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What tyres for 3 Peaks CX? David sweats the details

by David Arthur @davearthur
Tue, Sep 25, 2018 20:48
2
What TYRES for 3 Peaks CX? David sweats the details
David is riding the 3 Peaks CX race for the first time this weekend, but he's worried about tyre choice

I'm riding the 3 Peaks cyclocross race this weekend. Never done it before. No idea what I'm letting myself in for really, other than most people telling me it's one of the hardest cycling events it's possible to do.

Here's an example of what I mean:

Thanks Guy...

If you've never heard of this race before (how? it's been running for 56 years) and wondering why it's so hard, well it is basically a route comprising the three peaks Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales, producing 5,000ft of climbing in 38 miles. All on terrain that isn't really designed for a road bike and the rules stipulate you have to do it on a cyclocross bike with a maximum tyre width of 35mm. So no mountain or adventure bikes with big tyres and suspension then.

There's not much I can do about preparing the body for the event now, too late for training, so instead I've been worrying about bike, tyre and equipment choice. In the video above I discuss some of these choices and reveal the bike and tyres I hope will get me through the event with no mechanical issues or flats. Fingers and toes crossed.

If you've done the 3 Peaks CX before and have any last-minute advice I'd love to hear it.

3 peaks cx
david arthur rides
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David Arthur @davearthur

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes. 

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Saint Mark | 6 years ago
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Not done the 3 peaks but I rode the South Downs CX Century on WTB Cross Boss tyres set up tubeless, they were great. 100 miles off-road and no punctures when everyone else around me was stopping to fix flats. They're a good tyre choice. My tip learned from that event would be to descend in the drops where you can, lack of suspension on a CX bike meant I got huge blisters from favouring the hoods on long rocky descents. (Edit: probably not advisable when it gets super steep though!) Good luck and have fun.

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shufflingb | 6 years ago
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Tyres I’d recommend a good pump instead of cartridges, plugs and 2x inner tubes  

Bars, either gel pads or double wrapping bars. If you can get hold of a RedShift ShockStop stem you will not regret it  

Good luck with it and have fun  

 

 

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