Cyclocross - Continental Cross Race tires ?? (Clinchers trying to mimic tubulars)?

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curt_k
03-23-10, 10:36 AM
Yeah, saw an ad for these tires. Sounds like a nice idea if someone can pull it off -- supposed to be a clincher tire that mimics handling and low pressure of tubulars.

Anyone have any experience with them, or others tires trying to do that?

Continental rates them at 58-85 PSI, not particularly low, to my not so educated mind....

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/cross/crossquerfeldein/cyclocrossrace/cyclocross_race_en.html

flargle
03-23-10, 10:44 AM
There are plenty of good supple clinchers out there. I raced Maxxis Raze for a year, nice light sidewalls, good grippy rubber, but you still have to play the trade-off game between low pressure and risk of pinch-flatting.

When you run tubulars, the trade-off occurs at much lower pressures, and is more about traction while cornering than pinch-flatting.
Andy_K
03-23-10, 12:50 PM
Sounds like marketing bs to me. Conti has recognized two facts: (1) most CX racers are convinced that tubular tires perform better than clinchers, (2) a lot of CX racers don't want to plunk down the cash to make the switch to tubulars. Solution: claim that your clincher performs like a tubular.

I'm not saying these aren't good tires. They may be. I don't know. I'm just saying I don't see anything tubular about them.

flargle
03-23-10, 01:02 PM
Sounds like marketing bs to me. Conti has recognized two facts: (1) most CX racers are convinced that tubular tires perform better than clinchers, (2) a lot of CX racers don't want to plunk down the cash to make the switch to tubulars. Solution: claim that your clincher performs like a tubular.There's a tradition of calling a racey clincher tire an "open tubular".