Dear Brain Trust: Mixing Tire Treads

[The Squirrel]

Dear Brain Trust:

I'm racing Bubble on Sunday, CAT 5. I've watched the videos and I know that there is a beach, some solid flats, grass and wooded areas. I'm on clinchers this season and I have to make my choices early according to what I'm seeing in the forecast. It looks like it will be dry. I know that files are very good for sand, but I'm still "green", so I don't feel good about LAS's front and back. As an experiment (and after a good google search) I put an MXP on the front and LAS on the rear and gave it a whirl at the park. It seemed fine. I even PR'd the gravel pit, which was inspiring. The only downside was unweighting the rear on a climb, which led to a spin session.

I understand that so much of this CX thing is experimenting and finding what works for you, but I have to ask, am I nutz or is this a viable practice?

thanks for reading,

Sciuromorpha

 

[Pearl]

mix away bro!

 

[hotsauce]

I'd like to know too. I have a set of LAS clinchers coming tonight.

Double file tread or Grifo front/LAS rear?

 

[MadisonDan]

I'm on clinchers this season and I have to make my choices early according to what I'm seeing in the forecast.

If you're on clinchers (not tubeless) then you have the most flexibility to change up the rubber. 5 minutes, maybe 10 to change a tire without rushing. Tubeless gets messy, and tubular, well, glue.

Are file treads good for sand?

 

[The Squirrel]

Are file treads good for sand?

File treads are supposedly good for sand because they don't churn up the sand. Since I've never ridden sand...

 

[Delish]

Files are great until they aren't (i.e. turning, turning, turning, on the ground), but they sure to roll well. Any advantage you gain will be lost the first time you wash out.

I race a file on the rear whenever possible but I've never had the confidence to race with a LAS front. Mix away and figure out what works well for you.

Bubble also traditionally has some fast sweeping off camber stuff and loose singletrack. Riding sand well has more to do with technique (and power) than tire choice.

 

[Santapez]

PDX Front, MXP rear. That's my choice for BubbleCross. I found that yes, the PDX completely sucked in the rear on that uphill after the sand. I wouldn't hesitate to use the MXP in the front there, I actually haven't used it there that I can think in the front. I have no experience with the LAS.

 

[hotsauce]

Just saw this on Bubble's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bubblecrosswm/posts/1148454991905788:0

Based on the pictures, old YouTube videos, advice from @Delish and @Santapez, it looks like all-condition tires on both wheels for me.

I guess I'll shelve those LAS's for gravel riding in the spring and early season dry courses.

 

[MadisonDan]

Last years Bubble CX, Prologue and Lap 1, Cat 4.
Pretty sure you can see @Mountain Bike Mike eat it by the gazebo.

 

[Mountain Bike Mike]

Last years Bubble CX, Prologue and Lap 1, Cat 4.
Pretty sure you can see @Mountain Bike Mike eat it by the gazebo.

Did you see the free watts work on the opening swichback grass section doe?

If you were a few seconds closer, would've caught the actual wipe out

 

[MadisonDan]

Did you see the free watts work on the opening swichback grass section doe?

If you were a few seconds closer, would've caught the actual wipe out

I needed those free watts to get a few seconds closer!!

 

[The Squirrel]

Any advantage you gain will be lost the first time you wash out.

At this point in my "career", no truer words have been shared.

As I went out for a little tread testing this morning this sentence stuck with me. Barely out the door, I developed a slow leak in the rear. I believe the 'Cross gods were sending me a message. To appease them, I put the other MXP on the rear.

I promise not to think about this again until I've suffered at least 15 races.

Thank you all for your input.

 

[Pearl]

Since you've got tons of advice, I will pass along advice that was passed to me and will pass on too: I'm a huge fan of the PDX in the front, all the time. I have messed with rear treads depending on course/venue/conditions, but that tire on the front is like velcro. Will not remove

 

[seanrunnette]

I guess I'll shelve those LAS's for gravel riding in the spring and early season dry courses.

Prolly yer best bet for the weekend anyhoo. It's gonna be dry, but if mem'ry serves, the post-sand stuff is rocky and rooty and unless you know how hard to lean the bike to get those side-knobs working, you may get more spin, less traction and WAY less movement forward. I haven't ridden this latest iteration, but Bubble skews a toward the technical side of things. Free watts aren't found sitting on the side of the course with yellow tape fluttering around your head. MXP should be fine fer now. It does clog up pretty quickly, but again, dry dry dry this weekend.
That said, I LOVED my front and rear Happy Mediums (tubeless version of the Chicane, if it were designed by a 12 year old) at HPCX on Sunday. And I loved my front and rear PDXs on Saturday. Horses for courses.

 

[Delish]

Since you've got tons of advice, I will pass along advice that was passed to me and will pass on too: I'm a huge fan of the PDX in the front, all the time. I have messed with rear treads depending on course/venue/conditions, but that tire on the front is like velcro. Will not remove

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