It used to be that a 'Cross bike was made for racing around wet grassy fields for an hour or so, and that was it. Now though, we demand more and more of our trusty steeds on every ride, so it seems only natural that our tyres should also be able to handle whatever hell we decide to throw at them. That being said, the UCI has some strict guidelines about Cyclocross tyre widths, so don't expect to be racing on these anytime soon...
Considering the standard Cyclocross tyre size hovering around a 32-34mm width, 45mm is YUGE. Interestingly enough, it's "yuge" enough that Panaracer themselves actually market it as an alternative to your stock 29er MTB tyres. On paper the tyre is about equivalent to a 1.8" width 29er, but the tyre volume of a 700c is a little lower than that of a 29er.
The enormously tall square knobs along the edge of the tyre mean it grips like mad, but clearance on a 'Cross bike is pretty tight; tight enough that I had to trim down the knobs to make sure I wasn't rubbing on the chainstays or fork, in fact.
The enormously tall square knobs along the edge of the tyre mean it grips like mad, but clearance on a 'Cross bike is pretty tight; tight enough that I had to trim down the knobs to make sure I wasn't rubbing on the chainstays or fork, in fact.
These tyres aren't technically meant to be run tubeless, which is why I was especially impressed when I was able to mount them up with Bontrager's TLR system without a hitch. I can't say anything about how successful a tubeless setup with another system might be, but the tyres themselves are certainly capable. Upon removing the rear tyre after testing, I actually found a thorn about 1.5" long sticking straight through, but the tyre held air fine through all sorts of abuse.
The recommended pressure printed on the tyre is 85PSI.
85.
8....5.
As a mountain biker, this makes absolutely no sense to me, especially since Panaracer is trying to push it as a tyre for mountain bikes, in which case the absolute maximum that you'd want to run your pressure at would be 50-60PSI, and that's if you're riding exclusively over gravel and grass. Setup tubeless especially, there's absolutely no reason not to let that air hiss right out of your tyre down to 40, 30, 20 PSI depending upon conditions. I did try to humour Panaracer by running about 60PSI for about a mile, but the ride at that pressure was still incredibly harsh. Even at lower pressures the ride feels abnormally harsh for such a (comparitively) high volume tyre, probably due to a lack of suppleness and the added support in the tyre's sidewalls.
Ultimately, I've found that 30-40PSI is the sweet spot for dry conditions, with no issues of burping or slipping off the rim on corners so far. If you must run the rear tyre, higher pressure will keep you rolling a little faster without a huge penalty to grip but with a pretty harsh ride.
85.
8....5.
As a mountain biker, this makes absolutely no sense to me, especially since Panaracer is trying to push it as a tyre for mountain bikes, in which case the absolute maximum that you'd want to run your pressure at would be 50-60PSI, and that's if you're riding exclusively over gravel and grass. Setup tubeless especially, there's absolutely no reason not to let that air hiss right out of your tyre down to 40, 30, 20 PSI depending upon conditions. I did try to humour Panaracer by running about 60PSI for about a mile, but the ride at that pressure was still incredibly harsh. Even at lower pressures the ride feels abnormally harsh for such a (comparitively) high volume tyre, probably due to a lack of suppleness and the added support in the tyre's sidewalls.
Ultimately, I've found that 30-40PSI is the sweet spot for dry conditions, with no issues of burping or slipping off the rim on corners so far. If you must run the rear tyre, higher pressure will keep you rolling a little faster without a huge penalty to grip but with a pretty harsh ride.
Riding on these tyres is a mixed bag, but not really unexpected. Descents feel much more predictable and stable on the wider tyres, and in the many cases where I was at the tipping point through deep sand or over roots for instance, the front tyre almost seemed to right itself; it's that forgiving. This means you can really open up and brake a lot later than you might normally be comfortable with, which is great for speed and tons of fun. On steep climbs, the rear tyre grips incredibly well under load, and torque-slippage only lasts a moment before it regains its hold on the dirt below the endless, endless pine needles. One thing I will say is that the raised knobs throw sand EVERYWHERE, but that isn't really something that I can hold against a tyre's performance after it saves me from a few face-plants. In the wet the Fire Cross tyres are just as admirable, recovering from root-slippage surprisingly quickly and without missing a beat. Even trying to rail corners into some slick, deep mud and wet, slippery grass, I couldn't get these tyres to give up the grip.
On the flip side, flats and long climbs show the ugly side of the high-profile, and thus high-resistance tread. If you aren't descending these tyres feel painfully slow as compared to more traditional Cyclocross tyres, which is the tradeoff for the extra grip in the steep bits. After playing around with different tyre combos though, I have found that a lower profile tread in the rear paired with the Fire Cross up front feels quick and lively while also providing that extra grip for descents.
On the flip side, flats and long climbs show the ugly side of the high-profile, and thus high-resistance tread. If you aren't descending these tyres feel painfully slow as compared to more traditional Cyclocross tyres, which is the tradeoff for the extra grip in the steep bits. After playing around with different tyre combos though, I have found that a lower profile tread in the rear paired with the Fire Cross up front feels quick and lively while also providing that extra grip for descents.
So who is this tyre for? Panaracer might push the Mountain Bike applications for it, but as "Adventure" and "MonsterCross" bikes become more and more popular, I think that's where these tyres belong. I don't see a huge advantage of the Fire Cross tyres over normal 29" tyres, but if you want to take your 'Cross bike onto some rough Singletrack and have the clearance, these tyres are for you.
Summary
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A decent value tyre if you want to push the limit of what your 'Cross bike can do or go a little narrow on your 29er, but high rolling resistance means a different rear tyre might be worth a look.
PRICE: $44.99
PRICE: $44.99