Clinchers and Cyclocross

Ryan Cousineau said:

Jobst got me to thinking about CX tires, typically run at low pressure,
in another thread, and I decided to start a new line of inquiry.

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?

I recognize that proper bead seating may initially require a higher
pressure, so assume, if you need to, that I pre-pump and properly seat
my tires at high pressure before setting the final pressure.

This question isn't moot: I had a friend test-ride my bike a few races
ago, and with a brand new flexible-bead tire on the front, he rode back
with a goodly portion of the bead utterly unseated. I may have had the
pressure as low as 35 pounds, though I think I ultimately ran the race
at 45 or 50. I fear my records and recollection are a bit shaky.

Also, it's quite possible that I did a poor job of seating the bead in
the first place, so I offer this tale not so much as proof but as the
catalyst that got me to thinking about this.

In other words, these are the questions keeping me up right now:

-will a CX-sized clincher tire spontaneously unseat from a hooked road
(or CX) rim at low but imaginable-for-CX pressures?

VERY common, particularly on rocky/rough courses.

Quoted message said:

-would a wire bead lower the pressure threshold?

It may, since it will hold onto the rim better.

Quoted message said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Ya suppose?
Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Note that given my own experience, barring repeated bead seat failures
at my typical

Oh, and the specific tires: the old tire that was removed from the rim
was a WTB All Terrainasaurus 35c (nominal), a "hybrid" tire with a wire
bead. The new tire was a flexi-beaded WTB Cross Wolf 32c (nominal). I
know a guy.

http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/crosswolf/http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/allterrainasaurus/

BTW, if you're wondering, the Cross Wolf is very pleasing in the touted
moist-to-wet conditions. I was very pleased with the traction I got
using it on the front, as compared to the densely-knobbied All
Terrainasaurus. You feel less stupid saying the name, too.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden]://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

Jobst got me to thinking about CX tires, typically run at low pressure,
in another thread, and I decided to start a new line of inquiry.

Quoted message said:

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?

Quoted message said:

I recognize that proper bead seating may initially require a higher
pressure, so assume, if you need to, that I pre-pump and properly seat
my tires at high pressure before setting the final pressure.

Quoted message said:

This question isn't moot: I had a friend test-ride my bike a few races
ago, and with a brand new flexible-bead tire on the front, he rode back
with a goodly portion of the bead utterly unseated. I may have had the
pressure as low as 35 pounds, though I think I ultimately ran the race
at 45 or 50. I fear my records and recollection are a bit shaky.

Quoted message said:

Also, it's quite possible that I did a poor job of seating the bead in
the first place, so I offer this tale not so much as proof but as the
catalyst that got me to thinking about this.

Quoted message said:

In other words, these are the questions keeping me up right now:

Quoted message said:

-will a CX-sized clincher tire spontaneously unseat from a hooked road
(or CX) rim at low but imaginable-for-CX pressures?

VERY common, particularly on rocky/rough courses.

Quoted message said:

-would a wire bead lower the pressure threshold?

It may, since it will hold onto the rim better.

Quoted message said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Ya suppose?
Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Note that given my own experience, barring repeated bead seat failures
at my typical

Quoted message said:

Oh, and the specific tires: the old tire that was removed from the rim
was a WTB All Terrainasaurus 35c (nominal), a "hybrid" tire with a wire
bead. The new tire was a flexi-beaded WTB Cross Wolf 32c (nominal). I
know a guy.

Quoted message said:

http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/crosswolf/http://www.wtb.com...

Quoted message said:

BTW, if you're wondering, the Cross Wolf is very pleasing in the touted
moist-to-wet conditions. I was very pleased with the traction I got
using it on the front, as compared to the densely-knobbied All
Terrainasaurus. You feel less stupid saying the name, too.

Quoted message said:

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden]://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I talked to Tim Rutledge of SeattleBikeSupply (Redline) at Interbike.
They are going to have their team running new tubeless cross tires
this season. Hutchison didn't have any to show off, but Tim said they
were awesome and allowed you to run 32/40psi.

