When it comes to helping my athletes choose gear, tire selection is probably the most requested. There are a million options and it can be tough filtering through what’s available. While I am biased to a few specific treads and widths, there a few general rules I like to stick to. My guidelines apply to both MTB and CX.
Muddy Days:
This one is easy and I feel that no matter your skill level, muddy days call for dedicated mud tires.
For CX, go with the Challenge Limus for all out mud baths, and Baby Limus for overall muddy and wet conditions. There are similar tires out there, but these two are the gold standard. While I am fan of run whatever width you can fit, this is the one time I’m going with 33s. While some say they are better for “cutting through to hard ground,” I’m more concerned about mud packing up and the associated extra weight. Go with 33s.
For MTB, an aggressive tread with large spacing is going to be important. The large spacing will help shed the mud. I haven’t seen a true mud bath MTB race in years, but I do have some mud tires on standby. Great mud tires include: Maxxis Severe, Rekons and Ardent Races. From Specialized there’s the Ground Control, and Vittoria has the Torrente. Any of these will get the job done.
The Rest:
First, just because [insert your favorite pro] rides a super low profile, it doesn’t mean you should. I see it all the time in cyclocross and mountain bike racing. Challenge Chicanes, Maxxis Aspens, or whatever it is. Yes these tires are fast and feel great. But they also take decades of experience to ride correctly. I’ve raced for 30+ years and I’m not running them. Too often I see riders slipping, drifting, or needing to over brake and aggressively accelerate on low profile tires. Whatever advantage they thought they were receiving, they more than double gave back. But a tire with just slightly more tread would have provided better control, better cornering, consistent braking and smooth accelerations.
This is even more so the further you go down the category ladder. If you’re a top end Expert/Cat 1 rider, sure, experiment with fast tires. But as you move lower in category, it’s my recommendation you reach for something with more tread. In New England, most of the pro winners are racing at speeds in the low teens, sometimes barely breaking 10mph. A fast tire isn’t going to provide as much of an advantage as you think. When you look at Sport or Beginner class racers, those race speeds are going to drop into the range of 5-8mph. At these speeds, a low profile tire is going to end up making you slower. Extra braking, slower through the corners, slipping during climbs, and so on. This applies for both the MTB and CX disciplines!
Ultra light casings is the other pit fall, especially in New England. Here we have monster roots followed by sharp rocks with extra sharp rocks sprinkled on top. I feel even on the manicured west coast trails, it’s not worth it. For the east coast (or other rocky areas) a thicker casing allows for added protection and peace of mind. The added weight isn’t going to impact your performance. Plus, it’s pretty hard to perform well when you’re trying to fix a tire. Even in areas that aren’t as rough as the east coast, a thicker casing is my preferred option. Out west the speeds on the trails are typically higher, and that leads to a higher load factor. There’s always that giant loan root that will cause a rim strike, or a big G out on a water bar. A thin casing could lead to an early DNF. It’s just not worth it. You don’t need a full blown DH casing, but the ultra light S-Works casing isn’t worth the risk either.
So what are you supposed to pick?
For Cyclocross it’s simple. Challenge Grifo, Kenda Booster or Donnelly MXP (if you can find any, not sure what is going on at Donnelly at the moment). The Grifo comes in a 38 now, and it’s great for any condition other than mud. This is what I run most of the time. I also have the Kenda Booster in a 37mm and they are also awesome (they come in 40s too).
For MTB, a good all around tire that falls somewhere in the middle of the brand’s line up is where I’d start. Specialized Fast Trak, Vittoria Mezcal, Kenda Booster and the Maxxis Ikon are a good place to start. If you’re newer to racing and are in a lower category, it may be better to go with something more aggressive in the front. Mezcal rear and Barzo front, Fast Trak rear, Ground Control front, etc. As you progress through the categories and your skill set improves, drop the aggressive front tire for a Fast Trak combo, Booster combo and so on. Then as you hit the Expert category, you can start by going with something faster in the rear. Fast Trak/Renegade, Booster/Dagger, Mezcal/Peyote, and so on.
That was a lot of words to suggest you stop using what the pros use. The main take away is whether or not you’ll actually reap the benefits of an ultra fast tire. Most likely not. As your skill level goes up, your tire tread can go down.
Since someone always asks. I’ve been racing on Kenda Boosters in a 2.4 for the last 2 years. It seems like they are being replaced by the Dagger, which I will most likely swap to for 2027. I do keep a set Fast Traks on a second set of wheels as my plan B. For CX I’m primarily on Grifos with Boosters on the second set of wheels. I prefer the Grifos, but oh my god are they a pain to mount. If it’s a mud bath, I have a set of old Specialized Terras, but they aren’t available anymore. When it comes time to replace them I’ll get a set of Baby Limus.
Need help picking a tire? I’m probably going to say Daggers for MTB or Grifo for CX. But if you don’t like those answers, reach out.