tire advice

[brianail]

hi,

i'm looking at getting some new tires for my cross bike. i'm currently running ritchey speedmax's, but as it gets wetter and muddier, i'm looking for something with better traction, good in wet grass, and good mud clearance. i am thinking of vittoria cross evo xg's, and am looking for feedback on them. can anyone suggest anything else?

[xccx]

michelin muds are excellent in mud (and in lots of other conditions too). and lately i have been running the geax blades, which are great so far. lots of mud clearance, and it has a very soft sidewall so you can really get them to hook up in the messy stuff.

[BikeInMN]

As already mentioned Michelin Muds are a good tire. I know a few guys who have ridden both Ritchey's and Michelin's and most strongly prefer the Muds.

I'm a big fan of Tufo Tubular Clinchers with the LPS system. You can run them down around 30-35 pounds and they stick like crazy in cold and wet conditions. Some guys have had problems rolling them off the rim remounting but if you're smooth it shouldn't be a problem. The current Jr National Champ runs his so soft they almost look flat at the start line.

[billh]

All the good racers around here use the Tufo Tubulars. I can't afford them. I started out on Ritchey Speedmax several years ago and hated them. Not enough traction in grass due to the nearly slick middle tread. I am using the Ritchey Excavator 700x35 this year and much better in grass and all around, dirt, hardpack, pavement. I think I used Michelin muds in one muddy race and still slid all over the place. I don't think anything really helps in mud.