['nother]

I am currently running Avocet Cross IIs, which I like, and which (I think anyway) are well-suited to what I ride (I don't race 'cross, but do about a 30/70 mix of trail/road). After 2000+ miles, my current set is wearing a little thin! Unfortunately, my local supplier recently stopped stocking these, and though I know I can get 'em online through Harris and others, I'd like to try something new and different and hopefully more readily available, just to play the field a bit; maybe there's something I like better. So I seek your recommendations for other brands along these lines. Whaddaya got?

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[arctic hawk]

I am currently running Avocet Cross IIs, which I like, and which (I think anyway) are well-suited to what I ride (I don't race 'cross, but do about a 30/70 mix of trail/road). After 2000+ miles, my current set is wearing a little thin! Unfortunately, my local supplier recently stopped stocking these, and though I know I can get 'em online through Harris and others, I'd like to try something new and different and hopefully more readily available, just to play the field a bit; maybe there's something I like better. So I seek your recommendations for other brands along these lines. Whaddaya got?
I am not sure if you will find anotherset of tires with the same "smooth" center as the Avocets. I have used the Michelin Jets & Ritchey SpeedmMax, which are both very nice on the pavement. The Bontrager CX Jones growl on the pavement. Once off the roads & into the trails, I will flip the coin between the CX Jones & Speedmax for offroad usage with the Jets taking last spot, moreso if there is mud & snow present.

[noisebeam]

I run 5 days a week on road, 2 days on rough desert single track.
On the road I use 28c Conti Gatorskins.
On the trails I use Conti Twister Pro - 32c/80psi rear, 37c/70psi front. I am amazed at how well these tires have held on on the trail, no flats in 400mi of very rocky, rough, 98% dry trail. (For comparision I used Bontranger 32c CX tires on these same trails and blew the front one out pretty quickly.) The Twisters are also fine thru sandy patches and sandy corners as well as steep climbs. I ride 8mi each way on the road to the trail head with them and while they are certainly not as smooth as a slick, I can keep a comfortable 20-22mph pace with them and have topped out quite a bit higher with no control issues - cornering on pavement is the only downside as they get a bit squishy there. For this reason I wouldn't want to use them on wet pavement, but have in pinch.

In December Supergo had a clearance sale on the Twister Pro 37c's for $15 each, so I picked up a few more as spares. I wish they had had the 32c 's on sale to.

But this is only my experience as have never used any other tire. Switching tires is a budget (vs. two wheelsets) way of dealing with road/trail and unless you have more than a 10mi ride to the trails I wouldn't worry about the ride or the tire wear with the trail tires on the road. For racing I'd probably go with a lighter set than the Twisters however.

Al

['nother]

Heh, I'm not sure which is shorter: my time or monetary budget (in order to go with either tire-switching or wheelset-switching, respectively). I guess that is the main reason I like the Cross II's; they're really a perfect mix. Just enough bite for the trails I ride (fire road/loose gravel/some mud), but still perform very well on the road (even wet); I've had 'em up to 35+ with no issues (my worried mind tops out well before the tires, I think!).

Maybe I should look at more touring-type tires? Problem is most of those don't look like much more than road slicks with slightly deeper/more grooves on them.

Vredestein makes something called the "PerfectMAX" which looks a little more substantial. Anyone used that?

[arctic hawk]

Heh, I'm not sure which is shorter: my time or monetary budget (in order to go with either tire-switching or wheelset-switching, respectively). I guess that is the main reason I like the Cross II's; they're really a perfect mix. Just enough bite for the trails I ride (fire road/loose gravel/some mud), but still perform very well on the road (even wet); I've had 'em up to 35+ with no issues (my worried mind tops out well before the tires, I think!).

Maybe I should look at more touring-type tires? Problem is most of those don't look like much more than road slicks with slightly deeper/more grooves on them.

Vredestein makes something called the "PerfectMAX" which looks a little more substantial. Anyone used that?

I forgot about this set. You might want to look at the Vittoria Randonneur Cross tires. They might suit your bill. I will warn you now that they are not effective in mud & are quite the bit faster than the SpeedMax or Bontrager CX. I got them for summer tire usage & the odd duathlon.

['nother]

Hey, thanks . . . the Vittorias do look like they might do the trick. I'll see if any of my shops carry them . . .

[arctic hawk]

Hey, thanks . . . the Vittorias do look like they might do the trick. I'll see if any of my shops carry them . . .
I had my shop order mine. It took 2 weeks for them to get it.

['nother]

Just wanted to say thanks for the tip on Vittorias . . . as luck would have it, my LBS had 2 in stock, so I grabbed 'em. Got a chance to ride on them today. Seem like they'll do the trick. They seem a tiny bit noisier and perhaps a little more "squirrely" than the Avocets, but they'll do . . .

[arctic hawk]

Just wanted to say thanks for the tip on Vittorias . . . as luck would have it, my LBS had 2 in stock, so I grabbed 'em. Got a chance to ride on them today. Seem like they'll do the trick. They seem a tiny bit noisier and perhaps a little more "squirrely" than the Avocets, but they'll do . . .

Super!
They do wear well though & are rather long lasting, more so than any CX tire I own.