The need for clincher tires keeps growing as track cycling takes more innovative and competitive turns.
However, the need to get high-quality clincher tires that can handle high speeds becomes a big challenge for a lot of cyclists.
You need a good clincher tire that can handle great speeds, a wide pump of adrenaline, and still maintain balance. You wouldn’t want to purchase any random tire from a store only to discover that it doesn’t have a nice grip.
We will guide you through the eight best clincher tires for track racing and offer you tips to select the best clincher tire that meets your needs.
Table of Contents
8 Favorite Clincher Tires for Track Racing
- Continental Grand Prix 4-Season Folding Clincher Tires
- Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Graphene Clincher Tire
- Continental Gatorskin Clincher Tire
- Pirelli P Zero Race Clincher Tire
- Ritchey SpeedMax Cyclocross Bike Clincher Tire
- Challenge Grifo 33 Cross Tire
- Maxxis Hookworm Wire Clincher Tire
- Kenda Kwest Clincher Tire
1. Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Folding Clincher Tire
The Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Folding Clincher tire comes with a Vectran breaker and duraskin sidewall reinforcement that ensures that the tires are puncture-proof.
Its design achieves high mileage and great performance even at low temperatures.
This clincher tire comes with a tread profile that provides a strong grip on the road.
Just like every clincher tire, the continental grand Prix 4 has an inner tube and clinches to the wheels.
To offer greater value at a lesser price, this clincher tire comes as a pack of two tires. You get two tires when you pay for one.
A lot of times, a lot of cyclists go for Clincher tires because they want a tire that will work well on their high-end bikes.
The Continental Clincher tires don’t only work as cool tires but also perform exceptionally in the sun or low heat environments.
If you need a clincher tire that works as a good blend of Suppleness and Toughness, Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Folding Clincher tire is your best choice.
They work as a go-between choice for a low resistance tire and a durable puncture-resistant tire.
PROS
- Value for the money
- Thick and Tough
- Handles challenging temperatures
- Foldable
CONS
- There is no wire bead
2. Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Graphene Clincher Tire
Corsa brand has stood as a popular and acceptable producer of race equipment. The reason for the public embrace of Corsa tires is because of their high quality.
The tire comes with a reinforced 320 TPI corespun-K casting. This increases the durability strength of the tire by supporting the 4 Graphene compounds (4C).
This unique combination makes it easy for the tire to achieve an amazing build of speed, durability, sustainable and reliable rides.
Track racing is an event that requires a lot of speed and stable rides. The 4C Graphene formula gives these tires the strength of a mountain bike tire.
This unique feature has set Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Graphene Clincher Tire apart from other tires in the market because no other producer has successfully produced a single tire with four layers.
If you must push your track race to the first place, you need a tire that will never fail you.
The 4C Vittoria Corsa formula offers stability, extended wear life, cornering grip, improved wet grip, better braking performance, lower resistance, and amazing traction.
The use of functionalized Graphene 2.0 is to ensure that the tire meets and achieves high speeds.
The use of premium cotton casing works in achieving smoother rides and an easy-rolling experience. As an assurance for excellence, Vittoria Corsa stands out as one of the tire choices for professional riders and track race winners.
A lot of tires find it difficult to handle pressures that are above 120 psi. Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Graphene Clincher Tire can handle max. temperature as high as 145 psi and still maintain an amazing ground grip and traction.
Vittoria Corsa G2.0 Graphene Clincher Tire has two tires in its product box. This gives you a discounted offer of getting two tires for one purchase.
PROS
- Folding
- Four Graphene Compounds (4C) Technology
- Great Value for the money
- Durable
CONS
- No beads
3. Continental Gatorskin Clincher Tire
The Continental Gatorskin Clincher Tire is a great choice for long rides; a perfect option for track racing. These tires have similar features, with slight differences.
While it is inarguable that the Continental Gatorskin Clincher Tire offers a unique level of strength for long rides, it is a little bit heavier and slower than the GP-4000.
This places slight doubts on the type of races you should take it for. It can serve as a good track tire for endurance races but maybe not be the best option for time-lapse.
On an overall scale, you can use its training and race preparation.
Your ability to maintain high and stable speeds on the continental gator skin clincher tire gives you stronger leverage over other riders.
