Cyclocross - Only 1 tire, what would it be.

If you could only have one all around tire that you would use on road, rail trail, and single track what would it be?

only 1 tire? i think you might want a unicycle for that...

alright, very poor joke...anyways,

i like ritchey speedmax, though i actually haven't used any other 'cross tires...however, i have used the speedmax on singletrack a number of times as well as many centuries and other road rides...i recently did put on some cheapie heavy wire bead road tires, and i do notice somewhat lower rolling resistance...but as far as versatility, the speedmaxes have been pretty good...they're occasionally available on ebay for something like $27 a pair for the folding version...one problem is that although they're rather puncture resistant when new, once the tread gets pretty worn down, they become fairly susceptible to glass and the like...though by that point they're also kinda useless in the dirt anyways

Really like my ritchey speedmax also, pretty tough tires to boot. First flat at around 2000+ miles.

Ultragator skin or Conti Contact 28.

[QUOTE=joshben]only 1 tire? i think you might want a unicycle for that...

alright, very poor joke...anyways,

Actually that joke made me chuckle a bit.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm gonna check out the speedmax's...

I'm really happy with my Ultra gatorskin (also 28). They are light and tough, and roll well. (I might get the new high-end Schwalbe for touring though, maybe 700 x 32....)

But for general riding, over all kinds of roads (and litter) and railway ties etc., the ultragators are excellent. One flat so far only, and that was a stiff sharp piece of industrial wire that worked its way in.

I really like my Conti Ultragatorskins (28s) for street/MUP riding, but they don't grip in sand/dirt too well. I had my first wipe the other day when I tried to plow through some dirt that had washed onto the MUP after a rainstorm. The Maxxis Locusts (35s) that came with my bike never had any problem going through stuff like that.

I've asked about these in another thread, but never got an answer. Anyone have any experience with Michelin Transworld Sprints? (http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/index.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004115348&codePage=2092004115348_10092004150450&lang=EN) They look like a decent street/road tire that should be able to handle some offroading from time to time.

Thats a hard question, I'd say the speedmax too since they are a descent all rounder but they are very limited to racing IMO.

I was considering the Specialized Borough XC tire for the exact same purpose. I haven't gone through with it yet though, anyone have opinions on these?

Armadillo Nimbus, 28s on road and 38s off.

I used Maxxis Overdrive, which are a huge 38 size. They are smooth, roll well, work well on gravel, hardpack and road. They only weigh 550g, which is not bad. If you can get over their baloon size and the reflective stripe, they will reward you with miles of smooth sailing.

I also used Conti TopTouring 2000, which is a great tire with nice tread for on/off road work. The 32c size is not as smooth as the Maxxis, but they work well off road. Unfortunately these are no longer available.

Most dedicated touring tires are very tough, but very heavy with Schwalbe Marathon coming in at 790g (!!??!). Most tires that work well off road have shoulder lugs that make fast cornering on road a precarious proposition.

My next tire will likely be Vittoria Zaffiro in 28 size. The tire features a crosshatch pattern with some finer coarse crosshatching which grabs the dirt but does not slow you down on road. Moreover, it only weighs 240g with a kevlar belt for puncture resistance. This selection reflects a higher priority for on-road and path riding with speeds of about 20mph.

ritchey speedmax for the price, really nice all round tire again... for the price... cheap on ebay brand new for 10$ a tire or about 25 a pair on other stores....

I was considering the Specialized Borough XC tire for the exact same purpose. I haven't gone through with it yet though, anyone have opinions on these?

Run them (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=26424) on mine. Great in the city and handle the ditch tracks (atv tracks on highway ditches in rural areas) pretty good as well. I might race 'em this fall, but they'd be hell to run in the mud.

Sorry to spoil the party, but it appears that the Ritchey Speedmax has been discontinued (I'm a bitg fan of the 28cc tire with folding bead. I found out it was discontinued when I slashed one open on a metal strip and went to the LBS to get a new one. I managed to get three new ones from Excel Sports Boulder, but i think they might be out also at this point).

i use a Continental Twister. it's a knobby, so it may not be what you're looking for, but it still rolls pretty fast. it's a little noisy on pavement, too.

Sorry to spoil the party, but it appears that the Ritchey Speedmax has been discontinued (I'm a bitg fan of the 28cc tire with folding bead. I found out it was discontinued when I slashed one open on a metal strip and went to the LBS to get a new one. I managed to get three new ones from Excel Sports Boulder, but i think they might be out also at this point).

I was just over at http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/index.html
They got new tires coming out SpeedMax Beta & ZMax Evolution ...

Another vote for SpeedMax!

Took me a few minutes to find

http://www.ritcheylogic.com/media/ads/2007/TR07_EVOTire_AD.jpg

I was just over at http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/index.html
They got new tires coming out SpeedMax Beta & ZMax Evolution ...

Another vote for SpeedMax!

I was just over at http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/index.html
They got new tires coming out SpeedMax Beta & ZMax Evolution ...

Another vote for SpeedMax!

...it seems that those are 26" mountain bike tires:(

they do still have the speedmax up in the 'cross section of their site, though, and there're still plenty of them on ebay, although i realize that's not much of an indication of weather they're still being produced...

i'm still frankly kinda skeptical that they've discontinued them...they seem to be rather pretty popular tires, so i don't see why they'd stop that

too bad- that's what i use for all-purpose riding...

marc


Sorry to spoil the party, but it appears that the Ritchey Speedmax has been discontinued (I'm a bitg fan of the 28cc tire with folding bead. I found out it was discontinued when I slashed one open on a metal strip and went to the LBS to get a new one. I managed to get three new ones from Excel Sports Boulder, but i think they might be out also at this point).