikes.  Conti also has a 26x1.5 version of the Cross Country  for mountain bikes, available through Cyclocrossworld.com.

(8/02) Continental's newer offerings include the Twister Pro, a 'cross version of their popular MTB tire, featuring a similarly aggro tread pattern with large shoulder blocks. 

(Note- as of 8/03, Vittoria, Conti and Geax are distributed in the US by BikeMine Co. under the url http://www.contitires.com/.)  The site lists the Twister Pro but not the older models listed above 

Dugast According to Simon Burney's CX bible, the Dugast is the ne plus ultra of cyclocross tires.  French tubulars, lovingly hand-made, incredibly expensive. Now you can find them online in the USA.  Notes reader Erik Hultgren, they are "made in more sizes than you can shake a stick at...I think they're available from http://www.durance.com/." 

(8/02) Dugast are also now available at Cyclocrossworld.com. Jeff Feddersen of CXworld notes:  "Dugast has now been purchased by a company in Holland.  They have been trained by the [now retired] Dugast and plan to continue the tradition.  Supply is still scarce since the Clement tread is so hard to get.  The mold actually sits in a factory in Asia and the Clement family still owns rights to it.  Three different tire makers actually share this mold." 

GEAX Reader John Rowen offers this note: "GEAX is making a cross tire similar to their "Blade" MTB tire. A few people I know said they saw this tire at the bike show in Vegas, and they all said that it looks like it is going to rock."

Ibis Cycles, a former GEAX distributor, mentioned the following in 1998:  "Heya David, I wanted to let you know that the Cross Blades are available in 700x29 and 700x33 sizes in Kevlar (foldable) right now! The design is the same as the Blade tire that we make in 26". These will work really well in all conditions, but they will shine the most in softer soils.  --Tim Forkin"

(10/30/01) Reader Jerry Dischler sent the following: "For 26" wheels, you also might want to consider the Geax Hubi 1.6" tire. Durable, fast, and they hook up great in the corners. -jd."

(Note- as of 8/03, Vittoria, Conti and Geax are distributed in the US by BikeMine Co. under the url http://www.contitires.com/.)
 

Hutchinson (9/00) I didn't even know Hutchinson made CX tires until I saw them mentioned on the Bulltek Sports website. A dig thru the French Hutchinson site turned up a  few choices, notably the "VTT Bomber", which is 28c and 35c, semi-slick with huge shoulder knobs.

(8/01) I've now seen Hutchinson CX tires in person and they look like a good tire. The Pro Series CX is available in wire and folding versions has a dual color tread with lots of shoulder knobs. The folding tire is very light for a 'cross tire at a reported 320 grams. Cyclocrossworld.com carries both versions online.

Apparently new for 2004 is the 26x1.3 (35c) Cross Comp - the first 26" tire I have seen in a true 'cross width.

IRC Here's some old information (11/2/98):  "IRC Tire produces a cross tire called the Cross Country. This 700x35c cross tire is produced in Japan and has been available for some time. Currently, mountain bike pro Travis Brown is using these tires for his cross racing. If you have any questions concerning IRC please call me at 510.441.0126." --Joe Staron, IRC Tire. 

New information (9/00): The IRC web site has at least three cross-ready tires: the E-cross, Cross Country, and V-cross.  The latter tire is pretty aggro while the E-cross is pretty mellow. All should be inexpensive. 

(10/01) In addition to the listings above, IRC now offers a CX version of the popular Mythos XC tire. This one has barely any tread. 
 

Kenda Kenda makes three 700c models, 30 and 35C width. Decent, inexpensive tires. Independent Fabrications notes that Kenda makes a 26x1.7 knobby, the "Kwick", for small 'cross bikes. Kenda also is the manufacturer of Redline's 'Kross Supreme" tire.