If you can break even with the continental gator skin clincher tire, you can handle any track race on any low/high-end tire.
The Continental Gatorskin Clincher tire is a component of two unique tire layers. This makes it a puncture-resistant tire.
This amazing clincher comes with a duraskin mesh and a nylon breaker.
The duraskin acts as a protection for the sidewalls against cuts. The dense nylon breaker protects the tires against direct punctures and damages from road debris.
Continental Gatorskin clincher tire has a strong wall that resists punctures. It has a lightweight design that achieves smoother rides.
PROS
- Puncture Resistance
- Lightweight
- Smooth rides
CONS
- No beads
- Heavier
4. Pirelli P Zero Race Clincher Tire
Just as the use case for clincher tires keeps increasing, more durable tires are flooding the market. For you to win a track race, you need a good tire with an amazing level of balance, speed, grip, and handling.
The Pirelli P Zero Race Clincher Tire meets the entire requirements as one of the best clincher tires for track racing. It includes race tube-type technology that meets all the track race standards.
Pirelli P zero race clincher tire has a SmartEvo compound with three polymers. The triple formula polymer structure provides unique performance qualities.
Its technical design helps achieve an optimal balance, traction, speed, and a proportional delivery of efficiency.
The Pirelli P Zero Clincher also comes with a tech belt casing. The tech belt casing lines up the tire’s tread with a layer of high-cut resistant fabric.
This provides strong support and improves the process by which the tire handles impact and pressure. The tech belt casing also ensures that the tire maintains a puncture-resistant structure.
This improves the level of durability of the tires. Its low rolling resistance makes it easy to pick a race and ride at high speeds.
Sometimes, the reason why a lot of people fail in track races is not that they have slow bikes, but because they are riding bikes that require so much energy to keep going.
The low resistance of the Pirelli P Zero Race Clincher Tire ensures that you can paddle as fast as you can without wasting much energy.
Notwithstanding its amazing features, Pirelli P Zero Race Clincher Tire stands as a blend of speed and control.
Its ground grip and ability to hold in the air during rides is an amazing feature that makes it a great choice for track racing.
PROS
- Low Rolling resistance
- Durable
- Traction
CONS
- Low rolling resistance might compromise the level of grip achieved.
5. Ritchey SpeedMax Cyclocross Bike Clincher Tire
The Ritchey SpeedMax Cyclocross bike clincher tire was an original brand tire for the 1996 Olympic games.
With evolutions and innovations on the tire, it goes beyond offering the services of an average tire for track racing but combines the strength of a cross racer and a gravel rider.
Packed up with amazing features like low rolling resistance, smooth rides, and a 30TPI wire bead, you wouldn’t have any reason not to use it for a track race. Its diamond-pattern center makes it easy to maneuver dirt and mud.
There is no need to get scared of tripping over when you hit mud or wetlands. However, it wouldn’t serve as a mountain bike tire or fit intense off-trail races.
To ensure that you don’t have any limitations during rides, Ritchey SpeedMax Cyclocross Bike Clincher Tire comes with a directional file tread center.
The directional file tread center makes it easy for the tire to ride on all terrains. Its thick threads at the edges offer a secondary ground grip around the tire’s corners. This acts as a support for cornering.
This includes its coarse tooth tread border. You have the assurance of taking up rides in all conditions.
These tires can also serve as regular-mount tires. Speed is a deal-breaker for a lot of riders. Just as the tag comes “SpeedMax”, the Ritchey is a speed booster.
PROS
- Wire Beads
- All-Terrain Rides
- Fast
CONS
- Run better on flats.
6. Challenge Grifo 33 Cross Tire
Challenge has stood out as a notable brand name for durable tires. However, the Grifo tire is a specially designed challenge for track racing. It stands out as a cyclocross open tube clincher tire.
It is a versatile tire that handles different road conditions; fast lane, dry, sloppy, and wetlands.
It is coated with tires-spun silk (seta) casing that ensures that the tire has an amazing level of suppleness and a handmade 300 TPI casing.
This helps to achieve an extraordinary ride. Tire suppleness ensures that the tires are comfortable and can absorb vibrations. Stiff tires transfer vibrations to the bike.
