Challenge used this weekend’s Sea Otter Classic to launch a new Dune tyre as well as a whole new new Team Edition ‘S’ series rubber.
The new Team Edition rubber is softer than previous treads for more grip while still giving nearly as good wear as the regular treads. The tubular casing is suppler too (noticeable when you grab a deflated tub – it even hangs ‘floppier’) and the sidewalls are sealed with a new latex formula that wards off water and keeps the tyres looking better. Importantly, it also offers UV protection to stop the sidewalls degrading.
The new rubber is denoted by an ‘S’
The popular Baby Limus has had its tread increased slightly in the middle (it used to be marginally shorter than the side knobs) in order to give some more straight line traction.
The Baby Limus gets taller tread too
The new rubber is also being introduced into Challenge’s track tyre range with some ‘top teams’ apparently trialling them. There are no plans to introduce it into its road range of tyres – especially after the company can boast that the 2016 Paris Roubaix was completed with zero punctures for any Challenge tyre.
New Challenge Dune Tyre is designed for sand (and snow and ice too)
The new Dune tyre tread has a very wide cross-hatching across the width of the tyre, with cornering knobs on the extremes. This should be good for two extremes of racing – for the sand of Koksijde and the ice and snow of Tabor.
Even better, the new Team Edition rubber is available now. Challenge is available in the UK through Paligap