Cyclocross racing is all about fitness and skill, but it is about the bike, too, with tire pressure playing a critical role. Too much air can sacrifice grip, while too little can cause punctures and vague handling. We asked Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com team director Stu Thorne for his tips on getting it just right.
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"[The right pressure] can make such a difference," he said. "A lot of people are hesitant to believe or experiment with adjusting the tire pressure by 5psi or two. [A difference of] 10psi on the road makes a huge difference in the way a bike rides. When you take that down to a cyclocross bike, that can dramatically change the way a bike and tire handles.
"More pressure will be faster, typically, so if it's a fairly fast course where the cornering isn't too extreme or there isn't some crazy off-camber thing, or if it's dry, you can run a little bit higher to get the speed," Thorne continued. "But it's not as high as you might think. Running softer pressure will get you just the opposite where you're looking for that handling in a certain corner or off-camber section and you want as much traction as possible."
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Finding the correct pressure for cyclocross tubulars
Thorne recommends starting with a high benchmark figure – usually 26-28psi for his team's tubular tires – and then pre-riding the course. From there, his riders can let a little air out while on-course until they get the handling characteristics they feel are appropriate for the day.
"Sometimes a rider will come back in and it could be pushing in a corner – it's just not biting enough – so they'll want to drop a psi out," said Thorne. "That's more of a handling issue.
Pre-ride the course at race pace
Finding the correct pressure for clinchers
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