Cyclocross Racing - Smaller than 2.0 mtb tires?

Is there such thing as skinny mtb tires with some knobs? I've got skinny slicks on there now, but can't find anything less than about 1.9 or 2.0 that has any decent tread. I supposed I'd be better off with the wider knobbies???

Continental Cross Counrty 1.5's http://cyclocrossworld.stores.yahoo.net/concroscounp.html I used them back before I had a cross bike and they worked well.

thanks. I think thats really what I need... unfortunately ive waited until the day before the race to consider this...:bang: the LBS guys dont seem to have a market for this so... I may have to sit this one out. I have my 2nd triathlon and first Half ironman sunday morning :thumb:

Why not just use your normal mountain bike tires? Lots of people do when first starting out.

Why not just use your normal mountain bike tires? Lots of people do when first starting out.

Unless showing poorly in a Cat4 CX race will hurt your sponsorship prospects, I highly recommend just running what you have. It'll matter, but not _that_ much. Pump the tires up to 50-60 psi and go have fun. That's what it's all about anyway.

Check out the Kenda Smallbloc 8. I'm running them on a MTB now I plan on riding in a pair of CX races in 2 weeks. They're 1.95, IIRC.
If they don't work, who cares -- as long as the races are fun and dirty... and I don't puke.
I've run them a few times on hard-pack single-track MTB trails and I like them.

http://cyclocrossworld.stores.yahoo.net/sccxprosp26.html

I've got the schwalbe and I have no complaints.

Schwalbe are good, I did a whole season on them. They work pretty well in the mud and the tread is almost too high and rubber is very durable, I was trying to wear them out a bit and even by commuting on the pavement I did not loose that much tread.

One good reason for running skinny knobbies on a MTB is the fun factor. It goes way up when your tires haven't turned into giant mud donuts that get stuck in the frame and won't turn.

A skinny tire with a less aggressive tread collects far less mud and will keep rolling.

In soupy sloppy stuff, this is less of a problem, but on most muddy courses you'll encounter goopy sticky stuff that will adhere to the more closely spaced, deeper tread patterns of most MTB tires. The more open design of the Schwalbe CX Pros and the rounder design of the knobs shed mud much more easily. I never again want to lug a 50lb MTB with wheels that have gummed up with peanut-buttery mud.

Also, a narrower tire is lighter and spins up faster. I noticed a big difference in going from a 1.5 to the 1.35 Schwalbe CX Pros.

Go to biketiresdirect.com they have the 26" Schwalbe CX Pros for US$26.95-- a pretty fair price.

The tires seem to handle quite well, too.

I ended up not doing it because the tires I run currently are like 1.4 slicks.

So do you guys think the 1.35 are a lot better than 1.5? I see no particular reason to go fat.

anyone know where to buy these tires where they are actually in stock (on the internet)? would like to try CX in 2 weeks and need to order/receive the tires before then.