Suggestions for cross tires good in sand

[ericspin]

Well, my TUFO tubeless/clinchers finally bit it today. I have heard a lot of bad comments about them but I have been riding them for three years with no troubles. I was 10.6 miles into my ride when the tires just began to hiss all over. I really believe the culprit was dry rot. I use the TUFO sealant but there were just too many holes and not enough sealant. I know it's not cross season and quite honestly I am not riding cross. I like to use the cross tires on my Indy Fab for one of my favorite rides that is 40% road and 60% off road (read:sand, it's Florida ya' know). The off road section is a 19 mile MTB singletrack loop. I use to use Michelin Jet S 700x30 but they are just too soft and I was constantly getting flats. Sooooooo, what do you guys think? Remember, there is a lot of sand but a lot of roots and shell (our version of gravel) sections also.

Eric

[Bruce K]

I've had pretty good luck with Schwalbe Racing Ralphs. I know some of the better racers seem to prefer other tires, but they've proven to be pretty durable for me.

BK

[zank]

Many (most?) of the Dutch races are run on a lot of sand. The top guys run diamond tread Dugasts on some courses because of the condition of the rest of the course. So, tread choice doesn't seem to be the driving factor. Riding sand is more about technique than tire choice. Power is key with your hands on the tops and your butt pretty far back on the saddle. Another PRO tip is to wear shoe covers for the sandy races to keep sand out of your shoes and because they just look PRO.

I say buy the tires that work best for the rest of the ride. No tread is going to hook up well in the sand anyway.