Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

I keep thinking about how much traction I had with my tyre when it barely had any pressure in it- the difference was night and day, from spinning the rear wheel on the short sharp climb to calmly going straight up it with no drama.

To run that little pressure in a clincher means inevitable pinch flats though.

Tubs. are they the answer to everything?

In cross, more than any other cycling discipline that I've tried, tubs make an enormous amount of difference, especially in muddy conditions where the ability to run lower pressures can give a huge advantage in the amount of grip you get.

You can try and run clinchers with a low psi but pinch flats become more likely.

When I ride to a race, which is most of the time, I ride there on clincher wheels, with the tubs strapped to my backpack.