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How to choose your cyclocross tyres?

How to choose your cyclocross tyres?

Tips and advice bicycle

Cyclocross tyres, as in any cycling competition, are crucial to increasing your chances of crossing the finish line first. How do you choose them? That's what we're going to explain in this article. 

Cyclocross: a demanding discipline 

If you're a cyclocross rider, you know how demanding this discipline is. You start a sprint race that generally lasts between 1 hour and 1 hour and a half without a break, forcing you to make an intense effort to be the first to finish. 

The courses, punctuated by obstacles, sometimes require you to carry your bike over them or to run alongside them to save a few seconds, for example when crossing deep mud. 

Cyclocross tyres are crucial to increasing your chances of crossing the finish line first

The shouts of the crowd encourage you as you pant, covered in sweat and mud. Men and women are passionate about this type of competition, which pushes them to their limits. 

But to win, it's not enough to have a bike designed for cyclocross. You also need cyclocross tyres, in other words tyres specially designed for this discipline. 

Cyclocross tyres for specialists 

At the heart of this discipline, grip plays a vital role. And for grip to be effective, it's best to fit wide tyres, which give you a better footprint and allow you to drive at low pressure. 

Until a few years ago, it was rare to be able to fit tyres larger than 28mm on road frames, but cyclocross models have evolved to allow tyre or tubular widths of up to 33mm. 

To date, this is the maximum width imposed by the UCI (International Cycling Union). It enables good performances to be achieved on this type of course. 

So what cyclocross tyres should you choose? 

Depending on the conditions, specialists adapt their tyres. Most often, they use one set of tyres or tubulars for dry weather and another for wet weather and very soft ground, such as sand. 

Cyclocross tyres for dry terrain 

If you're looking for high-performance cyclocross tyres for dry terrain, we recommend our MICHELIN Power Cyclocross Jet range whose tread, inspired by our Cross Country MTB ranges, offers excellent grip on dry tracks. 

It also provides increased resistance thanks to the MICHELIN "Bead to bead" shield, which features reinforcements on the crown and sidewalls for better protection against punctures.

MICHELIN Cyclocross Jet offers excellent grip on dry tracks.

As cyclocross competitions are usually held in winter, a normally muddy surface can harden with the cold. In this case, the MICHELIN Cyclocross Jet will perform better than a tyre designed for soft ground. 

This 33-622 tyre is available in two versions: Tubeless Ready and Tubular. 

Cyclocross tyres for soft terrain 

If you want to perform on courses with soft, sandy or muddy terrain, then our most suitable cyclocross tyres are those of the MICHELIN Power Cyclocross Mud range. Their spaced studs provide better handling on muddy terrain and MICHELIN's "Bead to bead" technology offers increased resistance to protect you from punctures. 

MICHELIN Cyclocross Mud provides better handling on muddy terrain

Even on muddy terrain, there may be small sections of dry ground on which it is important to remain fast. But if the greater proportion of the ground is soft, sandy or muddy, the structure of the MICHELIN Power Cyclocross Mud will give you more grip and better performance. 

This 33-622 tyre is available in two versions: Tubeless Ready and Tubular.

Should I use Tubeless or Tubular tyres? 

Your choice will depend on your budget and your performance requirements. 

The tubular version is the one we recommend for the best performance. Glued directly to a dedicated wheel, the tubular allows you to ride at very low pressures, with a better grip, and eliminates the risk of dislodging or puncturing. 

The Tubeless Ready version (with inner tube or preventive fluid) will give you good performance for a lower budget. 

In terms of durability, the two versions are equivalent. The difference is more in their behaviour: the tubulars have softer carcasses, capable of filtering out minor shocks and of rolling at lower pressures. 

Tubular cyclocross tyres allow you to ride at very low pressures

Tubular cyclocross tyres allow you to ride at very low pressures, with a better grip, and eliminates the risk of dislodging or puncturing. 

Cyclocross tyres for occasional competitors 

If you're a more occasional cyclocross rider, we've got two tyres that could also work for you. 

MICHELIN Power Gravel
Available in size 33-622, it can be used for cyclocross in fairly mixed conditions. Particularly when the course includes some wet areas and others that are drier, as its Power gravel structure is very versatile. It will suit your cyclocross courses if you don't compete much and don't want to buy two pairs of wheels. 

MICHELIN Power Adventure
We offer you this alternative for occasional cyclocross on dry terrain. Available in size 30-622, the MICHELIN Power Adventure offers fast rolling speed and on- and off-road capability with increased protection and durability. 

With a width of 30mm, although less than the maximum width allowed, it will perform well on rolling cyclocross courses. 

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