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Average Rating
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4.03/5
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# of Reviews
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32
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MSRP
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$ 37.00
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Weight
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More Products from Maxxis
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Description:Designed with World Champion Christoph Sauser, the CrossMark is the dramatic evolution of the Cross Country racing tire. The nearly continuous center ridge flies on hardpack, yet has enough spacing to grab wet roots and rocks. The slightly raised ridge of side knobs offers cornering precision never before seen on a tire this fast.
- Fast rolling center ridge
- Raised side knobs
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Submitted by
kahneyjd
a Racer
from phoenixville, pa
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | through team | | Strengths: | light weight, fast rolling, predictable, slow wearing and very good traction | | Weaknesses: | only complaint is the thin sidewalls | | Similar Products Used: | too many to tell | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Paragon xt/xtr set up | | Bottom Line: | This is a very fast rolling tire with great grip and goor wear. They are not the best in mud but supprisingly do very well considering the low profile. Easy to get up to and hold speed and cornering is great. my one and only complaint is that the sidewalls are a bit too thin. I have raced the front tire for approx 600 miles and have had to replace the rear 4 times due to sidewall cuts, however the tread was still perfect. I run them at 28 psi rear and 30 psi front and weigh 185lbs. Bottom line is that these are very good tires for the money I paid but if you pay full price I would consider something with thicker sidewalls. I am only giving them 3 chilis for overall due to the sidewalls but everything else is great with them. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hayes
a Racer
from Roswell, Georgia, USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Blankets Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycleworks Roswell | | Strengths: | Fast rolling, excelent on the hardpack trails around the area. | | Weaknesses: | no traction in mud or loose rock type trails. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis Larsen TT | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Ferrous SingleSpeed | | Bottom Line: | definately worth riding. One of the best hardpack tires ive ever used. has a few downfalls, but the pros way outnumber the cons. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clint Campbell
a Cross Country Rider
from Yucaipa, Ca.
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hurkey Creek-Idylwild | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Jensens | | Strengths: | Traction is great!! I run 22lbs in the front and 24lbs in the rear. I purchased the exception series which has a softer compound and side wall protection. Faster rolling then the Kenda SB8's, although heavier. | | Weaknesses: | None as of yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda SB8's. | | Bike Setup: | Full XC race. Specialized Epic. | | Bottom Line: | People complain that they wore these tires out to fast. I am using the exception series which is a softer compound and my tires are wearing great. I train on trails 3-4 times a week and have done multiple races and the tires are still almost like new. They are heavier but roll faster than the Kenda SB8's which I also like. Cornering is predictable and when running low tire pressures they hook up pretty well. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JohnV
a Cross Country Rider
from Alabang, Muntinlupa, Philippines
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Upak, Santa Rosa, Laguna | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$23.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Town | | Strengths: | Just got this a day before joining a Duathlon. All I can say is that this tires hold and grips like a bulldog's jaw. It went through mud, hardpack, loose gravel, and surprisingly as I weigh 210 pounds, it had no puncture.
