# Top 15 Best Clincher Cyclocross Tires



## cyclophiliac (Jul 25, 2013)

I have recently published a Cyclocross tires guide featuring the top 15 clincher tires. I've rode a lot of tires over the years and I feel these are the best clinchers. I have included a little information at the beginning about the clincher vs tubular pro's and con's. 

Which clinchers are your favorites?

Top 15 Best Clincher Cyclocross Tires Guide


----------



## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

Thanks so much for this. Very cool. Besides, anything to dispell the "tubular only" myth can only help grow the sport.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Challenge's "open tubulars" (clinchers). The treads are great, but the high tpi (260-300) is the real deal -- any more I have trouble accepting a less supple tire.

One small gripe about your article: latex tubes offer much more than just a good feel; they are absolutely essential to running clinchers for cross. Because they're more elastic than butyl, latex tubes offer less rolling resistance and allow lower psi as they are much less likey to pinch flat or puncture. (For a better explanation, see Snakebite flats by Jobst Brandt.) I will experiment with sealants this season, but having run clinchers without for a couple years now I suspect that the latex tubes are the big difference regarding pinch flats rather than sealants or rim shape.

Again, thanks for the article and keep up the good work.


----------



## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

there's also the middle ground.... tubeless.

granted, there are not too many tubeless ready cyclocross tires out there and you can certainly convert existing clinches to tubeless.


----------



## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I've recently tried out serfas's only cx tire and have been really impressed, maybe because it's a 700x35. It brakes like crap but has hooked up really well in corners in many different conditions (no mud yet but surprised my in wet grass when that they actually grabbed in off camber cornering practice). It seems a lot like the kenda kwicker

Serfas:
https://www.serfas.com/products/view/266/referer:products|index|tires|road-tires

Kenda:
Kwicker Pro

I suspect both will be poor in mud with the tighter knobs. Originally bought it for training but I think it will make a confident racer as a back-up (I race tubulars). I like it better than the small block 8's or slant 6's since I don't have to shy away from wet grass (which I thought I would have to).

I haven't used vittoria clinchers, surprisingly, since I race their tubulars (XG and XM).

Nice write up by the way, nice to have a recent list to reference for when people ask what to run.


----------



## jct78 (Dec 12, 2011)

nice review. i'm also a big fan of the Clement tires. wish they'd do some tubeless offerings. 

right now, it looks like i'll be running spesh captain control 34s and slant 6 tubeless for the season. i may try out some happy mediums too.


----------



## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

jct78 said:


> nice review. i'm also a big fan of the Clement tires. wish they'd do some tubeless offerings.
> 
> right now, it looks like i'll be running spesh captain control 34s and slant 6 tubeless for the season. i may try out some happy mediums too.


I understand plenty of people are running the Clement stuff tubeless. Have you not had success trying this?


----------



## jct78 (Dec 12, 2011)

krisdrum said:


> I understand plenty of people are running the Clement stuff tubeless. Have you not had success trying this?


actually no, kris. i have an older pair of PDXs that fit super loose already and didn't even bother to try. i'm using easton ea90 XDs this season and may give it a try on some fresh PDXs.


----------



## Stoneman (Mar 1, 2009)

Specialized Capt Control 2BR (700x34) setup tubeless has been an awesome front tire for me.


----------



## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

So, somewhat related, but for those running clinchers with latex tubes, what tubes are you running? The Challenge ones are like $20 each and don't seem particularly easy to source. The only other larger latex tubes I found are Vittoria, but they are labeled as 25/28, which seems a bit small, even at the lower CX pressures.


----------



## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

jct78 said:


> actually no, kris. i have an older pair of PDXs that fit super loose already and didn't even bother to try. i'm using easton ea90 XDs this season and may give it a try on some fresh PDXs.


Got it, thanks, as I was eyeing some Clements if I was going to try tubeless. Maybe not as fool-proof as others have made it out to be.


----------



## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

I've used either -- whichever I can find. I haven't had a problem with latex tubes labeled as 28s, though I haven't tried it with "ultralight" tubes. Again, these things are amazingly stretchy.

Regarding the price, I kind of choked the first time I spent 4x as much as butyl for a latex tube, but then I discovered an odd thing -- flatted butyl at $4-6 I'll just throw away out of laziness; a $15-20 latex tube I will take the time to patch!


----------



## urbiksux (Apr 7, 2010)

Since I will likely run clinchers with tubes and want some cush, what are yall's favorite 35-40mm tires?


----------