My review (of the 700c "Kross Cyclo" tire): Likes--Inexpensive. Tread not too deep, so faster than a fat knobby, but more tread than a semislick. Dislikes--Not enough knobs on the shoulder, not as confident cornering as the Ritchey for example. --DC

(10/30/01) Reader Carl Eldh submitted the following: "Dave, nice tire review on the website. I am one of the fakers when it comes to 'cross racing, namely I race my MTB. For muddy/single track courses I use the Continental Cross Country 1.5s. For grass courses I use a pair of Kenda city bike tires. I did what was said in your review: went to a bike shop and went through the QBP catalog with one of the clerks. The Kendas work great. They have the continuous tread running along the center of tire and low profile knobs off center. I looked on the side wall and all I found was "All Terrain Bicycle."  They're your basic City Bike tires; but they work well on grass. -- Carl"

Another review from James Doh: 
Kenda Kross Supreme:  I have the 35c, which is about the same size as Michelin's 30c.  The knobs on this tire are huge!  The tire reminds me of the Panaracer Fire XC Pro MTB tire!  They ride well and for some reason don't feel slow even on pavement.  They bite really well so I would think they would be great for rough, rocky terrain.  The good thing is that they are cheap and seem to wear well.  Downside is that they are really heavy.
 

Maxxis This company is a subsidiary of Cheng Shin Tire. They have a huge 700x42 version of their popular Wormdrive MTB tire. To find it on their web site, you need to dig into the "Tire Specs" table; it's not listed in the regular product links.

Here's the direct scoop (11/98): "David, The Wormdrive 700x42 is a new tread that we have only recently received for sales--so recently in fact that its been in the U.S. for sales for about two weeks! You can purchase it direct from us at Maxxis by calling 1.800.4MAXXIS, ext. 124., and we'll be happy to hook you up. the MSRP on the tire is $27.99 per tire, and we accept Master Card and Visa, as well as doing COD's. If you have any further questions, please let us know.
Thanks, Michael Kleinheinz, Maxxis Tires."

Reader Geoff Luttrell sent in this review of the new Larsen tire (8/03):
"I ran the Maxxis Larsen MiMo Cyclo Cross tire last season in most of the CC and Surf City races.  I changed from a pair of 30mm Speedmax. 

"The tires are 35mm, and weigh 375g, which is damn light.  The knob pattern is eminicent of the Onza Porcupine, but has a few square edges here and there.  The casing is very round, with no squared shoulder at all.  They are $36.99 a piece from Maxxis.  

"I found the tire to be a great all around performer.  It has enough volume to take the bumps, turns very well, has enough tread to make the climbs and rolls really fast.  It did really well in the mud too.  Remember Aptos?  

"I can't really say anything bad about the performance.  The tire just disappears and does it's job.  I always found the Ritcheys to be a bit sketchy.  The Larsens are a bit pricey, and I'm not sure that my rear tire will make a second season, but you have to pay to play.  Check them out in the Road section at Maxxis.com."
 

Michelin  These come in three forms, the Cross Sprint and Cross Mud, both released in '98 or thereabouts, and the newer ('02) Cross Jet.  With the introduction of the Jet, it appears the Sprint has been discontinued though you can still find them occasionally in stores' left over stock.  Definitely discontinued is the old Hi-Lite Cross which is a skinny tire with very minimal tread. Check the Michelin web site for more info.

The Sprint is (was) a great tire. Nominally it's a 30C width but in reality they are more like 35C or 38C.  Sprint looks like the Ritchey Speedmax, but with a pure file tread in the center (unlike the Ritchey).  Mud has knobs all over spread out for performance in, duh, Mud.  Disco green compound.  

John Rowen writes: "The Michelins you saw are their 30's, they just run wider than your average 30."    Also, NVV teammate Tim Brennan of Bicycle Odyssey in Sausalito CA (415-332-3050) confirmed for me that Michelin's 30 is really like a 33 or 34. (They have 'em in stock, too.)