It rolls fast but I wish they had the 26 X 1.95 version. | | Weaknesses: | None as of this point. | | Similar Products Used: | Maxxis Flyweight 330, Panaracer Trail treker | | Bike Setup: | Merida Matts Sub 60 hardtail, Marzocchi Mx pro low, XT gruppo, Syncros rims, DT swiss spokes and Giant lightweight tubes. | | Bottom Line: | Highly recommended for all purpose use. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Racer
from San Antonio
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Flat Rock Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Strengths: | Fast Rolling, great grip on climbing. OK in cornering after modifying riding style slightly (shifting more weight to the back and outside) | | Weaknesses: | Great for about 1 month. After that I have had many pinch flats due to weak side walls. Slightly washy in the rear (never used in the front) | | Similar Products Used: | Many | | Bike Setup: | Jamis XC Expert | | Bottom Line: | Not good for racing if you are set out to be competative. Might be good for smooth single track. I lost interest in this race season due to too many pinch flats before discovering the real problem. Do not use on trails that are rocky or downhill that you need traction. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Les Botha
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lysterfield / YouYangs/Westerfold park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | This tyre rocks, grips on just about any surface, consistant and very reliable never let me down yet, and not one punture to date. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing out there that comes close. | | Bike Setup: | Gaint Trance 1 | | Bottom Line: | I only hope it stays around more long time to come. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Wells
a Weekend Warrior
from Canberra Australia
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Stromlo | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Hammer& Cycle and Phantom Cycles | | Strengths: | Fast Rolling | | Weaknesses: | Thin rubber between top ridge and sideknobs allows many punctures from thorns etc. | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Town and country on previous bike | | Bike Setup: | 2006 Giant Trance 1 (the white one that always looks dirty as the paint scratches so easily) | | Bottom Line: | Rolls so well that my 23km road commute takes the same time as it did on my previous bike with Slicks. However now if I want to I can detour and take some dirt on the way home knowing the tyres can handle it. I normally use 60PSI for commuting and 45 for dirt on the weekend however the odd occasion I have gone on dirt with 60PSI I still seemed to have reasonable grip.
I got about 6000km before replacing the tyres at which time the centre line had worn so smooth I has a pair of SlickMark tyres. However I still found them reasonable and I only changed them due to entering the Scott 24hr and wanted new tyres to have as much grip as possible.
I haven't riden many other tyres on dirt but these seem to grip well enough for me. I have noticed they are no good in mud but I try to avoid riding in mud as it is no good for the bike or the trails.
When I bought my bike I was planning on a second set of wheels and using slicks for commuting and knobbly tyres for dirt riding on the weekend however I am happy to use these tyres for both which means not only don't I have to worry about buying a second set of wheels I don't have to worry about cluster/chain wear being uneven.
At $25.95AUD from Phantom for the wire bead ones I am not too worried if I only get 6000km before having to change them as I normally only got about 10,000km from a set of slicks on my old bike.
My only complaint is the number of punctures I get commuting due to the thin rubber. I am going to try the LUST CrossMarks with Stans and hope I don't have to stop riding every time I run over a thorn or broken glass on the road/bikepath. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charlie M.
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Huntsville State Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson USA | | Strengths: | Fast rolling, light weight. | | Weaknesses: | Wet traction. | | Similar Products Used: | Ignitor, ExiWolf | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh XXIX Single Speed with Crossmark on the rear and Ignitor on the front. | | Bottom Line: | These preform as advertised. They do roll faster than the Ignitor. They do not grip as well, but I didn't really expect them to. On dry trails they rock. I had a little trouble with them spinning out on wet roots, but then again these aren't advertised as "grippy" tires. They roll fast and hook up well in dry conditions. I think these are a pretty good tire for the money and for their intended use. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Al
a Racer
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Pondy's | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Fast
Excellent rear tire
OK in front
Reasonable grip at low pressure | | Weaknesses: | At recommended minimum pressure it does not handle any loose dirt well - needs to be lower | | Similar Products Used: | plenty | | Bike Setup: | Turner Flux, Reba, Hope XC hubs | | Bottom Line: | I got these specifically for racing (exception series) and got to try them for real today in a race. I started out with the minimum pressure - 35 psi (I weigh 150lbs) and while they were fast in a straight line found them unstable with aggressive cornering. I ended up falling on the practise round when I pushed it too far. When I dropped the rear to 30psi and the front to 27~28psi it was a whole different story. The extra grip was there and so was the control. Bottom line - good race tires, great as rear tire, OK as a front but run them as low in pressure as you can. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
C. Storm
a Cross Country Rider
from Brownsville,Vt.
