TimJ

I've got wtb cross wolf's on my Iro and though it's gotten better I'm still having troubles with the geometry or maybe it's my bars, I dunno, having trouble around corners, it just doesn't feel stable, like it wants to wash-out rather than track. I don't get this feeling from my fantom cross with touring tires no less...

Anyway, I'm going to try narrower bars and mess with positioning some more, but I'd like to know if there's any super-duper tires out there that are great at cornering in anything but mud. Something around the $30 mark or so. Something significantly better than my 32c cross wolfs.

Any suggestions?

Lithuania

are you talking about cornering in races? What tire pressure are you running and what is your weight? Chances are you can lower your pressure a good bit for improved cornering.

You can get some mich mud 2s on ebay for around $35. You can hutch bulldogs on chainlove for under $20.

M_S

I don't like the cross wolfs very much either. I may be alone int his sentiment but I actually think Ritchey Speedmaxes corner better for a hardpack tire than the WTBs. Don't use either tire int he mud, speaking from experience.

My next tires will be either the Bulldogs or those super aggresive Kendas (forgot the name).

TimJ

I was running the front at about 30psi last night and the rear at maybe 40, so I've pushed it as far as I can go inflation-wise.

Yes, for racing, and I'm in socal so I'll likely never see mud. Hardpack, loose stuff and grass are what I'm going to encounter.

jfmckenna

I'll second the speedmax tires for hard pack. They have a fast file tread on the top and spikey knobs for cornering.

Lithuania

i had lots of success with mud 2 all last season and we rarely had mud. Most of my races were on wet grass. I did one race on speedmax's and slid all over the place.

MIN 

What PSI are you currently running?

Lithuania

read post 4

MIN 

oh.

I really liked my Bontrager Jones CXR for gravel and hardpack. It rolls slow on asphalt and was prone to flats because the casing was thin - but I think that the thin casing made for a better ride.

I was using Vittoria XN Cross as well. It's perfect for multi-use with diamond file on 90% of the tire with knobs on only the outside.

I run about 35-45 psi on gravel or cross courses.

TimJ

I had 32c speedmax on a different bike last year and liked them. I like hearing the mud 2 did well in wet grass but I wonder how it would do in gravel or hardpack?

I dunno about the XN. I need something that seriously bites in the corners.

Lithuania

I didnt race in much gravel but on hard ground it was fine. The only time I had trouble with the muds was in a race where there was a corner that transitioned from grass to asphalt.

it probably not the fastest tire on hard ground but it worked for me.

MIN 

maxxis mimo?

TimJ

I changed my handlebars from really wide midge knock-offs (gary bar) to some regular bars I had lying around and it improved the handling considerably. I think I just had way too much leverage because the only way I could get around corners was by pretty much only hanging on (lightly) with the outside hand. The front felt a lot more stable this time.

TimJ

Nother question...

32 or 35? Is there a reason to choose one over the other for racing?

I'm guessing 32 for lighter weight and maybe they're faster, but then 35 might provide better traction... I need to get another pair of tires anyway and I'm just wondering what the thinking is on width.

justinb

For hardpack/dry grass, my favorite tire is the Michelin Jet. It has a supple casing for a clincher, rolls and corners well. The 30c actually measures about 34mm. I found the feel on hardpack to be superior to the Speedmax, and the Jet is also a little better on wet grass corners than I thought it would be, though I still feel something knobbier would be a better option. Perhaps as a result of the supple casing, it is a little bit puncture prone. It fared noticeably worse than the Panaracer CinderX I had on the front in one race last year where the park had a lot of goathead thorns.