Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclo-cross News, Race Reports, Bike Reviews, Forums and More

cyclocross tech

• 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 [...]

• Mechanical Mondays: Repairing Tubular Tires

  4 July 11 • 1 comment

  

  When you invest in a set of tubular tires, you pray they never flat. Because let’s face it, repairing tubulars is a whole lot of trouble. However, while it’s tempting to just chuck flatted tubulars, there are a few options worth exploring first. The most obvious one is fixing the tire yourself, and it can be done if you’re a little handy with a needle and a patch kit.

• 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.

• New Product Spotlight: CenterTrack Carbon Belt Drive from Gates

  23 June 11 • 1 comment

  

  Last year at Interbike, Gates Carbon Drive Systems announced its new CenterTrack carbon belt drive drivetrain, and Cyclocross Magazine is the first publication to test the system on a cyclocross bike. We’ve recently received a Raleigh carbon singlespeed outfitted with the new CenterTrack system and have enjoyed a few rides on the stunning 15 pound machine.

• 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.

• Mechanical Mondays: Gluing Tubular Cyclocross Tires

  20 June 11 • 14 comments

  

  We’ve been reviewing new tires like the Limus from Challenge, and talking about some great wheelsets you might want to consider for the season. A few we’ve looked at so far include the Williams Cyclocross Tubular, the Zipp 303 Cyclocross Tubular and the Rolf Prima VCX Cyclocross Clincher. Other than the Rolf Prima, a distinct [...]

• Looking at the Limus – Challenge Tire’s Mud Cyclocross Tubular Tire Unveiled

  16 June 11 • 5 comments

  Challenge Tire’s long-awaited Limus cyclocross tubular, its mud-specific tire and answer to the Dugast Rhino, is in production and recent prototypes are already here in the States. After bringing you tread photos of the Limus from Interbike 2010, Cyclocross Magazine has acquired photos of early versions of the new Challenge tubular that’s named after the Latin word for Mud.

• 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 [...]

• Mechanical Mondays: The Conical Brush

  6 June 11 • 7 comments

  Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that when it comes to bike maintenance, sometimes the simplest tools can be the most effective. For example, Dave Drumm walks us through the many uses for a five dollar conical brush. (We also love baby bottle brushes for cleaning out water bottles, and they can be found for about [...]

• 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