I bought a Cube “Cross Race Disc Pro” earlier this year and have been riding it on and off road for the past few months with (the as supplied 33c “Rocket Rons”.) I’ve been really happy them to be honest, they seem to roll really well – even on the road. I bought the bike as a sort of hard-core road bike to ride as something different to mountain biking. I’m not a roadie, I’m also not going to ride in CX races – I just want to push out some miles on the road and dart into some foresty sections/bridleways.

Not to sound like a weigh-weenie but doing some investigation, the Rocket Ron’s seem very light for what they are. Comparing them with something like a Continental Gatorskin (700×25) which are 250 grams compared with “only” 300g for the Rons. This only makes a weight difference of approx. 0.22 of a pound for the two!

The Rons have got some pretty aggressive nobbles on them (compared to a smooth/slick road tyre) which must add a lot of rubber. I’d like to do some more purely road-only rides in the future, around the 40-60 mile mark. There’s no buzz or whirr-whirr sound on the tarmac with the Rons, I have an older road bike with 25c slick tyres on so can directly compare how they appear to roll. I really don’t feel that much difference

Am I missing something here, or are these Schwalbe tyres made of magic? They are awesome at smoothing out the terrible Surrey roads (rough and pot-holey). I’m not bothered about Strava times, or riding with a roadie group. In a completely unscientific test they feel like they’re reducing my average by maybe 1-2mph. This I can live with if it means not having to swap tyres around constantly (or buying another set of wheels with different tyres on each set).

For my off-road adventures on it through the Surrey Hills I really don’t need the amount of nobbles on the tyre, which I would assume are for riding across muddy, slippy fields in a Cyclo Cross race. Basically, I’m wondering if there’s a tyre that is slightly more road orientated but can take on sandy, occasional rooty off-road, but is no heavier than the Rons (and if possible, lighter?)

Thanks in advance to the STW collective mind.

Links to the bike and the tyres mentioned above:

Schwalbe Rocket Ron, 33-622 which according to Schwalbe’s web site weigh in at an astonishingly light weight of only 305 grams.
http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/offroad-reader/rocket-ron.html

The Conti 25c Gator Skins:
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20ultra%20gatorskin.shtml

The bike itself:
http://www.cube.eu/bikes/road-race/cross-race/cube-cross-race-disc-pro-rednblack-2015/

Conti CX speeds?

Or one step further: Compass Barlow Pass, which are next on my list.

Clement X’Plor MSO’s in either 33mm or (like mine) 40mm’s are perfect for dry hardpack and road and lanes and gravel. Ok they’re not “nobblies” but I didn’t choose/use them for that, they’re used for specific horrid road surface or gravel or hardpack.

I use Challenge Griffo’s for proper grip (light nobbly) and Limus (heavier knobby) for racing and proper hard hacks.

Challenge also do something called Almanzo but I’m struggling to find a supplier, when I do I’m sticking these on too.

Thanks both, will take a look at those.