Trying to work out my "summer" tyres. Work near Skye and not taking spares.. Current favourite is probably Advantages, but wondering if the Crossmark is any better as an all rounder?
I presume they size up the same?
Crossmark 2.25" size up just like the equivalent Advantage. Crossmark is an excellent rear tyre - I'm running an Advantage front and a Crossmark rear and have been for just shy of a year. The Crossmark rolls a bit quicker than the Advantage, although it's not as noticeable in the 2.25" versions as it is in the 2.1" versions. It's a great partner to an Advantage front, but personally I wouldn't run one up front unless you just ride groomed trailcentre tracks. The tread on the 2.25" Crossmark is a couple of mm deeper than the 2.1", giving it a surprising degree of versatility - but its obviously not going to be much good in sticky mud.
EDIT The Advantage is the better all rounder - the Crossmark is a little more specialist (harder surfaces).
How small is the 2.1? Been riding 2.35 High Roller/Minion which are similar to the 2.25 Advantage..
The 2.1" isn't too bad. It's from the "old school" of Maxxis tyre measurements (so comes up smaller than some other manufacturers), but is still quite respectable (sorry, not at home so can't just go and measure the tyres). It is a significantly less aggressive tyre than the 2.25 - lower tread height, lighter weight (120tpi) carcass and harder compound (62a). I run 2.1" Advantage and Crossmark for Marathon events only, I run the 2.25" versions for everything else.
Cheers, 2.25 it is then. May pick up a used 2.25 Crossmark to try on the rear then.
i have a lust 2.25 crossmark on the rear now, was using a 2.1 version last summer and a 2.35 minion over the winter.
it's massive! it's changed the feel of the bike from the minion, more weight pushed over the front.
I like the predictable nature of the crossmarks combined with the fast rollingness. the lust sidewalls are reassuringly chunky for a sub 700g tyre.
Crossmark is a fantastic tyre and sizes up pretty big in my opinion, well atleast the 2.25 LUST does. I am currently running one of these on the rear and it sizes up the same as the 2.35 high roller on the front. It all comes down to the pressure you run it at, very fast at 35 psi with potential for drifting, fast and planted below 35 psi. Crossmark rear/ advantage front would be a good all round set up.
I found the crossmrk to be pretty fast on the rear, especially on hard surfaces. I found it lack penetration in the deep dust of summer and loose gravel. I thought the maxxis Aspen was a better Tyre all round of road. And only lost out to the crossmark on tarmac.
The 2.25 is an amazing tyre indeed currently have it on the back. Plenty of traction given how fast it rolls, it is really big and offers a fair amount of cushion even with the thick LUST sidewalls.
However, the 2.1 loses only a bit of the traction and cushioning but it rolls way better and weighs quite a bit less. Also the 2.25 is very heavy in LUST version - 800gr not 700.
I had an exception Crossmark 2.1 on the back tubeless a year ago, the sidewalls are so thin on those though that got a 2 inch sidewall tear on the third ride. One of the fastest tyres I have tried while it lasted.
The 2.1 LUST is going on again next week.
Crossmarks are fab... Another fast, big, tough tyre worth checking out is the small block 8, it's a fair bit faster than the crossmark but has a few issues with mud- not as bad as you'd expect to look at it, but still not very good.