Stroh's Selection
Tires
The most important part of a Cyclocross bike is the tires. With a max tire width of 33mm your contact patch is very small so getting your tire choice right is imperative. The puzzle figuring out the best tire combo and pressure to balance grip and rolling resistance is part of the reason I love cross so much. At any race, you will see all different tread patterns and tire pressures on the start line, this really highlights how everyone goes through the tire selection process differently.
There are many brands that make cyclocross tires, but there is one brand that stands above them all, Dugast. These tires are undisputedly the best, but until recently they have been very hard to obtain in the US. Now Dugast tires are owned and made by Vittoria tires and I am finally able to ride these legendary tires!
The Tires
Pipistrello
The fastest tire! Not far off something you would see on a road bike nowadays, the Pipistrello is for the fastest days when you want the lowest rolling resistance. At first glance people may see a tire with no side knobs and think ir has no grip but that is far from the case. In reality, on a dry course you don’t use side knobs very often and most the grip comes from the center tread as the tire rolls around on the ground. I was super impressed the first time I tried these tires, they felt incredibly fast and I didn’t have to think at all about the corners. I just leaned into the turn and the tires hooked up like I was used too. This is definetly my favorite tire, and the look on peoples faces when I roll up to the line with these makes it even better!
Typhoon
The classic all-rounder cyclocross tire. If you Google “cyclocross tires” this is the first thing you will see. The classic chevron pattern has been a staple in the cyclocross world for decades and works in almost all conditions. This is the tire I use at the majority of the races I do. It handles great when the ground is dry and loose, but can also work great in light mud when run at lower pressures, all while having low rolling resistance. If I only had one set of tires, this would be my choice!
Small Bird
This is a bit of a specialty tire that doesn’t get a ton of use, but I get super excited every time I throw it on my bike. This tire has a ton of small knobs that are very soft and sharp. For a course that has slick corners but doesn’t require pedaling traction, this is the best tire you can get. The sharp side knobs dig into the ground and provide amazing grip, but the tire still rolls very fast in a straight line. As I transition to Europe where we see a lot more soft ground i’m sure I will find these on my bike more and more!
Rhino
The tractor tire, for the proper Cyclocross conditions. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten to use this tire yet as we have only had dry races so far, but every time I see this tire I can’t wait for the first muddy day! This tire has tall sharp knobs that will dig down into the mud to find traction where others can’t. One of the most important and special parts about this tire is it’s ability to clear mud. There is a ton of space in between the knobs, so as soon as you ride on a harder surface, it will throw the mud off the tire, leaving you with a clean tire for the next mud section. I can’t wait to use this tire and really put it to the test this year!
Pressure
The one thing that is more important than tire choice is tire pressure. Even if you choose the right tire, if you have the wrong pressure you could be missing out on the tires full potential. Pressure is so imporant that I would rather have the wrong tire at the right pressure than the right tire with the wrong pressure. This is why preride time is so important, it takes time to find the right pressure so you want to maximize the time your allowed on the course and really focus on getting things dialed.
Vittoria has created a great tire pressure calculator that works great for Cyclocross tires. I was blown away by how accurate it was the first time I used it. The pressures are spot on as a starting point when you first head out on course. I highly reccomend you go check it out! Tire Pressure Calculator
My Process
Every race, I go through the same process to dial in my tire and pressure selection. My tire pressure range is from 11psi - 25psi! This is a huge range but I have a good process to narrow that down quickly. The first thing I do when I show up at a course is decide on a starting tire pressure, after years of racing in similar conditions I know that when dry I will start at 21psi and when wet I will start at 18psi1. Then I ride a lap and see how the tires feel. I will then start a bracketing system going up and down 1psi at a time until I find the perfect pressure for the course. During this time on course I will also look for things on the course that could influence pressures. If the course is smooth I can run lower pressure, but if there are rocks and roots to I will have to go up a few psi to make sure I don’t flat. Overall, the most important thing is that you're confident in your selection before you go to the start line, so you can think less and focus on racing hard!
It just so happens that this pressure is also exactly what the Vittoria tire pressure calculator recommends!