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | cliff & joe's jungle | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$36.00 | | Purchased At: | jensonusa | | Strengths: | This is for the UST version,
Fast,Fast,Fast!! Phenomonal traction for tread style or any style for that matter, predictable, great cornering in rear, very good for a front | | Weaknesses: | Wobble to tread when tire is rolling, manufacturing problem? | | Similar Products Used: | panaracer fire xc's, mythos, smokes, darts, porcupines....been MT. Bikes since '86, tried them all | | Bike Setup: | Stumpjumper S-Works, Foxshox,raceface,hope,thomson,mavic,stan's | | Bottom Line: | I was skeptical at first coming from a 2.3 f&r tire for x-coutry riding but I will never go back. Put the tires on my bike running tubeless about a month before the VERMONT 50. Rode them hard on all types of singletrack and they were flawless. Just finished the VERMONT 50 [50 mile mt. bike race, 10,000 vertical ft. of climbing/descending,single track,loose dirt,mud,dirtroads] last weekend and I had absolutely no problems with these tires. If this is not the ultimate test for a tire then what is? If you find that they are sliding out on you or not working then no offense the problem is with your riding skills, not the tire. I would rate them a 5 for a rear and a 3.5-4 for a front for x-country everyday riding and a 5 across for racing. I did put a 2.3 maxxis ignitor on the front of my bike after the race but only because I had it lying around.( this combo for everday is killer)
Stats- 220 lbs, 6'3" running 42 psi rear and 35 psi front.
Expert rider, sport racer.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Davidson
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Kananaskis/Banff - any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$53.00 | | Purchased At: | Bow Cycle | | Strengths: | Price, fast rolling, traction, good wear | | Weaknesses: | Standing on climbs reduces traction and can let the tire spin out. Keep the weight on the tire, and you're good. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Mythos, Bontrager Jones | | Bike Setup: | XC | | Bottom Line: | I use my mtb bike to commute and to go XC. As soon as I put this on my rear wheel, it took 7 minutes off of my 20km commute!
Part of my commute takes me through a ravine with several creek crossings. Nice single track, wet rocks and roots. The tires really excelled and inspired confidence. Lots of other tires will spin out after a creek crossing and steep climb. Keep the weight on this tire and it will find traction.
On the Jumpingpound trail, this tire did exceptionally well on the steep rocky climb, and did very well through the mud and ~2" of snow. The ride basically became a point and shoot. It will slide slightly sideways in the mud/snow, but it is easily controllable - not enough to pitch me off the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from Peru, Vermont, USA
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Montana | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Fast, excellent grip on hardpack/rock/dry roots | | Weaknesses: | Does not inspire confidence when the trail starts to go downhill... | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dragon Pro; XT drivetrain, Juicy 5s, Crank Bros pedals, | | Bottom Line: | A good XC tire for western trails, the low profile makes it fast on the flats and climbs, which make up for the sub-par performance on the descent | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Woody
a Racer
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Kolapore | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$37.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Adaptability | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Michelin Comps, Maxxis High Rollers, Conti Leaders | | Bike Setup: | Kona The King, Race Face, SRAM XO | | Bottom Line: | Great tire if you ride with the correct pressure. I run the tubeless version with about 27lbs of pressure and I can't blame the tire for any of my crashes. Ran it at that pressure in a 7-day stage race and it never flatted, never washed out. It stuck to rock, gravel, mud...the only thing it didn't like was wet roots at bad angles...but that's just pilot error. Smooth rolling, fun tire to ride. And tough. Did I mention no flats in 35 hours of racing?
