Cyclocross Racing - Stupid Michelin Mud2 Tire Question

I am hopelessly befuddled when it comes to anything with knobs on it. Kind of like a modern kid looking at a tape drive for a Commodore 64....so...

I have a question about the tire rotation directions molded into the sidewall. It shows 2 arrows in opposite directions with "front" and "rear". Like this:

<----Front/Rear---->

My first instinct is that these run the tread in different directions depending on whether it is on the front or rear wheel.

I could also read it as both go in the same direction and you always line it up so that with the directions on top of the wheel the "front" arrow points to the front of the bike and the "rear" arrow points to the rear of the bike.

I have a feeling it is more intended to mean that you flip the tread for the rear wheel. Can someone clarify and provide an explanation for why you would flip the tread on the rear? being a diehard roadie it also pains me because it will mean that the label on the rear will end up on the non-drive side....and that's just not right....

Michelin seems to do that a lot on their MTB tires as well.
They are suggesting that you run the front one way, and the rear in the opposite direction.

Yeah, they have directional thread. And yeah, it makes me twitch when I see the labels on opposite sides of the bike as well, if that makes you feel better. :D

The arrow points in the proper rotational direction. So when on the front the front arrow should point in the direction of rotation, and when on the back the back arrow should point in the direction of rotation. Directional arrows are always pointing in the direction of rotation.

Yeah, they have directional thread. And yeah, it makes me twitch when I see the labels on opposite sides of the bike as well, if that makes you feel better. :D

Seriously....when it dawned on me that there was only 1 label and it would now be on the non-drive side I was all like :twitchy::twitchy::twitchy::notamused::wtf::twitchy:

While we're on the topic....seing as how I have written scores of info about proper tire utilization and proper riding pressures....for the roadie world....what freekin pressures do you normally run in cross tires under different conditions..

For reference I run 7.2 bar in my front and 8 bar in my rear whil road riding. I am currently 172-175 lbs. Bike is currently 23 lbs, but I am stripping weight off of it as I type.

I was commuting on cross tires and running them around 50-60 psi, but figure I would train at around 40-something and try to race in the 35-40 range....does that sound right? These are clincher obviously. Also because I haven;t had time to spec and build a nice set of cross specific wheels for myself yet I was going to most likely run my old set of custom Shimano 600 hubs with Open 4CD rims (old school baby) 36h 3X straight gauge spokes :rolleyes: front and rear...do box section rims have many issues with cross racing? Can you usually get away with a lighter wheel in the front?

For reference most of the courses here are in parks and on grass with obstacles including running through play sand sections of playgrounds. I have yet to see a cross race here with mud, but I have only been to about 4 venues.

try gluing tubulars with the treads going different directions

try gluing tubulars with the treads going different directions

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/1308/mechanicsdd8.jpg
"Well...thars yer problum."

;)

My team mate rode Muds with 35psi and had hideous pinch flat issues all year. I ran 50 in my Grifo clinchers and still got one flat (just as I was about to hit the top ten too :()

Hmmm...pinch flats = the suck.

I'll play around with something in the mid 40's. I kind of like riding hard and loose on the road anyway...

At 175 you should be around 40psi. If your courses are mainly grass you definitely want to go as low as you can since it will be faster than a higher psi. Last year I ran mud2s at 40psi and under while weighing 175 and I didnt have any pinchflats. I am down to 165 this year and have been running my PSI at around 35 and will run my tubulars at 30. I pretty much run the same psi at all venues.

box section rims are fine.

I'm running MM2s, weight exactly what you do, and I'm running 35 front and 40 back so far -- that seems to keep me out of the pinch flat range on most surfaces. I experimented down to 30 or so, and I flatted too often to be reliable.

I know people reverse tread there tires but I never really understood why. I think it's the equivalent of thinking that getting a stem that is ten grammes less is gonna make you faster.

But I could be wrong :)

Take a shovel, flip the blade of it over and then try to use it. Sure, you can still jab it at the ground and dirt will move, but it'll work better the other way around.

Sweet...I rebuilt (retensioned/trued, overhauled bearings, adjusted, lubes freehub, etc) my old Shimy 600/Open4CD wheels last night - holy crap those hoops can't take tension like all of them can nowadays...I almost taco'd it on the stand :eek:

Tires are mounted. I pumped to 40 and man that just feels soft. I'll probably run about 36 in front 40 in rear.

The courses seem to be almost all grass so I should be good - I hope. I don't get much ride time on it before racing though...guess I'll learn the hard way...:eek:

Jackson Park this weekend? I live across the street from it -- 35/40 has been doing me right nice for my 4 zillions laps I have taken around it in the last month.

I want to do Jackson Park, but I put on my invitational ride (see link in my sig) every year and planned it for saturday. Sunday is my brother's birthday party in Indy. Wife would kill me if I did events both days this weekend....like all of the other weekends.

After that I will miss DeKalb because I am doing all 4 races for Fall Fling. So first cross race will most likely be Hawthorn Woods. Carpentersville, St Charles, and Bartlett are all in my back yard so I am in for all of those as well.

By then I figure I will be addicted and will complete the series, or will have burned out for the season and will not feel like racing until spring comes....

....yeah, right....

I am hopelessly befuddled when it comes to anything with knobs on it. Kind of like a modern kid looking at a tape drive for a Commodore 64....so...


I had a tape drive on my TI 99/4A.

Has anyone measured the real width of these Michelin Mud 2 tires? The stated 30mms is narrower than I would like.

They are way bigger than the stated width. I'd say closer to 34mm.

They are way bigger than the stated width. I'd say closer to 34mm.

Thanks. Sounds good.