World Cup Cross-Nation racing has kicked off again in continental Europe, and with it comes a brand new batch of light-weight mountain bike prototypes engineered to go quick, and what higher solution to make your XC bike quicker than some new tires. Certain, the newest and best carbon wunderbike is one thing we all the time lust over. However it’s simple that the best – and often most reasonably priced – solution to make your present mountain bike quicker is to improve your rubber. And the tire corporations usually are not sitting on their palms. Within the first day of Czech racing on the favored Nové Město na Moravě course, we’ve already noticed at the least 5 totally different tires sporting prototype labels.
Plus, at a time when mixed-surface tread tires are getting wider and wider, we’ve even seen dozens of riders racing and profitable the brief monitor XCC even on gravel tires!
XC World Cup Nove Mesto quick cross-country tire growth
With dry and hardpack circumstances prevailing, the ruling think about tire selection was ‘something quick’.
On day 1 of Czech World Cup racing, we’ve noticed new tires in growth from Maxxis, Michelin, Pirelli & Schwalbe. Plus, Michelin, Pirelli & Specialised gravel tires get raced out of their unique self-discipline. Actually, the elite males’s winner Christopher Blevins (and pipped on the line XCC World Champ Victor Koretzky) gained on an current Specialised gravel tread!
Michelin Work In Progress
For testing solely. Not on the market.
Michelin’s ‘Work In Progress’ prototype badge coated the largest departure from their present XC line-up.
With an enormous hole between their present Energy Gravel and Jet XC2 cross-country tires, Michelin-sponsored groups have been race testing at the least two all-new dry circumstances tread patterns.
This could possibly be the successor to the present Jet XC2. It options low-profile knobs and an almost-continuous set of chevron heart knobs for low rolling-resistance in a straight line. However it nonetheless has an open transition knob structure and well-supported staggered shoulder blocks for grip if you lean arduous.
However it wasn’t the one all-new tire from the French tiremaker. One other prototype XC tread with tiny, tightly-spaced knobs appeared completely suited to dry brief monitor racing!
Maxxis Take a look at Pilot
Prototype tire for skilled use solely. Not for resale.
Maxxis’ Take a look at Pilot program might be the one we’ve seen most in XCO & XCC racing, primarily due to this one tread sample – the Aspen ST. For years, the Aspen ST was the quintessential pro-only XC tire. However since final spring, you’ll be able to really purchase this tire, too! It has been ridden to quite a few dry World Cup cross-country wins, and continues to be wanted within the professional ranks.
Is that this one other evolution – possibly a brand new casing or new rubber compound? Or is it simply that there are such a lot of execs who’ve been counting on this tire for years, that there are nonetheless tons of Take a look at Pilot-adorned Aspen STs floating round within the paddock?
And don’t neglect the unique Maxxis Aspen, both. That is the XC race tire that pushed light-weight cross-country rubber to the seemingly big 2.4″ widths that we see dominating in the present day. We’ve heard (bike) rumors of XC execs asking for two.6″ tires and even (gasp!) 32″ tires. However we’ve but to see both of these materialize on the race circuit.
We did, nevertheless, catch wind of a 32″ Maxxis Aspen in Taipei earlier this spring. Yikes!
Schwalbe First Journey
Schwalbe’s XC tire growth story appears to be pulling out confirmed cross-country race treads, and transforming them with the newest take a look at. We noticed a complete slew of First Journey tires – some that have to be product of foolish gentle rubber primarily based on their minimal put on however lacking, torn-off tread blocks.
So, it seems to us just like the German tire maker is possibly remodeling current tires with new constructions and new rubber compounds.
That’s supported by loads of tires with new labeling. The quick rolling Schwalbe Rick has been a quick in-between tire because it debuted on this Nové Město monitor final 12 months. However the Rick Race Professional title suggests an up to date casing according to Schwalbe’s newest radial, gravel, and gravity tires. We will get behind the ‘easier is best’ messaging, right here.
Gravel Tires Racing XC, or at the least XCC
After final weekend in Poland after we noticed World Cup enduro and downhill riders seek for any potential grip in snowy, wet, and muddy circumstances, the transfer throughout the border to Czechia for cross-country sees utterly totally different racecourse circumstances. It’s dry and tremendous hardpacked right here. So, particularly for in the present day’s brief monitor racing, the phrase of the day was ‘fast-rolling’. And what’s faster-rolling than gravel tires?
Plenty of prime XC racers swapped precise gravel tires into the XC bikes for the XCC racing. That’s not an enormous shock, when the newest gravel tires usually are available 45mm (1.7″), 50mm (1.97″) & 55mm (2.17″) widths. I imply, even Pirelli’s newest highway slicks are available 55mm!
We noticed XCC World Champ Evie Richards racing Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC tires and Chiara Teocchi on a Michelin Energy Gravel rear tire (each above), whereas Christopher Blevins gained and XCC World Champ Victor Koretzky (under) took second on Specialised Terra gravel tires.
Will Quick-Rolling XCC Tires Go well with Sunday’s XCO Racing?
The brief monitor XCC Nové Město course isn’t actually technical, although. It could possibly be described as a crit on an excellent mixture of asphalt, high-quality gravel, hardpack dust, and grass. Certain, there are loads of small jumps with some new arduous landings, particularly in the event you come up brief (we did hear loads of rear wheels get cased and even noticed one body damaged in half on the chainstay).
However the unfastened dust, huge rock gardens, and slick roots are saved for the longer XCO race Sunday.
Will we see such fast-rolling tires on Sunday’s racecourse? Will any gravel tires present up on the beginning line? We suspect not, however who is aware of? However, I’m positive we’ll see loads of these Take a look at Pilot Maxxis Aspens and Aspen STs!
