The Tires
BEST OVERALL CLINCHER
Kenda KommandoX: Kenda raised the knob height of the original Kommando and gave it more bite. It still rolls smoothly, but now has more volume and lasts longer, and has a tubeless option. It doesn’t pack easily, grips in most conditions, and doesn’t drag on pavement.
BEST MUD CLINCHER
Vittoria XL: We got an early set of the Vittoria XL TNT tires and found them grippy, smoother rolling than we expected, and long-wearing. The tubeless-compatible TNT design is one of the few tires that works well with Road Tubeless rims, even without sealant. We wish it was wider, but we appreciate a true mud tire that works great tubeless.
BEST ALL CONDITIONS TUBULAR
Clement MXP: A versatile tread with a great side knob. It’s harder to pinch flat, and with the help of sealant, you can race and train on them with reduced flat risk.
BEST MUD TUBULAR
Challenge Limus: An aggressive, long-lasting tread that keeps you upright and moving forward when it’s sloppy. A repeat winner.
BEST GEAR TREND
Tubeless: More tires than ever means more combinations to fail, but when it works, it’s great.
Reading the review of the Serac CX in issue 25, I am wondering Serac or KommandoX. Intermediate rider in SF Bay area.
FuelForThoughts how heavy are you? for Bay Area courses, often wider is better if you can fit them. Plus the width helps with burps. Specialized has a new 38c 2Bliss tire.
cyclocross No problem with burps running Vittoria TNT XG on WTB ChrisCross (29r, 25f psi). I am 162 lb. Which Spec’ tire are you thinking of? Only one I could find on their website in 38 is the tracer which looks lie a file tread.
Have you measured the Serac width?
FuelForThoughts cyclocross The Serac seems to be a bit narrower than the Kommando X. But if you’re having good luck with the XGs, probably no huge reason to switch to either tire. Perhaps slightly bigger side knobs…but the next switch probably worth making is only for volume reasons. Maybe Cross Boss when it’s out, or Ritchey Shield next year? https://www.cxmagazine.com/ritchey-shield-wcs-cyclocross-tubeless-tire-zeta-ii-wheels
[…] a list price of $1,200, the Ardennes SL disc wheelset costs 40% less than HED’s older Stinger 3, a previous Editors’ Choice award-winning wheelset. With a total weight of 1,435 grams, the Ardennes SL is just 65 grams heavier than the carbon HED […]
[…] brand. We’ve seen that happen in the world of cyclocross, under different circumstances, when the award-winning Bailey-designed carbon cyclocross frame later appeared under Italian and Canadian branding and on top of CrossVegas podiums, although the […]