gear and bike reviews

cyclocross gear and bike reviews

Tire Review: Challenge Grifo Open Cyclocross Tire Review

9 July 11 • 1 comment

A tread that’s been around longer than most ‘cross racers has gotta be pretty good, and these “open tubular” Challenge tires, sporting the legendary Clement tread, are great all-around tires that can handle most conditions well.
Tire Review: Continental Speed King Cross Cyclocross Tire Review

8 July 11 • 0 comment

Continental adapted its popular Speed King mountain bike tire for ’cross, and it’s easy to see why this tread has been popular in the fat tire world.
Tire Review: Panaracer Cinder-X Cyclocross Tire Review

7 July 11 • 0 comment

This is the big brother of the CrossBlaster. If you race mostly deep grass courses, the Cinder-X is not the tire for you. But if you ride and race your bike on a mixture of surfaces, this tire could be an ideal choice.
Tire Review: Ritchey Excavader Cyclocross Tire Review

6 July 11 • 0 comment

The Ritchey Excavader is aptly named, as this tire digs into the soft dirt really well. On the pavement, the tire rolls quite smoothly, thanks to its semi-continuous center tread.
Tire Review: Maxxis Locust Cyclocross Tire Review

5 July 11 • 1 comment

Tire Review: Maxxis Locust Cyclocross Tire Review Racing and Riding Impressions: Like the Kenda Small Block 8, the Locust is a great ’cross tire for dry, rocky, or loose dirt courses. It rolls surprisingly well on pavement and hardpack and provides both great traction and confident cornering due to its stiff side knobs. In softer [...]
Tire Review: WTB Cross Wolf Tire Cyclocross Tire

4 July 11 • 0 comment

WTB has created an aggressive ’cross tire in the Cross Wolf, and the tread excels in rougher conditions found in WTB’s NorCal backyard.
Tire Review: Michelin Jet Cyclocross Clincher

3 July 11 • 0 comment

Cyclocross Tire Review: Michelin Jet Cyclocross 700x30c Clincher Riding and Racing Impressions: The Michelin Jet replaced the well-loved green Michelin Sprint cyclocross tire, and like its predecessor, it is intended for dry, fast courses. As a rear tire, it lives up to that intention surprisingly well. With most of your weight on the rear wheel, [...]
Tire Review: Ritchey Speedmax Pro Cyclocross Clincher

2 July 11 • 0 comment

The Ritchey Speedmax is a time-tested design and has been around longer than any other clincher tire in this test. There’s a good reason for that, as it’s a fine choice for fast, dry courses, especially as a rear tire. The low profile center tread grips grass, dirt, and pavement well. Cornering traction is very good thanks to the raised knobs. The Speedmax does better as a rear tire, and when things get muddy or loose, reach for a different tire. The Speedmax is also available in 35 and 40c widths.
New Product Spotlight and Early Test: 2012 Ridley X-Fire Carbon Cyclocross Bike with Pressfit 30 Bottom Bracket

30 June 11 • 0 comment

Ridley, a company based in Northern Flanders has deep roots in cyclocross. While the European pros primarily ride the flagship X-Night, the U.S. Ridley-sponsored riders are all on X-Fires, as they make for easier flying without the seatmast of the X-Night. Though in the new catalog, the 2012 Ridley X-Fire is so new it is not yet on their website, but we have an early edition that we’ve been riding and will be reviewed in Issue 13.
Shimano Releases Details On Di2 Electronic Shifting For Ultegra

20 June 11 • 0 comment

We’ve been sitting on this info since March 1st when we originally posted about Shimano’s new cyclocross components, but now that Shimano has finally lifted the embargo date on it, we can give you the real scoop on the new Di2 electronic shifting for Ultegra.
Going Tubeless for Cyclocross – Avoiding the Burp, Choosing the Best Tires, and a DIY System (Updated, Part III)

9 June 11 • 79 comments

Going tubeless for cyclocross is an attractive option for anyone tired of pinch-flatting clinchers or gluing and re-gluing (or flatting) expensive tubulars. Cyclocross Magazine has long experimented with tubeless tires on our cyclocross bikes, in both cyclocross and mountain bike races, and feel that there are now so many attractive options for putting together a [...]
The Perfect Cyclocross Wheel – Tests and Reviews

2 June 11 • 0 comment

It’s a popular belief that if you can upgrade only one part on your bike, it should be your wheels. There are a lot of good reasons behind this, as wheels have a profound impact on predictable handling, braking, acceleration and even coasting. In cyclocross use, we’d argue that most of these variables are exaggerated when compared to road cycling and that upgrading to a new set of wheels for cyclocross is even more justified.
Zipp 303 Cyclocross Tubular Wheelset Review

2 June 11 • 0 comment

Cyclocross Wheel Review: Zipp 303 Carbon Tubular Wheelset
Rolf Prima VCX Cyclocross Clincher Wheelset Review

2 June 11 • 0 comment

Rolf Prima VCX Cyclocross Clincher Wheelset Review
More Gear and Bike Reviews Coming to Cyclocross Magazine

26 May 11 • 2 comments

Cyclocross Magazine’s print subscribers have long enjoyed our comprehensive product reviews, especially our in-depth, objective bike reviews and tests. Issue 12, mailing now, features reviews of the Cannondale Super X, the All City Nature Boy and the Fuji Altamira with two full pages dedicated to each bike, with real-world riding and racing and as always, no advertorial.