Mel
Big Congrats on your win in Alabama. Way to Kick some A!
I just moved to Colorado. I'm racing on Larsen TT's(rear) and the new Crossmarks(front) but they don't tend to hook up very well in the loose scree that seems to make up every trail. I'm running about 30 up front and 34 in back.
Any advice? What tire are you racing in Crested Butte?

Thanks

I would try reversing that set up... put the larson on the front and the CrossMark on the rear. I find the Cross Mark is not that great up front because the corner knobs are not aggressive enough for loose corners. The Larsen is better. However, the Cross Mark is great on the rear so I think that will be a great setup for Crested Butte. Try that and if you don't like that, another good tire for that course I think would be the High Roller or the Ranchero. I rode the Ranchero last year I think. You still want a reasonably fast rolling tire on that course for the road sections but some of that really fast descending singletrack requires adequate corner stability, Larson front and Cross Mark rear should work. Not sure of your weight, whether you are riding tubeless or whether you are on a duallie so I can't really comment on pressure...

Thanks!
I'll reverse the set up and see how that feels. I'm racing in So. Dakota a couple of weeks before CB so that will give me race feedback as well.

As far as pressure I think I'm Ok. I weigh 164, ride a full suspension(way easier on my back!)

Thanks again and Rock on in Richmond!

Mel, I've just mounted a pair of CrossMarks on my Stan's Olympic/Hope Pro wheels (using them tubelss) and have found that they are really good on hard pack, gravel, sand and flinty chalk.

I was a little surprised to see you recommending them on the rear for mud as the pattern looks as if it will not clear too well.

Do they clear better than they appear they would?

Julian

You know, if I said mud, I retract that. I think the Crossmark is okay in the "wet", better than the Larson at least.

For mud, I would choose the Ignitor or the Medusa. In the Sea Otter mud bath, the Maxxis 1.8 Medusa was clearly the ideal tire. For packing mud, you want something narrow, so you could go with that skinny Medusa or an Ignitor 1.9.

Sorry Mel, I just checked back and you said wet clay not mud! My mistake. Thanks for the info on the Medusa though, I find the Bontrager Mud X is VERY good on the mud that we get here in the south of England.

Julian