Andrew Martin said:

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

Jobst got me to thinking about CX tires, typically run at low pressure,
in another thread, and I decided to start a new line of inquiry.
Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?
I recognize that proper bead seating may initially require a higher
pressure, so assume, if you need to, that I pre-pump and properly seat
my tires at high pressure before setting the final pressure.
This question isn't moot: I had a friend test-ride my bike a few races
ago, and with a brand new flexible-bead tire on the front, he rode back
with a goodly portion of the bead utterly unseated. I may have had the
pressure as low as 35 pounds, though I think I ultimately ran the race
at 45 or 50. I fear my records and recollection are a bit shaky.
Also, it's quite possible that I did a poor job of seating the bead in
the first place, so I offer this tale not so much as proof but as the
catalyst that got me to thinking about this.
In other words, these are the questions keeping me up right now:
-will a CX-sized clincher tire spontaneously unseat from a hooked road
(or CX) rim at low but imaginable-for-CX pressures?

VERY common, particularly on rocky/rough courses.

Quoted message said:

-would a wire bead lower the pressure threshold?

It may, since it will hold onto the rim better.

Quoted message said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Ya suppose?
Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Note that given my own experience, barring repeated bead seat failures
at my typical
Oh, and the specific tires: the old tire that was removed from the rim
was a WTB All Terrainasaurus 35c (nominal), a "hybrid" tire with a wire
bead. The new tire was a flexi-beaded WTB Cross Wolf 32c (nominal). I
know a guy.
http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/crosswolf/http://www.wtb.com...
BTW, if you're wondering, the Cross Wolf is very pleasing in the touted
moist-to-wet conditions. I was very pleased with the traction I got
using it on the front, as compared to the densely-knobbied All
Terrainasaurus. You feel less stupid saying the name, too.
--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden]://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I talked to Tim Rutledge of SeattleBikeSupply (Redline) at Interbike.
They are going to have their team running new tubeless cross tires
this season. Hutchison didn't have any to show off, but Tim said they
were awesome and allowed you to run 32/40psi.

just like tubies?

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

Jobst got me to thinking about CX tires, typically run at low pressure,
in another thread, and I decided to start a new line of inquiry.

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?

I recognize that proper bead seating may initially require a higher
pressure, so assume, if you need to, that I pre-pump and properly seat
my tires at high pressure before setting the final pressure.

This question isn't moot: I had a friend test-ride my bike a few races
ago, and with a brand new flexible-bead tire on the front, he rode back
with a goodly portion of the bead utterly unseated. I may have had the
pressure as low as 35 pounds, though I think I ultimately ran the race
at 45 or 50. I fear my records and recollection are a bit shaky.

Also, it's quite possible that I did a poor job of seating the bead in
the first place, so I offer this tale not so much as proof but as the
catalyst that got me to thinking about this.

In other words, these are the questions keeping me up right now:

-will a CX-sized clincher tire spontaneously unseat from a hooked road
(or CX) rim at low but imaginable-for-CX pressures?

VERY common, particularly on rocky/rough courses.

Quoted message said:

-would a wire bead lower the pressure threshold?

It may, since it will hold onto the rim better.

Quoted message said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Ya suppose?
Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

truedat.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Note that given my own experience, barring repeated bead seat failures
at my typical

Oh, and the specific tires: the old tire that was removed from the rim
was a WTB All Terrainasaurus 35c (nominal), a "hybrid" tire with a wire
bead. The new tire was a flexi-beaded WTB Cross Wolf 32c (nominal). I
know a guy.

http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/crosswolf/http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/allterrainasaurus/

BTW, if you're wondering, the Cross Wolf is very pleasing in the touted
moist-to-wet conditions. I was very pleased with the traction I got
using it on the front, as compared to the densely-knobbied All
Terrainasaurus. You feel less stupid saying the name, too.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden]://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

In article <[email hidden]>,

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Ya suppose?

Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

I dunno, I had way more trouble with tubulars than clinchers back when I
raced 'cross. The Ritchey 'cross clinchers were quite good (but the
tubulars looked cooler).

Tim McNamara said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

On Oct 12, 8:48 pm, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Quoted message said:

Ya suppose?

Quoted message said:

Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

I dunno, I had way more trouble with tubulars than clinchers back when I
raced 'cross. The Ritchey 'cross clinchers were quite good (but the
tubulars looked cooler).

