Looking for some ballsy cross tires for Fall/Winter
 

Not sure if this is the forum to ask in, and if not, I'm sorry in advance.

I don't know anything about Cyclocross tires, and I currently ride 23's on my touring bike (I do not, however, use it for touring, it's just my only bike).

I live downtown Chicago, and I really want to make good use of the Fall and Winter for cycling, i.e., I want to be able to deal with snow, leaves, mud, gravel, sand, crushed limestone (I'm thinking about going on the IPP for some rides) etc. So, I'm assuming I'm looking for cross tires? The catch is that I would still like to be reasonably fast on the streets. I wouldn't necessarily be looking for trouble, but there seems a few off-road (unpaved) trails that would be fun to explore.

After some research, I'm looking at 32's, my touring bike has plenty of tire clearance, and it has canti-brakes.

I'm running Open Pro/Ultegra clinchers, and my wheels already seem pretty bomb-proof.

Weight isn't an issue, but price is. I'm looking for something around the 20 dollars/tire range, and don't want much over 30 dollars/tire. There is still a lot of winter/cycling compatible clothing to buy.

Performance has Vittoria Randonneur Cross Tire's for the right price, are these any good?

Seems like the Mud's might be overkill, although the Jets look about right, any other recommendations?

The jets would be good. Also, the ritchey speedmax pro's are good tires. A lot of people like the maxxis raze.
I've never tried the vittoria randonneur cross tires but according to the website they are heavy.

I have the Raze's and so far so good. I am sure there are better tires out there but for all around use they seem hard to beat. I may get some Grifo's XS for hard pack race days and use the Raze's for everything else. We'll see.

a light tread like the vittoria you were considering seems more ideal for your needs than a cross tire. if you need more grip, lower the pressure.

biketiresdirect.com has several "city and touring" tires that seem to fit into your need and budget. the michelin transworld sprint or tracker, or conti contacts. my friend uses conti top contacts for winter commuting in portland, or. and is really pleased with them...

aside from cross racing, i've had great luck with winter commuting/path and trail riding/etc. with ritchey speedmax's. i've run them at race psi (35ish) and had great luck on snow and ice.

i'm also a big fan of the michelin mud2's for racing, but i doubt you'll be able to pick up the jet in your price range. also, the rubber compound is nice and grippy, but seems to wear fast. i'm sure the jet's would be similar.

another cross tire to consider is the kenda kwick. they're light, cheap, and have a similar tread concept as the speedmax's... light tread down the center, and lugs on the shoulders.

good luck!