Which also involves going off road and getting very muddy.

Yes, we have to do it once when a fallen tree was blocking the narrow pass I use, ( outside the normal bike path )

The Cyclocross races are organised like a dirt criterium and involves a lot of obstacles ( like an steeplechase on bikes ) with barriers, fallen trees, water pits, mud spots, snowy spots, stairs etc.

The guys that do that kind of races have to go fast, dismount just before the obstacle, jump it or avoid it, remount fast and keep racing; quite a difficult thing to do when you watch the races, they jump out of the bike at speed, just two steps away the obstacle, jump and then remount fast ( ouch !). Many fall and others pile on.

I do it as my autumn/winter training, not races, just for fitness, it is great here because we have riverside forests with very well kept trails, and you can also climb the hills inside the forest up to Horgenberg.

The bike to do that is like a road bike, with drop bars and STIs and no suspension, but with a higher bottom bracket, wider clearance for the offroad tires, cantilever brakes, a shorter top tube and compact CX gearing 46/34 with 12-25 casette.

But for sure you can also do it with a mountain bike. even though UCI limits for races only bikes with drop bars and tires no wider than 700x35c

this is mine

Yes Salsa,
We all do know what Cyclocross is. Infact at one point you could use flat bars and Frischi used to race what was essentially a no suspension MTB for a year or so. The point is, that riding on unpaved roads does not make it cyclocross. Many years the Giro which is a road race uses unpaved passes which are probably quite similar to the paths you use in Sihlwald.

For the ones that doesn't know here is a beautiful 3m video about CX, showing old and modern CX races

Not my cup of tea, I prefer to stay on my bike. But thanks anyway.

Isn't that the whole point? It's kind of like sex, the dirtier the better

Here are 2 more for you guys who love the mud and the mayhem

compils from the world championships

Salsa what cross tyres are you using or have you used and what are your thoughts?
I'm thinking of a set of Smart Sams for a allrounder winter set.

Hehehe...

Schwalbe make a Smart Sam!!!

We renamed the "racing ralphs" Suicidal Sams after a certain EF member tended to slide off trails and into things on a regular basis due to their grip properties.

Hello,

On that picture the bike has a set of Ritchey Speedmax Cross Comp tires, 700x35c, I got them rather cheap ( I got them for $30 + shipping for the pair from the US , but I've seen them at $40 piece) have a smoother center and very knobly sides, this is to have a better grip when cornering but it is an all rounder. They are good, but have more drag on the road and on dry trails, I left that pair on the Price bike I am selling.

I got a pair of Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x35c from VeloPlus, that is also an all rounder but with less knobly sides. I tried them this weekend on very wet trails, ice and snow and it performed really good, and I felt less drag on the city ( before reaching the trails ), but we weren't going that fast so I don't know if they grip as good as the others. They cost CHF 25 each at Veloplus.

I was tempted to buy the Racing Ralphs when I made my last order to chainreactioncycles, they are available on 700x30c and 700x35c and costed CHF 50 each. ( now are sold out ). But I guess those are more for racing, so go fast and less grip ( so fall a lot ) , so I didn't get them.


You need a cyclocross or a city bike frame to fit them, they won't fit on an standard road bike that accepts maximum 700x28c.

guess it helps

here the profiles

Ritchey Speedmax Cross Comp 700x35c


Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x35c




Suicidal Ralph ( sorry Racing Ralph Evolution) 700x35c

The old model RRs like Salsa has shown weren't anything special, but the 08 RRs have a all new tread and are quite good. Well i can only comment on the 29ers 2.4s which i really liked and the 2.25 i found a bit narrow and only for dry trails.
Cheers

Yea exactly dry trails. I prefer Nic(Nobby) and Betty(Big) for my riding pleasure.

Thanks Salsa i have a 700c hybrid crosser and think i will try the smart sam or see what conti's i can find here.
I have 2 ritchies like you have shown in the garage that my wife did about 500kms on before i took them off, got sick of the constant flats, if you want them your welcome.
ps. they are the old model racing ralphs
Cheers

I only used nobby nics on my 26ers Fitted some conti mountain kings for last weekends race and was really impressed. Performed well in the wet,slippery, greasey, snowy and icey conditions.

If you have old racing ralphs 700x35c I'd like to have them, would be better to try them before deciding to get new ones.

There are some cheap CX tires 700x35c I saw at the Migros CHF 14 each but I don't know if they are good for cross, probably for a city bike during the winter would be a good thing.

No only the Ritchies, that came on the bike new. Don't like cheap tyres, you get what you pay for.

Salsa have a look here
http://www.bikeimport.ch/katalog/264/0/Cyclocross/
Cheers

The kings are also available for cross in 700x35c.

What is your opinion on Continental tires in general ?

I allways used Schwalbes for the road ( Stelvios and Ultremos now ) and have used michelins Pro 2 for a short while but I still prefer the Schwalbes and never considered to use Contis.

It's a good price, CHF 54 locally.

I don't know.... my Smart Sams are new and probably I don't need RR as I don't race nor need to go too fast.

I was going at over 30kmh the first time I went through the forests but then I had to slow down often because there is allways people walking their dogs and the dogs seem attracted by the rotating wheels.

They don't attack you, but like to run near to my front wheel and I almost felt when an small dog was trying to bite my front wheel and run over the hand of another that jumped direct under my wheel.

So the last times we have been running at ~25km and slowing down when people with dogs are in sight.

I haven't had much to do with conti's but they seem to get good reports and the mountain kings impress me so i would try them (conti's) again.
As far as dogs go give them a quick squirt with your water bottle, they back off.