Cyclocross tubular tyres

How to choose your cyclocross tubular tyres

Cyclocross is the last discipline where tubular tyres still outperform other tyres, for one specific reason: you can ride them at 1.2 to 1.8 bar without the risk of pinch flats, because there’s no tyre bead to come off the rim and no inner tube to pinch. At this pressure, the casing conforms to the ground and traction is transformed.

Tyre width is capped

UCI regulations limit tyre width to 33 mm in competition, and it’s the size of almost every model in the range. A few 32 mm options exist for narrow rims. For sportives and recreational riding, you don’t have to stick to it, but the range follows the standard.

Tread pattern for the terrain

• Grifo (Challenge) and Typhoon (Dugast): the versatile intermediate tread, the one to fit when you’re not sure what conditions to expect.
• Limus and Rhino : tall, widely spaced knobs for sticky mud, they shed mud as they turn.
• Baby Limus and Small Bird : an intermediate tread leaning towards mud, for greasy but fast-rolling ground.
• Chicane : a fast tread for dry conditions and fast-rolling courses.
• Dune : sand and very loose ground.
• Pipisquallo : the most aggressive tread in the Dugast range, for deep mud.

Cotton and sidewall options

• Tubular tyres cotton — Dugast, Challenge Pro — have the most supple casings and the best feel for the ground. They’re also the most fragile.
• The option Monsoon adds a sidewall treatment against water and mud: essential if you race in winter.
• The option FD (double-layered sidewall with Kevlar) reinforces the area most exposed to cuts.
• The Tufo have synthetic casings: less refined and considerably cheaper, but longer-lasting.

Plan ahead for gluing

A cyclocross tubular tyre must be mounted with glue, not tape, and you need to allow 24 hours to dry. Glue your tubular tyres well before the race, not the night before.

To find out more: How to choose your road bike tubular tyres

See also: Cyclocross tyres · Tubular tyre glue and tape · Road tubular tyres