Run the right pressure (Hint: 40lbs might be a little high) and you're laughin'. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
slickvic
a Weekend Warrior
from hong kong
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | very low resistance, light for its size, sort of all rounded tyre, reasonably priced, very good on flat and uphill hard-packed and mild loosen surface | | Weaknesses: | skids easily when in high pressure, scary decent corning as a front tyre which will inspire you to slow down, loud rolling noise | | Similar Products Used: | maxxis high rollers | | Bike Setup: | an AM 5" full-susser | | Bottom Line: | put them on both wheels for 3 months.
excellent fast rear tyre.
the side knobs are not well designed for fast decent corning as a front tyre, even on hard-packed, it could be the not so strong side-walls.
they speed me up on flat and uphill, but slow me down on decent
i am going to put a high roller back to the front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$44.00 | | Strengths: | Rolls fast, grips well in in dry fine gravel. | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | Piranha air lights | | Bike Setup: | 07 Giant Trance 0 | | Bottom Line: | I got Piranhas stock on my new trance zero....on the first outing I washed out hard.......I went out and bought a Cross Mark for the front and it made all the difference. I ride a lot in the bunya forrest on the north side of brisbane and the crossmark is perfect.....it slides rather than washing out and gives me a lot more confidence in the front end of the bike. I am very happy with my purchase. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sebastien
a Cross Country Rider
from Metz, France
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Great rear tire, (very) low rolling resistance, comfortable, great climbing grip, mounts easily tubeless. | | Weaknesses: | A bit on the heavy side, not confidence inspiring when mounted on the front, pretty expensive here. | | Similar Products Used: | Many from Maxxis, Michelin, Hutchinson, ... | | Bike Setup: | Viper Fugitif (Softail) | | Bottom Line: | I rode this tire under dry conditions on different areas of France.
This tire is a fast roller, with amazing grip on the rear and a good deal of bump absorbtion. But alas, it's not as good on the front : cornering is okay as long as you don't lean too hard. It can be me (not skilled enough or wrong pressure used), but I'll stick with my trustworthy Conti Explorer Pro.
Value : 5 chilis rear, 3 front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jules Evans
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Wildside | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Clingo's | | Strengths: | Lack of rolling resistance, Lightish | | Weaknesses: | Stopping grip. Exception rubber wears quickly. Save it for best! | | Similar Products Used: | Continental vertical, explorer, Maxxis stuff, IRC | | Bike Setup: | Merida Matts speed D | | Bottom Line: | This is a great tyre for hard pack and dry tracks. I have it as a back tyre and the grip that you can get when braking, especially downhill, compared to any other tyre that I have used is almost useless. Even if I get right over the back of the bike I can't get the tyre to grip anything like the Ignitor, Explorer or Vertical. I suppose that is the price you pay for fantastic rolling resistance. This tyre is almost like having a slick on when you are powering along a hard flat track. Great! Climbing grip, however is great. No problems on roots, rocks and even fairly wet ground. Rubbish in mud though. Cornering grip is great.
This is a great tyre for a fast fairly dry track. No good for a loose or muddy track with a lot of steep downhill. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CJ
a Racer
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Fast rolling, relatively light | | Weaknesses: | HORRIBLE cornering ability | | Similar Products Used: | Too many to name | | Bike Setup: | Race | | Bottom Line: | I ran this as a rear tire only knowing full well that, as a front, it would wash out quite a bit however; what I wasn't expecting was the massive amount of fishtailing I wound up doing with the CM mounted on the bike.
After racing these a couple of times, I threw on an old Larsen that I had just to see if I could tell the difference and - wow! - it was like night and day. The Larsen rolls almost as well but - even though it was quite worn - didn't have nearly the cornering issues as the CM.