 I bought a pair of these from Tim and raced them in the sand at Surf City. They are indeed fat--wider than the 35C Ritchey Trailmix in fact--and they seemed to float through the sand quite well. They have just enough side knobs for secure cornering too. Nice tire. After racing in the mud this fall, I also liked them for anything but the most sloppy mud. The file tread does not load up with mud like the Trailmix does, and the side knobs give just enough traction.--DC

Mark Weaver offers a very in-depth review of both Michelin tires in his Blackmarket CX e-zine. "Verdict: These are the tires I'll be racing on next year. I think they rule." 

(8/01) An update from last season. I switched from the Sprint to the Mud version, even for dry riding, because the Mud has more shoulder knobs than the Sprint and seems to grip better in corners. I'm a little concerned about the weight, though, claimed to be 380g which is a fair bit more than Ritchey Speedmax at 300 (admittedly, a smaller tire).

(8/02) This season Michelin reportedly will release a new CX tire based on the popular Jet S mountain-bike tire.  On the center tread,  chevron "sipes" replace the file tread found on the Sprint.  I don't know if the Sprint will be discontinued, but there is plenty of inventory of those at shops.

Michelin also now offers Special Service Course tubes (cool name -- remember the old SSC sewup rims that were standard fare at Paris Roubaix?). These are latex tubes, sized to match the 'cross tire profile for best performance.  Sounds like a gimmick to me -- especially when you consider that Continental offer their own tube in a one-size-fits-all dimension, again "for best performance".  You figure it out.
 

Nokian Back in 1998, this company offered a number of low-tread "trekking" tires which may be useful for 'cross. They have a Web site but I had never heard of them and never seen one of their tires. That doesn't mean they don't exist. They are generally spec'ed as OEM branded versions on complete bikes. Check the Nokian web site for tire info and where to buy.

(8/02) Cambria Bike now lists the Nokian Ravagozzi, available in two versions: a stout, knobby all-conditions 35c and a semi-slick 30c.

Panaracer From time to time I have seen the Panaracer Smoke, a 700C version of their popular MTB tire. Super fat, maybe 40-45C, fits only the widest frames. Has gigantic shoulder knobs, giving the tread a nearly square profile that could lead to funny cornering on hardpack. They may be out of production as I couldn't find them on the Panaracer web site as of 9/00.

I did find a new tire--the Road Runner, which is a low-tread "trekking" tire that might be good for hardpack CX races. Available in 35c and 38c.

(8/02) Cambria Bike now carries the Cross Blaster, which is perhaps the lightest CX clincher I have seen at 280g.
 

Redline This is a brand new tire for 2000, stock equipment on the Redline Conquest cyclocross bike. Red and black with huge shoulder knobs. Last time I looked it wasn't on their site, but check anyway. 

Commentary from reader Erik Hultgren: "Dave, The new Redline looks beefy (big blocks, like a Panaracer Fire  XC)...it's heavy, but looks like it should handle any course you can throw at it (available in 35c for $28)..."
 

Ritchey  With a long history in cyclocross, Ritchey has a wide variety of CX tires available, including the very popular Speedmax--which as some of you may remember, kicked off the semi-slick trend in MTB tires. However, that said, Ritchey didn't invent the concept since file treads have been found on Euro' cross tires for decades.   As of 8/03 Ritchey has no fewer than five distinct CX models - more than any other supplier as far as I know.

Here's a look at Ritchey tires:

AlfaBite 35C.  These have angular knobs all over, somewhat similar to many Ritchey MTB tires; center knobs are connected "for a smoother ride". 

Andrew Albright, a race promoter and contributor to rec.bicycles.racing, writes: "I am running Ritchey Trail Mixes; they are semi-knobby tires. They work out really well for many of the courses we have around here where you have some heavy duty downhills with lots of mud. They also allow me to ride MTB trails. But if a course was fast, with more pavement, they would probably be too slow. When I look around at races, most people have skinnier tires."

Speedmax. This is the one that started it all.  The Speedmax comes in 30, 32 and 38 widths. These are still popular years after their introduction.  They have side knobs plus a file tread in center.  The 38 has a different tread pattern in center with ribs for more traction.  Available in folding and wire versions.