I think this is a good application for tubulars since you get good
pinch flat protection at low inflation pressures -- and around here,
the racers change inflation pressure a lot depending on how wet the
course is or how much pavement it includes. What I don't believe is
that some of them are spending well over $100 per tire (and not just A
riders) -- on Dugast tires for example. Now that's a waste IMO. Not
that I would bother with tubulars at any price if I were racing
cross. I would probably want to flat so I could go sip some coffee
instead of hacking up a lung. -- Jay Beattie.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Oct 12, 8:48 pm, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote:
> -Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com said:

Ya suppose?
Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you need
tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

I dunno, I had way more trouble with tubulars than clinchers back when I
raced 'cross. The Ritchey 'cross clinchers were quite good (but the
tubulars looked cooler).

Jay Beattie said:

I think this is a good application for tubulars since you get good
pinch flat protection at low inflation pressures -- and around here,
the racers change inflation pressure a lot depending on how wet the
course is or how much pavement it includes. What I don't believe is
that some of them are spending well over $100 per tire (and not just A
riders) -- on Dugast tires for example. Now that's a waste IMO. Not
that I would bother with tubulars at any price if I were racing
cross. I would probably want to flat so I could go sip some coffee
instead of hacking up a lung. -- Jay Beattie.

I just sold my last handmade silk tire to a guy who noted that last
night's concert cost him, and companion, $260 each. Prices are relative.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Jay Beattie said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> -Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ya suppose?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you
need tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I dunno, I had way more trouble with tubulars than clinchers back
when I raced 'cross. The Ritchey 'cross clinchers were quite good
(but the tubulars looked cooler).

Quoted message said:

I think this is a good application for tubulars since you get good
pinch flat protection at low inflation pressures -- and around here,
the racers change inflation pressure a lot depending on how wet the
course is or how much pavement it includes. What I don't believe is
that some of them are spending well over $100 per tire (and not just
A riders) -- on Dugast tires for example. Now that's a waste IMO.
Not that I would bother with tubulars at any price if I were racing
cross. I would probably want to flat so I could go sip some coffee
instead of hacking up a lung.

To what do you attribute pinch flat immunity?

From the years I rode tubulars, it was the thin latex tubes that
didn't perforate as easily as butyl tubed tires of either kind. We
often had dented rims without a pinch flat. You can test this by how
easily a pinch flat can be caused by hammering on a solidly supported
bare tube.

The other effect is TPI, or coarseness of casing weave. Our silk
Clements had twice the TPI of most clinchers. That makes a smoother
compression of the tube when the tire bottoms. Although it is often
said that the tube gets pinched by the rim bead, this is not true.
The tube is pinched between casing walls, like pinching your cheek
with the tongue in between.

Jobst Brandt

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:33:15 -0500, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I just sold my last handmade silk tire to a guy who noted that last
night's concert cost him, and companion, $260 each. Prices are relative.

Agreed on the relativity, but concert prices are not a standard to
compare to. They have risen by leaps and bounds to satisfy the endless
greed of performers - and then they rise another 25-40% for
Ticketbastard fees on top.

Ryan Cousineau said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Why don't you try gluing the clincher bead to the rim ? I'm surprised
you haven't tried this.

Quoted message said:

A Muzi said:

I just sold my last handmade silk tire to a guy who noted that last
night's concert cost him, and companion, $260 each. Prices are relative.

still me said:

Agreed on the relativity, but concert prices are not a standard to
compare to. They have risen by leaps and bounds to satisfy the endless
greed of performers - and then they rise another 25-40% for
Ticketbastard fees on top.

Customer noted that after buying an hour or two of not-quite-famous
singer (x2), the tire didn't seem expensive to him. Tom Sherman might
have conniptions at these numbers but our customer was quite happy.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Why don't you try gluing the clincher bead to the rim ? I'm surprised
you haven't tried this.

That's so crazy it just might work.

Actually, it's close to what the Stan's system does, what with using
some sort of goo to make the "air chamber" airtight.

Last year I said I'd try latex tubes in my clinchers on the CX bike, but
I clearly forgot.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Jay Beattie said:

Quoted message said:

>> -Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Ya suppose?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Tubies are the best idea for rough courses, anytime you need low
> pressure. For courses like all grass, like Cross-Vegas, clinchers
> would have been fine but if you are 'serious' about cross, you
> need tubulars.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I dunno, I had way more trouble with tubulars than clinchers back
when I raced 'cross. The Ritchey 'cross clinchers were quite good
(but the tubulars looked cooler).

