A week on from the Maxxis Re-Fuse TR arrival, the brand’s Ikon (26x2.0) were being handed to me by a very amiable courier. The following day I whipped them aboard Ursula’s Shimano Alfine/ XT wheelset, complete with fresh butyl. They’re slightly reminiscent of Kenda Small Block Eight, which I had run in 700c and 26 versions and similarly straightforward to fit.
Interestingly, the Ikon have a maximum payload of 90 kilos, so best suited to lighter riders. Ours is the baseline model with a 60tpi casing and isn’t tubeless compatible (ready, if you prefer) and doesn’t feature a puncture-repelling bet, so it will be interesting to see how they fare in terms of rolling and puncture resistance. As a precaution, I’ve gone for some Schrader valve tubes, so I could get some sealant sloshing around them.
With a maximum, tame by road standards 65psi, I was also surprised by the number of strokes needed to deliver the full 65- that's with the SKS track pump.
Beyond 50 and my biceps were beginning to course with lactic acid, and we were close to locking out at 63psi. Now, arguably you wouldn’t go to the maximum, but I like to see how a tyre behaves at the cited maximum, before tapering down to find the sweet spot for different contexts.
Anyhow, I’ve put them to one side for a moment while I concentrate on racking up miles on the fixed with the Maxxis Re Fuse. I’m finding the latter very dependable-in every sense thus far. Not the most compliant ride but by no means harsh and what I’ve come to expect from 60tpi single compound casings.
May has seen an improvement weather-wise, namely drier (although still very cool in the morning)- single digits mean I’m sticking to the three-quarter lengths and long-sleeve jerseys and indeed full finger gloves when it’s sliding down to 5 or 6. Baggier fitting mitts also allow liner-type gloves and this combo can be a great middle point for changeable conditions-long rides, in particular.
Anyhow, the more Spring-like weather has meant the Teenage Dream has come out from seasonal hibernation, giving me chance to get some miles in with the CST Cito. For the uninitiated, the Cito are a dual compound 170tpi model available in 23, 25, and 28mm sections. Formative outings have really brought the best from the build, which may be quaint by contemporary standards but still brings huge grins.
I ran Vee Tire Co Rain Runners for a good while and was impressed by their low rolling resistance, compliance, and wet weather grip. However, the Cito are a notch better in my book and very competitively priced. The ride quality doesn’t match that of a mid-range tubular but isn’t that far behind either and without the maturing, gluing and sewing that came with them.
125psi is their maximum and even at these lofty pressures they’ve never felt harsh, or skittish and have held their line impeccably. CST hasn’t cited a minimum pressure and at present, they haven’t released a tubeless compatible/ready version but I’m reckoning the sweet spot for me and my 70kilo frame is between 105 and 110psi.
Not that we’d want to invite these things but puncture resistances courtesy of their EPS lining, which also features in their Czar CST Czar Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) cousins and indeed, the Pika CST Pika Gravel Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). This is a flexible Poly fibre strip running beneath the casing’s centre strip. This doesn’t run bead to bead, which may have implications for puncture resistance.
However, the Cito are intended as a fair-weather training/competition tyre, 5mm thick Aramid belts and similar technology is uber dependable, but tyres featuring these tend to be on the weighty side- think 700g or so apiece, not the sort of heft you’d want on a pared to the essential's plaything, race, or TT bike.
Talking of which, for those of you wondering why I hadn’t whipped the Cito aboard the Holdsworth, it’s primarily because the Holdsworth has bigger clearances- could go up to 28 up front and 32mm plus at the rear, while its 25mm tops, with the Teenage Dream. Every so often, I contemplate upgrading the latter's frameset, probably bespoke, but definitely steel and fillet brazed.
However, I’ve let these thoughts drift since I can’t justify it on grounds of cost and space. Practicalities aside, I’m also very fond of the frameset and then there’s the memories tied up within it. Bikes are like friends. Some come and go, and others stay a lifetime.