 John Rowen, my new NVV teammate, writes:
"Dave, I am running the Ritchey Speed Max (30s) which work really well for me! I have been using them for all around riding in the bay area, from mt. tam/headlands rides, commuting to work, cross practice in the GG Park, DFL cross races and last but not least this fall's first Surf City race (which by the way I pumped them up to 75 psi, since it was such a fast course)." 

Mark Weaver, prolific NorCal master 'crosser, writes: 
"I raced on Ritcheys all last year. the skinny ones (Speedmax 30's) worked really well in the mud for me (and we had plenty of mud in norcal). I run mine around 50-60 psi in the mud unless the course is real bumpy, then I usually switch to the 38's. The 30's seem to work great just about everywhere except real fast, real bumpy courses (like the 1st surf city last week)."

Mountain Cross.  Despite the name, these are not for mountain bikes; instead these are 700x42 big tires that were desined to go with the Ritchey MountainCross frame.  With the recent resurgence of "29'er" mountain bikes we may see more people running this type of wheel/tire setup.

Max Cross.  Wow, what a weird tire. These are a 700x32c tire with hardly any tread--more like a city-bike tire than a cross tire. 

Z.E.D. Pro.  Another 42c tire, but with a speedier tread than the Mountain Cross.  These large tires are most likely designed for the "29-inch" MTB market, which is a bike category that seems to pop up every few years (remember the Bianchi 29 inch "cheater" bikes from the mid 90's?), probably whenever a MTB product manager from the bike companies gets passed on the trail by a CX rider. 

Excavader.  Introduced in '02, this is a version of one of Ritchey's newer MTB tires and features large tractor-like blocks with tapered edges, for "extreme conditions" accoring to Richey's site. 
 

Specialized Specialized has had 'cross clinchers (Tricross) for a long time. The older versions (there are more than one) are less knobby. Bike Nashbar occasionally blows out some of these for dirt cheap. 

(9/00) With the introduction of their S-works cross bike, Specialized has come out with an attractive semi-slick to go with their older Tri-cross models. On a recent visit to the  Specialized web site I saw the "Cross Baldy Team" (the semi-slick) and the "Tricross Team". 

NVV Cyclocross Circuit reader Erik Hultgren sent the following (9/20/00): "The old TriCross used to be my favorite tire (in 28 and  35)...28s for fast courses, 35 for trickier stuff...however, the casings are  fragile and I destroyed all my sets when I moved to Colorado...the new ones are ridiculously overpriced (last seen at $45 a pop), but it's a nice tread  pattern..."

Another review from James Doh: 
Specialized Cross Baldy Team S-Works:  I have these in 32c.  They have a file tread in the center with tallish knobs for cornering.  They are very fast tires and grip like crazy.  I am impressed with them as they are also very light.  I don't know the weight but they are the lightest I've seen recently.  The only downside is that the rubber compound is very soft and my rear tire tread is noticably worn down ( I only weigh 148 pounds) after a 1/2 dozen rides.  I don't think I would buy them again because they are very expensive (I can buy a TUFO Prestige C for the same price). If you can find them on sale, I would say buy the whole lot!
 

Tioga Tioga once made an inexpensive ($10-15) knobby called the Bloodhound which has lots of little oval/square blocks all over it, much like the Vittoria Mastercross. This tire is also notable for being available in a 27" version, for those who have converted old touring bikes and can't find 27" tires from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, this nice tire has been discontinued, but you might find some left over in stock.  The Tioga web site only lists MTB tires and road slicks.
Tufo From posts on RBR I see these sewups are very popular. Certainly these are the lightest cross tires I have ever seen--the Pro version has a specially sealed casing that holds air without a separate tube.  Widths from 28 to 34 in a low-knob tractor tread. Not a lot of corner knobs.

Tufo's sewup comes in three levels of weight/quality from training to pro racing, all with the same tread. They also have a clincher version which is a sewup with a special hook bead to grab onto clincher rims. Haven't heard how well that works.  They also make one with a file tread.

