I've been watching some CX racing on YouTube - incredible stuff, especially the prowess of the World Cup racers in the mud.
Me, on the either hand, am pretty useless - I'm running Schwalbe Super Swan 35mm rubber at the moment and am getting more or less zero traction in mud….
Any recommendations for mud tyres for CX??
Clement Crusade PDX if on clincher
Challenge Grifo if on tubs
Tubeless I am not so sure. not tried it myself.
Run much lower pressure than you think.
Challenge Limus or Baby Limus are the mud tyre not Grifo.
The Swan is the same as the Rocket Ron, but just labelled up for Giant as Swans.
What pressures are you running? I've been using Ron's as my mud tyre for a few years now and always hooked up great, if it's an all grass course with no rooty woody bits in it, ran them as low as 22psi. You will find very wet conditions are best with them, the sticky clay mud tends to fill every tyre.
Limus. When I did the nationals in Wales a couple of weeks ago on a muddy Saturday I had a good look around on the start line and 75% were using Limus.
Full mud tyres are less about big treads and absolute traction and more about clearing mud and getting traction from the low pressure (why tubs are so much better in the mud).
You just get used to going sideways (and trusting the ruts with your life).
I've been on Evo XM's all season.
Just bought some Challenge Grifo tyres ( for just about £18 each (folding version) and found these pretty good in the slop so far. Better than my Vittoria XM I think.
I've run Schwalbe CX Pro tubeless at 20 PSI in three muddy races and found them to be pretty good. Nothing to compare them with because hey are 26" and these were the only tyres available in that size! I also think they will be reasonable for general off road duties.
I run 35c Rocket Ron's and they've been pretty good in the gloop.
Rocket Rons or Limus if you're staying Clincher.
Rhinos or Supermuds if you're going to do it properly & swap to tubs.
Don't forget all the pro's are running tubs, so much more supple & lower pressures. I know at Milton Keynes the fast lads were down as low as 12psi. I wasn't as brave & only went to 18 (32mm tubs)
If anyone wants a pair, I bought a pair of gumwall Rocket Rons thinking they were tubs only to find out they were clinchers. Unused £40 posted.
The key is to run as low a pressure as you dare. As mentioned, the top guys are running tubs to get away with low pressures.
Plenty of people swear by Mitchelin Muds but I don't like them and find they clog. I want to try Limus if I ever start racing again.
Mud ? I use Challenge Limus Open clinchers (though they call them open tubs). Simply the best tyre for Forest/Bridleway/Singletrack slop and pretty darn good when that trail hardens up a bit. Great for CX'er races in open slopfest parks/fields. Pressures? 25-35psi depending on roots/stones etc.
Mud/Harder Mud? Challenge Griffos (open clinchers, though they call them open tubs) these are really ace, all sorts of trails, conditions and provided yoo're not hacking through a slopfest field or CX park/field (where you'd use the Limus) they're rather bloody brilliant.
Wear? Limus, mine only get used when I have a specific course in mind. Holding up very well with a little wear on the rear now but still proud knobblies higher that a std Griffo (done about 2k's off-road on them)
Griffos, gone through two sets in 8months, get used the vast majority of the time incl road sections and longer distance courses + 70k done 7 SDWs on the first set , 3 Adventure X races etc. and a good few races. Changed them last month for a new set. Didn't wear them down to the canvas so hope to use them for a few rides more when it's hardpack dry singletrack again until they pop.
HTH
if doing it properly FMB supermud, challenge limus or dugast rhino tubs at 20 psi and swap your bike every lap. 😀
although some say new challenge baby limus are possibly better as though they are less agressive the tread clears better.
can we do what tyres for sand next?
I'm probably going to ride Dugast Typhoon at BotB in March at about 18psi, with a spare set with Challenge Grifo clinchers (just in case).
can we do what tyres for sand next?
Dugast Pipisquallo, judging by the amount of people riding them at Koksjide this year, (every year).
can we do what tyres for sand next?
Challenge Chicanes, file tread middle, and limus-esque side knobs.
Sand - FMB Sprints
Mud - FMB Supermuds
Clement Crusade PDX
this + 1000!
night and day difference between this and grifo (which isn't a mud tyre/tub)
FMB Super mud- 16psi
Sand- Dugast Pipisquallo 18psi
Can people put their weights when mentioning pressures? Pauwels might have been riding 14psi at Milton Keynes but he weighs less than a light thing.
But back to the OP, Limus rear and Supermud front for me in the brown stuff. Pressures depend on the type of mud etc.
71kgs in full race trim - 14-16psi in my Supermuds if the conditions warrant it, although I seem to ride 'light' and get away with less pressure than other folk.
12st and 28psi* is as far as i go. Tried low twenties once and it was horrible.
*assuming pump accuracy
73kg and 1.5bar for Dugast tubs.
I bought pair of these to try ..
Ok not as fast rolling as some but I fitted one to front(swine to fit stans rim) but running 18-20psi (tubeless)no issues and like shit to a blanket on wet grass and good in mud too 🙂
64kg & 18psi in my Dugast Rhino-as low as I've tried so far.
*measured using digital pressure guage
Given all the feedback above, I'm going to invest in a tubeless kit and have some fun experimenting with tyre pressures - sounds like the Swans (Rocket Rons) should work for me if I can get the pressures right……
😀
