|
Cyclocross Tires from Geax and Vittoria
By James Sharp
Cyclocross is an interesting sport with a rich heritage. Originally introduced as a way to keep the road pro's in shape during the off-season, it has developed into a sport all it's own, with it's own gear. The bikes are similar in appearance to road bikes, but have higher bottom brackets, more relaxed angles, longer wheelbases and clearance for mud. The tires are fatter than road tires and have a knobby tread pattern since the races are run on a mix of road and off road, in muddy, wet and generally miserable conditions. In order to maintain traction in this environment, a tire's tread profile, rubber compound and casing stiffness all come into play. Vittoria and Geax both make cyclocross tires for a variety of conditions, but they are coming to 'cross from two different backgrounds. Vittoria is well known for their road tires and Geax for their mountain bike tires. How well does this play out when road and mountain meet? We've spent a bit of time on the Evo XG from Vittoria and the Mezcal Cross from Geax. Both are listed at 700x34c.
Vittoria Cross EVO XG
Geax Mezcal Cross
Vittoria Cross EVO XG
 Vittoria has a long history in making cyclocross tires. Their distinctive grey tread is easy to spot in both tubular and clincher -- reviewed here -- form. The Cross EVO XG is available in both 32c and 34c widths. We opted for the 34c version for a little more cushion. The tire has widely spaced knobs which are designed to shed mud. The nylon casing features 120 threads per inch (TPI) and a foldable bead. The high thread count keeps the tire flexible, making it conform better to the terrain while the foldable bead keeps the weight down to 380g (34c). The tire casing measures narrower than the 34c designation suggests; we measured them to be 31.5mm at 50psi -- the tire width from knob to knob is 1mm wider.
The Cross EVO XG is a good "all around" tire -- it performed well in both hard pack and muddy conditions. The wide knob spacing helped to shed the mud quickly, keeping the tire from packing up down the center. This kept braking and driving traction as good as possible in adverse conditions. Though the tire measures out thinner than other 34c tires, the supple casing allows the tire to soak up bumps better than you'd expect. Despite abusing the XG in both training and racing environments we never experienced a pinch flat.
We were able to reach the limits of the tire during hard cornering in off-camber situations. The less aggressive side knobs didn't have enough grip on wet grass and mud. Granted, this is a tough environment for a skinny cyclocross tire, but it's one that many races have. The Mezcal -- below -- didn't do so well there either.
Summary:Overall, if you have the option of running condition specific tires, great. Go for it. For the rest of us, the Cross EVO XG is a great compromise. It rolls fast on hard pack and gravel, digs in and sheds mud almost as well as a mud specific tire and rolls over bumps like a higher volume tire. Do you run tubulars on your race wheels and use the clincher wheels for your pit set? Throw these on the clinchers, and no matter the conditions you'll be ready. The Vittoria XG retails for $46.
Geax Mezcal Cross
 Vittoria is Geax's parent company, but that doesn't mean that these tires have anything in common. The Mezcal Cross is a thinner, lighter cousin to the Mezcal mountain bike tire. Like the Mezcal, the Mezcal Cross has low profile knobs and the center of the tread features a raised pattern to help with the straight-line traction. The tire has a very round profile and the knobs are placed to help with the transition as the bike leans into corners.
The Mezcal Cross is available only in 700x34c and, unlike the Vittoria Evo XG, it measures out to a true 34mm at 50psi on a Mavic Open Pro rim. The tire weighs in at a svelte 370g, lighter than I'd expect for a tire of this size.
The larger casing gives the Mezcal Cross plenty of floatation and kept me from pinch flatting the tire during the entire review. In fact, these tires performed very well no matter what the terrain, provided it wasn't muddy. They rolled fast and spun up to speed quickly. The Mezcal Cross stuck in the corners on gravel, hard pack, grass and asphalt. The shorter knobs did get bogged down in the mud and the raised pattern down the center held on to the mud longer than I thought it would.
Other than the mud performance, the only downside is that the short knobs don't have a long life to them. If you use them as a race only tire, they'll last more than one season, but if you train on them, or use them exploring in the woods often, then expect them to wear pretty quickly. Other than that, I'd recommend the Mezcal Cross for early season races, when the courses aren't as muddy.
Summary: Unlike the EVO XG, the Mezcal Cross is a tire for specific conditions. Early season races -- or those in California -- that don't have the mud that races in October or November have, are the best conditions for the Mezcal Cross. It rolls fast, corners surprisingly well and it's larger casing handle bumps with aplomb. Geax has done a great job of shrinking down the Mezcal and adapting it for cyclocross use. The Mezcal sells for $40.
James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com; more of his ramblings and a look at upcoming reviews can be found at his blog -- Lactic Acid Threshold.
For more information for both the Vittoria or Geax tires, contact:
BikeMine
E-mail: req@bikemine.com
www.bikemine.com
|