I would not recommend this tire for anyone...the Larsens are similar in rolling resistance and corner 100% better. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gerald
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | any singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$37.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Lightweight. | | Weaknesses: | No traction in soft and dusty conditions. | | Similar Products Used: | WTB Velociraptors, IRC Mythos, Specialized, Michelin, Panaracer | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain ETSX | | Bottom Line: | This has to be the most unpredictable tire I have ever tried in my life. I was going downhill casually on a very easy, non-technical singletrack and this stupid tire just washed out...no warning, no slip, nothing! It is without a doubt the worst case scenario in any type of riding. All the other tires I have ever tried may not have worked great in all conditions, but at least they gave you some feedback on what they were doing. This one is for the birds. Save it for riding a city bike. Maybe even then you'll have issues. No chilis at all for overall rating. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis, IN
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | BCSP | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | speedgoat.com | | Strengths: | Solid xc tire. They're fast (maybe too fast at times) paired with excellent cornering and breaking manners. No durability issues so far. | | Weaknesses: | None for their intended purposes: xc riding on an xc bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Pythons, Conti Explorer Pros, Schwable Knobby Nick... | | Bike Setup: | Curtlo Adv. Mountaineer. White Bros fork, King hubs, DT Swiss rims, X.9 stuff, etc. | | Bottom Line: | Basically when I'm shopping for new tires, I'm looking for a tire I can forget about when I'm riding. I shouldn't feel like the tires are working against me or the bike. These tires fit the bill. Other than the trial and error process of dialing in the right tire pressure, as others have pointed out, these tires have done their job to a T. Fast on the flats and downhills. Good climbing manners. They grab exceptionally well while braking and really dig in on the corners. Thus far I haven't found a situation where these tires don't perform well.
So far it sounds like these are a great tire if you're riding a true xc bike. If you're looking for a tire designed for riding that's significantly more aggressive than xc, this probably isn't the tire for you.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Tipper
a Weekend Warrior
from Hampton
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lysterfield | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Phantom cycles | | Strengths: | This is a follow up report & I should mention this relates to the exception version. When they are good they are very very good, but.....(see weaknesses) Keep them for a race tire & you won't be disappointed | | Weaknesses: | Only have a limited window of opportunity to get the best from these tires. Just another 150 km off road riding (nothing overly demanding)& they have lost some of their speed & predictable handling. | | Similar Products Used: | As mentioned previously - the usual suspects. | | Bike Setup: | Giant XTC Zero. | | Bottom Line: | After an inital bedding in period, keep these ones for race day. As mentioned keep the pressure a bit higher than what you would otherwise normally run (about 5 psi), and they are great. The exception series wear a bit too quickly, but I suppose you can't have everything. I will buy this tire again, but will try just the folding version with the higher
durometer rating. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn Vernes
a Cross Country Rider
from Midletown, CT. USA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Roll smoothly and fastly (is that a word?). They seem to be holding up great. No flats yet. | | Weaknesses: | Not the tire for mud, and they sometimes go flat between rides. | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Explorer Pro (tubular). | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Rush 1000. | | Bottom Line: | At first I didn't like these tires, but I've grown to like them quite a bit. They roll fast, and get amazing traction for a smooth tread tire. Just yesterday I did a 50-mile epic on some VERY tough and demanding singletrack, and these tires performed just great. It had rained the night before and the roots and rocks were slick, and the ground covered with leaves. These tires took it all in stride. The other guys all had these beefy, slow, heavy freeride tires with big-ass knobs, and I was able to climb every hill they did, and some they couldn't. And they're all expert riders. And over the wet rocks and roots, I noticed the other guys would slip sideways and get off-track, but not me, I rolled right over the stuff, arrow straight. How much of that is due to the bike, a rock-steady Cannondale Rush, and how much to the tires, I can't say. I can say that no matter how wet and slimy the terrain, these tires won't hold you back.
As I mentioed above there are not mud tires, the knobs pack up and you're basically riding on ball bearings, but for everything else they're a go. And you will have to pump them up before every ride as they tend to lose air. Could put slime in and stop this but then you add a little weight. You should really check your presure before every ride anyway.
So to you guys who complain about this tire being "useless on everything but hardpack", I hate to say it, but it's you, not the tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Etienne Sales
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Climbing with a downhill home | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$47.00 | | Purchased At: | Xtreme sport | | Strengths: | Fast, good grip, grips ok for tyre this fast in corners, last for 1800 km back, front looks like new! | | Similar Products Used: | Scott oxyd, continental vertical Pro | | Bike Setup: | Scott reflex 25 | | Bottom Line: | Good tyre, lasted for 1800 km in the rear now losing some traction side knobs still good, turned tyre direction around now it grips again should last another 200 to 500 km's. Front tyre looks like new. Improved speed a lot cornering ok but not great, predictable on down hills.
