Yo, yo yo, Be careful out there , tire pressure can be very tricky with tubeless. Burp, burp your tires then suck. How would I know that? The idea is to ride with lower pressure to aid traction in corners, but too low and the sidewall folds up or goes burp burp. The newer tires have stiffer sidewalls but then that takes away some of the suppleness you really like. Getting better all the time the tubeless systems.
My A race wheels have really expensive tires and get glued on. Schweet those FMB tubies. Boo hoo hoo if you pop a 150$ tire.
50% of the time for cross I am tubeless (more for training) and the rest including Wednesday worlds I usually just ride tubes and clinchers. I am 100% tubeless mtb, 50% cross tubeless, and 0% Road tubeless. But I am open.
I think the best plan with all tire selections is to pump the tires up to 40psi (2.5bar) ride the course a bit then go pssss , pssss letting a couple lbs out. Ride some more go pssss, pssss let a little more out until you feel like your tires are folding under you in corners, you are bottoming out more than once a lap, or say oh crap this is too low. Then put a couple lbs back in. Find what pressure feels good for the day then check what it is. For the first dozen or so races white down the psi and how you felt. I have records from the early 70s with cx tire pressures.
I have a Silca floor pump with the mega gauge that only goes to 60 psi (4 bar) it works really well for cross psi numbers. After literally 100s of tests like this, I know what works for me.
Don't believe those numbers of 18psi for cross tires you read about. Those numbers work for light weight pros who ride light on their wheels. Body size has a ton to do with your psi. Most new riders hit 90% of the roots and rocks on the course, I know I still do. I weigh plus or minus 90kg. 32 to 35 psi seems the sweet spot for me. If it is a hard pack rough course I sometimes add a couple lbs for protection.
Cyclocross is fun, painful and addictive. It is pure suffering for 45-60 min then you have so much fun post race. Cross reminds me where triathlon was 35 years ago. Everyone cheers on each other, tells stories post race, and the whole family is welcome to race. Probably best to leave bowser home. Muddy dogs going home or loose on the course ain't too good. My pup does get to go sometimes, but is a pain the butt when he does.
Now what is really really fun is the single speed class. If the sport is not complicated enough just add the one gear ratio factor into the mix.
Daym cross season is a short 4 weeks away for me and I have the big need for some more speed. Ouch 2 a days starting this week, promise.
My A race wheels have really expensive tires and get glued on. Schweet those FMB tubies. Boo hoo hoo if you pop a 150$ tire.
50% of the time for cross I am tubeless (more for training) and the rest including Wednesday worlds I usually just ride tubes and clinchers. I am 100% tubeless mtb, 50% cross tubeless, and 0% Road tubeless. But I am open.
I think the best plan with all tire selections is to pump the tires up to 40psi (2.5bar) ride the course a bit then go pssss , pssss letting a couple lbs out. Ride some more go pssss, pssss let a little more out until you feel like your tires are folding under you in corners, you are bottoming out more than once a lap, or say oh crap this is too low. Then put a couple lbs back in. Find what pressure feels good for the day then check what it is. For the first dozen or so races white down the psi and how you felt. I have records from the early 70s with cx tire pressures.
I have a Silca floor pump with the mega gauge that only goes to 60 psi (4 bar) it works really well for cross psi numbers. After literally 100s of tests like this, I know what works for me.
Don't believe those numbers of 18psi for cross tires you read about. Those numbers work for light weight pros who ride light on their wheels. Body size has a ton to do with your psi. Most new riders hit 90% of the roots and rocks on the course, I know I still do. I weigh plus or minus 90kg. 32 to 35 psi seems the sweet spot for me. If it is a hard pack rough course I sometimes add a couple lbs for protection.
Cyclocross is fun, painful and addictive. It is pure suffering for 45-60 min then you have so much fun post race. Cross reminds me where triathlon was 35 years ago. Everyone cheers on each other, tells stories post race, and the whole family is welcome to race. Probably best to leave bowser home. Muddy dogs going home or loose on the course ain't too good. My pup does get to go sometimes, but is a pain the butt when he does.
Now what is really really fun is the single speed class. If the sport is not complicated enough just add the one gear ratio factor into the mix.
Daym cross season is a short 4 weeks away for me and I have the big need for some more speed. Ouch 2 a days starting this week, promise.