This will keep the rider experiencing shakes on top of the bike. To eliminate the chances of “woogly” rides, the Challenge Grifo 33 Cross Tire comes with suppleness to reduce surface irregularities.
This feature makes it more flexible and helps you attain greater speeds on the bike. The Challenge Grifo 33 Cross Tire has an awesome grip and a fast-rolling resistance.
This includes a puncture protection system (PPS) that improves its durability.
The PPS runs as a fabric lined up between the tread and the casing. This ensures puncture resistance.
But, are these all you need to win a track race? Challenge Grifo 33 Cross Tire runs on a tread pattern that is one of the award-winning tire treads.
With a maximum UCI of 33mm width that maintains stability, easy cornering, and balance during high speeds.
PROS
- Durability
- Stability
- Puncture resistance
CONS
- Puncture Resistance can be compromised
7. Maxxis Hookworm Wire Clincher Tire
Maxxis is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to the development of durable tires. The Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tire is not an exception to their level of expertise.
Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tire is a high-end tire, constructed to bear the brunt force from intense rides.
No matter how rough you think your track race will become, the Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tire is ready for it.
The Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tire comes as an assault tire equipped with strong reinforcements to withstand aggressive street and track races.
It has a bead-to-bead tread pattern that ensures durability and ground grip. Its tractions come in an amazing level that can handle even the most intense rides.
With Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tires, you can take a ride down a staircase, through rails, or on unpleasant floors.
The tire maintains a single compound construction that is optimized to achieve longevity and great performance. This is supported with a 60 TPI casing.
Just as the Maxxis hookworm wire clincher tire maintains a strong texture, it also serves as a multi-purpose tire.
You can use this versatile tire for different rides and track events.
PROS
- Wire Beaded
- Traction
- Strong
- Puncture Resistant
- High-Pressure Tire
CONS
- Thick
- Rigid
- Tough to install
8. Kenda Kwest Clincher Tire
The Kenda kwest Clincher tire is a 30TPI black tire with a smooth-rolling tread pattern. Kenda Kwest tires are known for having a good rolling resistance, nice sidewalls, soft and cushy ends that achieve perfect cornering.
They are a good choice for track racing because they are not stiff, but are made of solid rubber.
The level of durability on the Kenda Kwest Clincher is notable although they wouldn’t pass for puncture-resistant tires.
Although you might experience a hard time trying to wear these tires on your bike, the level of durability attained is pretty much what you need.
These 700 x 32 cm tires have a k-shield technology and a wire beading design. With the provision of grooves, these tires can perfectly handle dirt and water.
PROS
- Durable
- Tough
CONS
- Stiff to install
- Heavy
Factors to consider when choosing a Clincher Tire for Track Racing
1. Budget
One of the reasons why a lot of riders go for clincher tires is because of their affordability. However, these tires come at different prices.
You understand that there are high-end clincher tires and there are budget clincher tires. Your budget should match your needs and help you strike the perfect bargain for your purchase.
2. Material
Clincher tires are products of vulcanized synthetic rubber. A lot of these tires run on a cotton or nylon casing. Sometimes, there are slight differences in the construction process of clincher tires.
Each brand prefers to use a material that meets its needs. Some manufacturers will use steel wire, and some will use clincher tires.
Some clincher classified tires lack beads. It is up to you to select what meets your needs.
3. Purpose
Why do you need a clincher tire? This will help you cut a clear line of comparison between settling for a tubular tire or a clincher tire.
Tubulars are usually heavier than clincher tires and because you are going for a track race, you wouldn’t want to have excess baggage on your wheels.
What are clincher tires?
Clincher Tires are a special kind of tire that sticks firmly to the rim of the wheel with the help of a bead and a rim.
It comes with a tube that stands as an independent component of the tire, which you can replace or repair easily.
Because of the design of Clincher tires, they are gradually becoming an acceptable tire model for track racing.
The easy-to-afford pricing of Clincher tires also makes it a widely sought-after tire compared to other tires.
Conclusion on best clincher tires for track racing
One of the benefits of clincher tires is that in the event of tire damage, you have the opportunity of changing only the tube if the tire wasn’t affected.
When you are choosing the perfect clincher tire for you, your attention should shift from getting cheap tires to getting great value for your money.
This will help you make a perfect market decision and choose the best clincher tire for your track racing.
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