Quoted message said:

I think this is a good application for tubulars since you get good
pinch flat protection at low inflation pressures -- and around here,
the racers change inflation pressure a lot depending on how wet the
course is or how much pavement it includes. What I don't believe is
that some of them are spending well over $100 per tire (and not just
A riders) -- on Dugast tires for example. Now that's a waste IMO.
Not that I would bother with tubulars at any price if I were racing
cross. I would probably want to flat so I could go sip some coffee
instead of hacking up a lung.

To what do you attribute pinch flat immunity?

From the years I rode tubulars, it was the thin latex tubes that
didn't perforate as easily as butyl tubed tires of either kind. We
often had dented rims without a pinch flat. You can test this by how
easily a pinch flat can be caused by hammering on a solidly supported
bare tube.

The other effect is TPI, or coarseness of casing weave. Our silk
Clements had twice the TPI of most clinchers. That makes a smoother
compression of the tube when the tire bottoms. Although it is often
said that the tube gets pinched by the rim bead, this is not true.
The tube is pinched between casing walls, like pinching your cheek
with the tongue in between.

Doesn't the object pushing on the casing walls matter?

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

In article <[email hidden]>,

still me said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:33:15 -0500, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I just sold my last handmade silk tire to a guy who noted that last
night's concert cost him, and companion, $260 each. Prices are
relative.

Agreed on the relativity, but concert prices are not a standard to
compare to. They have risen by leaps and bounds to satisfy the
endless greed of performers - and then they rise another 25-40% for
Ticketbastard fees on top.

And now that ticket scalping has been legalized in Minnesota, you've
also got the scalper's profit margins added in there as they pretty much
buy up all the seats for the major shows.

I remember seeing Jethro Tull for $6 at the St. Paul Civic Center in
1978. I think I paid $10 to see Rory Gallagher at the Park West in
Chicago in 1979. My wife took me to see David Bromberg and Angel Band
with Tony Rice and Peter Rowan a couple weeks ago for $42 each (no Tony
Rice, though, as he was recovering from a back injury sustained in an
accident).

Tim McNamara said:

I remember seeing Jethro Tull for $6 at the St. Paul Civic Center in
1978. I think I paid $10 to see Rory Gallagher at the Park West in
Chicago in 1979. My wife took me to see David Bromberg and Angel Band
with Tony Rice and Peter Rowan a couple weeks ago for $42 each (no Tony
Rice, though, as he was recovering from a back injury sustained in an
accident).

Yeah, I saw the Stones for $12 in 1975. But now even the rebel artists
have sold out to the "gouge the fans for all I can" model.

I got a blurb for a Neil Young concert the other day. Neil the rebel
crusader "I ain't singin for Bud". So, I thought "He's on my list of
'want to see him in person before he dies'". I check on tickets - $69-
$150 before the Ticketbastard fees are added in. Geez... I'd pay that
for a CSNY reunion, but there's no way I'd pay that just to see Neil.

Buffett went the same way. There's an story that Buffett told in days
gone by of how he refused to change the words of a song just to sell
it to some producer - now he's such a commercial business man it's
hard to tell him from Warren Buffett. Tickets are notably way
overpriced for his shows right out of the box. They used to be an
escape from reality and the business world for a day - now they're a
trip to commercial marketing land.

And the Stones? Forget it. Last show, they charge $150 for the lame
seats, good seats were $300 and up.

Personally, I think I'm done. I like to get kissed when I get... well,
you know the phrase.

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

I remember seeing Jethro Tull for $6 at the St. Paul Civic Center in
1978. I think I paid $10 to see Rory Gallagher at the Park West in
Chicago in 1979. My wife took me to see David Bromberg and Angel Band
with Tony Rice and Peter Rowan a couple weeks ago for $42 each (no Tony
Rice, though, as he was recovering from a back injury sustained in an
accident).

still me said:

Yeah, I saw the Stones for $12 in 1975. But now even the rebel artists
have sold out to the "gouge the fans for all I can" model.

