Long a friend of the drop bar bicycle rider who likes to get dirty, Challenge has updated some of its key rubber offerings. Challenge is moving away from using the term ‘open tubular’ to refer to its handmade treats. Since they are technically clinchers, the company will start to refer to these tires as such. As for the goodness…
First up is the updated Baby Limus Team Edition. This mighty popular tyre has an updated tread. The pattern is still the same as in previous model years, but the shoulder knobs are now made with a softer rubber. The knobs are also a little higher. The result is a tire that is more of a consistent all-rounder.
The Team Edition S tyre is new, and enjoys a full 320 tpi Corespun cotton casing. The tread rubber is also a softer compound, the knobs are all the same height and the base rubber is thinner – all of this coalescing to offer more consistent handling. This is in addition to a water resistant (and non marking) coating. The Aquaseal/Aquasure sealant on this tyre is applied at the factory, so there’s no need to apply your own. That means you can kiss goodbye the days of having some seriously weathered-looking tyres after a few races. It will also save you time, money and headaches – ultimately delivering a lighter, more supple sidewall. There’s a lot of ‘S’ words in that paragraph: softer; sealant; and supple. And that’s where Challenge gets the ‘S’ in the name of this tyre.
On the gravel side, Challenge breathed some more volume into its Strada Bianca tyre. The handmade version is now available in a 36mm size.
Finally, the Dune is made for…can you guess?…those more sandy races and rides.