Works great with Stan's notubes! Not one puncture in this time. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a Racer
from east berlin
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | west hartford | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | lightweight,low rolling resistance | | Weaknesses: | ultra sensitive to psi, not confidence inspiring | | Similar Products Used: | various from panaracer,conti,specialized,bontrager | | Bike Setup: | ellsworth truth, xtr, race face, rock shox reba wc, rolf propels | | Bottom Line: | I wanted so much to like these tires as I paid quite a bit. I have gone back to them several times this year. They are definitely sensitive to different pressures. I have and still believe tires are an individual's preference. These tires do not inspire confidence which is important in a race tire. These are not for me. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Tipper
a Weekend Warrior
from Hampton
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lysterfield | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Phantom cycles | | Strengths: | Predictable. These tyres hook up well on most surfaces. With a few extra PSI in the tyres they fly along on hardpack. Drop about 5 psi and they perform quite acceptably in the loose stuff. Not great in the mud, but nor it should be - it's not a mud tyre. I run these around 42 to 45 psi and they are just as quick as the pythons running about 38 and offer more grip. | | Weaknesses: | Not a hell of a lot. Hard pressed to find any major faults. | | Similar Products Used: | The usual suspects - A variety of Conti's & specialized. Pythons, Larsens etc. | | Bike Setup: | Stock Giant XTC Zero except for the forks which are R7 Platinum. | | Bottom Line: | Be prepared to experiment with different tyre pressures as it can really make a significant difference to both handling and speed. As I said I run these up to 5 psi higher than other models & they are quick. If your up for a new set of tyres, give them I try - I think you will be pleasantly suprised. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from US
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$37.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Good corner traction. Relatively light and somewhat fast. | | Weaknesses: | Not the fastest tire. | | Similar Products Used: | Hutchinson Python Airlights, IRC Mythos | | Bike Setup: | Giant XTC-2, Cane Creek Zonos SS rims | | Bottom Line: | The traction on the front was so good I ended up getting a 2nd one and then running them front and rear at 35 and 38psi, respectively. Using one in the rear it tends t catch and throw rocks so beware of this. After trying them in a race and for a couple weeks here's my feedback:
They are considerably slower than the Pythons, but offer much better traction in the front. I did actual timeing with both sets of tires on the same trails, the Crossmarks always came in about 30 seconds slower over a 35-40 minute trail. Also, I did the Python timing at the beginning of the summer when I was not as strong, so the Crossmark times should have been a little faster if anything.
I don't think the Crossmark tire profile, round, lends itself to be a really fast tire. The Pythons have a much flatter profile across the contact area, although I'd be hardpressed to say why this gives more speed, but the Pythons definitely are faster.
I'm going to go back to trying the Crossmark, and maybe a few other tires, on the front and keep a Python on the rear and see how that works.
As for an all around tire these tires seem pretty good on hardpack with loose dry patches and unless you are an all out nut for speed they do pretty well. I've been spoiled by the Pythons and will keep looking for a tire that is just as fast with better cornering, the Crossmarks aren't that tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuj Face
a Racer
from seattle, wa
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light, rolls fast, hooks up very well for having a fairly minimalistic tread, good volume for a 2.1 | | Weaknesses: | none as of yet | | Similar Products Used: | lots of others... | | Bottom Line: | great traction. i'm running them at about 28lbs with stans. i've had good luck with these in dry hardpack and some loose over dry harpack conditions. they don't work exceptionally well in wet conditions, however, for a dry condition tire it did well enough. the shoulder knobs hook up great in corners. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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