I got a blurb for a Neil Young concert the other day. Neil the rebel
crusader "I ain't singin for Bud". So, I thought "He's on my list of
'want to see him in person before he dies'". I check on tickets - $69-
$150 before the Ticketbastard fees are added in. Geez... I'd pay that
for a CSNY reunion, but there's no way I'd pay that just to see Neil.

Buffett went the same way. There's an story that Buffett told in days
gone by of how he refused to change the words of a song just to sell
it to some producer - now he's such a commercial business man it's
hard to tell him from Warren Buffett. Tickets are notably way
overpriced for his shows right out of the box. They used to be an
escape from reality and the business world for a day - now they're a
trip to commercial marketing land.

And the Stones? Forget it. Last show, they charge $150 for the lame
seats, good seats were $300 and up.

Personally, I think I'm done. I like to get kissed when I get... well,
you know the phrase.

I think it's great. When they no longer sell out the venue, prices will
drop. Just as Mick Jagger, London School of Economics '58.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Ryan Cousineau said:

Jobst got me to thinking about CX tires, typically run at low pressure,
in another thread, and I decided to start a new line of inquiry.

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?

I recognize that proper bead seating may initially require a higher
pressure, so assume, if you need to, that I pre-pump and properly seat
my tires at high pressure before setting the final pressure.

This question isn't moot: I had a friend test-ride my bike a few races
ago, and with a brand new flexible-bead tire on the front, he rode back
with a goodly portion of the bead utterly unseated. I may have had the
pressure as low as 35 pounds, though I think I ultimately ran the race
at 45 or 50. I fear my records and recollection are a bit shaky.

Also, it's quite possible that I did a poor job of seating the bead in
the first place, so I offer this tale not so much as proof but as the
catalyst that got me to thinking about this.

In other words, these are the questions keeping me up right now:

-will a CX-sized clincher tire spontaneously unseat from a hooked road
(or CX) rim at low but imaginable-for-CX pressures?

-would a wire bead lower the pressure threshold?

-Is bead seat failure a plausible argument for CX tubulars?

Note that given my own experience, barring repeated bead seat failures
at my typical

Oh, and the specific tires: the old tire that was removed from the rim
was a WTB All Terrainasaurus 35c (nominal), a "hybrid" tire with a wire
bead. The new tire was a flexi-beaded WTB Cross Wolf 32c (nominal). I
know a guy.

http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/crosswolf/http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/allterrainasaurus/

BTW, if you're wondering, the Cross Wolf is very pleasing in the touted
moist-to-wet conditions. I was very pleased with the traction I got
using it on the front, as compared to the densely-knobbied All
Terrainasaurus. You feel less stupid saying the name, too.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden]://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

What about just running fatter tires? These days you can get 700C
tires in 40 mm widths and fatter as well as frames that fit them.
They will take lower pressures with less risk of pinch flats or coming
unseated.

Quoted message said:

On Oct 13, 4:48 am, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders like
myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest pressure you
can run without risking bead-seat failure?

(Is there a non-cheap-ass clincher option, or just tubulars?)

Quoted message said:

What about just running fatter tires? These days you can get 700C
tires in 40 mm widths and fatter as well as frames that fit them.
They will take lower pressures with less risk of pinch flats or coming
unseated.

There's the small matter of the 35 mm maximum tire width as per the
UCI rules. Next you'll be suggesting disk brakes as well...

In article <[email hidden]>,

(A R:nen) said:

Quoted message said:

On Oct 13, 4:48 am, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Given the typical kinds of clincher rims that cheap-ass CX riders
like myself are using (ie, 700C road rims), what is the lowest
pressure you can run without risking bead-seat failure?

(Is there a non-cheap-ass clincher option, or just tubulars?)

Quoted message said:

What about just running fatter tires? These days you can get 700C
tires in 40 mm widths and fatter as well as frames that fit them.
They will take lower pressures with less risk of pinch flats or
coming unseated.

There's the small matter of the 35 mm maximum tire width as per the
UCI rules. Next you'll be suggesting disk brakes as well...

In the US, UCI rules about bicycles apply to very, very few races. The
US sanctioning body maintains its own set of rules. Disk brakes and
even mountain bikes are often used in cyclo-cross here.