In '99 I decided to spring for a pair of the Pro 34 sewups to use at Nationals in San Francisco. Wow, what light tires those are, and they were wonderfully supple--soaked up bumps like a dream.  However, I couldn't corner on them like I was used to with the Michelin Sprints, and zut!, one of them flatted in mid-race. That was the last time I ever used them--I traded them to a friend (Dennis - see below) and went back to Michelin.

(9/02) Here's a comment from reader (and master national champ) Linda Elgart: "I was reading the review, and I have a comment on Tufos. First of all, one MUST use the sealant. That's what makes Tufo's so good; they reseal from small puctures. Also, the new Elite Tubular Clinchers are a great idea. I think they are tougher than the glue-on type, and they stay on the wheels fine. They are also stickier than the older Tufo's. They are John's and my personal favorites."

(9/02) Another reader comment from Dennis McGovern: "As you know I am a big fan of Tufo. This year I decided to try out their Diamond tread tire. It is a file tread tire with almost no tread....maybe a millimeter in height. It doesn't look like much but I am looking for anything that might make me a little faster.

"I bought a clincher and a tubular version. I used the clincher yesterday. It was tough to get on...expletives were involved.  On the road, it was really quick. REALLY QUICK.  On the course, it was amazing. Totally gripped. I couldn't believe it. Very fast and it was super reliable, even off camber hard pack turns. I figured I would have to run it soft to make it work at all and I will be running it 40-50 PSI in races, but I am super impressed.

"The drawback... I don't think you can put tons of miles on it. I figure, racing only, it might last one season. Also, some conditions may not be so good for this tire. I think soft or sandy venues will suit it best. --Dennis."

Another review from James Doh: 
Tufo Prestige C:  This is the yellow sidewall/ orange tread model.  The 30c clincher rides like a dream!  The only drawback is the patience required to mount these on your rims.  It takes a lot of tugging.  20 minutes to mount the 2 wheels.  However, they don't pinchflat and grip like Winona at Saks.  No rim tape needed and adding the sealant is as easy as squeezing a bottle.  They are ultralightweight.
 

Vittoria  Mastercross and Tigrecross.  These are another venerable Euro' tire mentioned in Burney.  Originally in sewups, they also have been available in clinchers for a few years. Made 27C and 32C, black or green tread.  The sewups have been around forever (my 10 year old first edition of Burney's book lists these). 

Master is a square block tread, looks like a file but bigger blocks. This looks like a great tire to me. Tigre is similar but with round blocks more widely spaced, probably better for mud. Both come in 27c, which seems a bit narrow to me, or 32. The Vittoria web site has good pictures of the tire tread patterns.  

(Note - as of 8/03, Vittoria, Conti and Geax are distributed in the US by BikeMine Co. under the url http://www.contitires.com/.)  The site also lists a couple of interesting low-tread clinchers, the "Easy Rider Combo" and the "City Pioneer" that might be worth checking out, though both have wire beads and are fairly heavy compared to the Master and Tigre.
 

Vredestein  Last time I looked on their site, they had a couple of good tires including the Campo and Spider DuoComp.  The Campo is a real cyclocross tire, the Spider is a "trekking" tire for all conditions touring. See both on their web site. The Campo seems pretty nice.

Bob Brown has the following comment: "I ran the Campo last season. Very nice riding on the road sections, and it was quite nice off road. it doesn't last long though. I like the tire, but for how much they cost, they don't last nearly long enough. If money was not a factor, I'd run these over the Ritchey's."

John Elgart, who is always at the front of the Master 45 fields in NorCal, says this:  "I have been using Vredestein wire ons -- about $12 wholesale from Veltec/Uncle Al. I like them."
 

WTB Wilderness Trail Bikes makes a narrow 26" knobby: the "All-Terrainasaurus" in 26"x40c.

Go back to the NVV Cyclocross Circuit