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New Challenge Strada Bianca Gravel Road Race Tire

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Challenge Strada Bianca 700x30 gravel road race tire

Challenge Tires has added the Strada Bianca gravel road tire to its lineup. Normally, we’d transform the info into our own words, but their press release is just so elegant:

FROM CHALLENGE: The gentle crunch of white gravel provides the soundtrack of your ride as billows of dust blow through Tuscan vineyards in your wake.

Strada Bianca, Italian for “white road,” refers to the classic white gravel that cover hundreds of miles in Tuscany. As our line of gravel tires expands and adjusts to meet the needs of gravel enthusiasts, Challenge’s 30mm herringbone tubular and open tubular tire takes on a new identity to embody the spirit of gravel racing as the Strada Bianca.

The popularity of the legendary 27mm herringbone Paris-Roubaix led Challenge to develop a tire with more volume and comfort but the same fast-rolling tread. In partnership with its namesake, the Eroica vintage race, the lightweight tire gained an avid following from the rapidly-growing group of gravel enthusiasts and it continued to evolve from a high-volume Paris-Roubaix to a true gravel slick.

As it transformed to meet gravel-specific needs of durability and longevity, the tire gained a double layer of puncture protection (Double PPS), deeper rubber and tougher 260TPI SuperPoly casing. As its popularity grew, the expectations of its namesake race shifted, which inspired an appropriate reinvention as the Strada Bianca.

The Strada Bianca is available in classic black with tan sidewall or all black. It joins the 30mm Almanzo file tread in Challenge’s line of supple, fast-rolling handmade gravel tires. Ask to see Challenge’s gravel tubulars and open tubulars at your local Challenge retailer.

Specs:

  • Size: 700x30c
  • Casing: 260TPI SuperPoly
  • Bead: Aramid, folding
  • Puncture protection: Double PPS
  • Tubular: Latex inner tube
  • Suggested pressure: 55-115 psi (4-8 bar)
  • Open Tubular (aka Clincher) is 341g and $76
  • Tubular is 285 396g and $109

(Sadly, there’s no white wall version…)

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OlyOop
OlyOop
10 years ago

Tears of joy. Thank you, Challenge.

maddogeco
maddogeco
10 years ago

I love gravel riding and these could be my next tires. The worst bit about gravel grinding my local roads are sandstone based and it take forever to clean the sand out of my chain. Anybody got any tips?

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

Blow it out with an air compressor and re-lube.

Velo
Velo
10 years ago

Fat Tire List

Manufacturer Model Size Weight
———-
Grand Bois Extra Léger 700 x 32C 232g
Grand Bois Cerf Green 700 x 29C 248g
Challenge Parigi Roubaix Clincher 700 x 27C 280g
Vittoria Open Pavè CG 700 x 27C 280g
Grand Bois Cyprès 700 700 x 32C 290g
Challenge Eroica 700 x 30C 320g
Schwalbe Kojak 700 x 35C 330g
Panaracer T-Serve 700 x 32C 350g
Vittoria Voyager Hyper 700 x 32C 350g
Panaracer Pasela TG 700 x 32C 360g
Challenge Strada Bianca 700 x 30C 360g
Continental GatorSkin 700 x 32C 380g
Serfas HHP Tuono Hybrid Tire 700 x 32C 390g
Panaracer Pasela 700 x 32C 390g
Vittoria Voyager Hyper 700 x 35C 395g
Panaracer RiBMo PT 700 x 32C 400g
Bontrager R1 Road 700 x 32C 410g
Continental Speed RIDE 700 x 42C 420g
Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case 700 x 32C 425g
Nashbar Streetwise Road Tire 700 x 35C 430g
Continental GatorHardshell 700 x 32C 435g
Specialized Espoir Sport 700 x 30C 440g

Fredrick
Fredrick
10 years ago

Not that im specialized guy as far as tires go, but i’m pretty pretty dammed sure they have a fat tire lighter than the lone Espoir Sport that is on that list.

Anything lighter than a Vitoria Pave OpenTub, you might want to start looking at tubulars, because lets be real, you are likely able to run fancy hoops at that point.

Fredrick
Fredrick
10 years ago

Staying on topic for the post, I love Challenge and will be shoeing one of my bikes with these post haste.

MG
MG
10 years ago

The Grand Bois Extra Leger is one of, if not the, best feeling tire I’ve had the pleasure of riding.

Samuel J. Greear
10 years ago

Very happy with my Kenda Happy Medium’s in 700×40, spec’d weight is 434±22g, I did not scale to confirm. It’s just enough tire that I don’t feel like I am going to die when I plunge into an inches-deep soft gravel section at speed — those tend to happen in the real world, at least in my neck of the woods — and they roll well enough that I do not terribly mind them on pavement, even climbing. I have done a 25 mile XC race on them as well.

j
j
10 years ago

Maddogeco: long full coverage fenders + mudflap. No cleaning required.

Big E
Big E
10 years ago

If anyone tries these with a tubeless configuration, can you please share the results? They look like the perfect tire, but I really prefer tubeless setups for Ultra Cross races.

Ajax
Ajax
10 years ago

Stop. It. Most road bikes don’t even accept tires fatter than a 25.

Tommy Barse
10 years ago

Obviously there is a demand for tires this size. How about classic bikes? My Rossin can fit 30s in it. My new Bishop was built around the Challenge Parigi-Roubaix. I like that Challenge is coming out with new stuff.

WoofWoof
WoofWoof
10 years ago

@Big E, this tire isn’t on the above list, but I’ve been running the Michelin Jet tubeless for Ultra CX. Rolls fast on pavement, and does well in gravel, etc. I generally run them at 40psi, but that will depend on body weight and other factors.

I’ve had them measure anywhere from 32mm – 35mm depending on the rim I have them mounted on. They are supposed to be 30mm, but they are wider.

jason
jason
10 years ago

Thanks velo I copied that list, of course there are more out, Jack Brown, Rolly Poly Ruffy Tuffy,

Iso
Iso
10 years ago

@Big E Clement 700×40 C 430g
tested tubeles on ZTR Arch tubeless in dirtragmag by josh patterson,
seems to perform quiet well.
Thanks foe the list.

jimmythefly
jimmythefly
10 years ago

Yeah, Jack Browns and Resist Nomads are notably absent from that list. Teh Resist Nomads are wire bead, so don’t be distracted by the weight, they’re actually surprisingly nice riding (supple-ish, like a panaracer pasela), especially for the price.

Also, awesome though that list is, it is showing only the size “name”, not the actual width, so if anyone is considering purchasing some of those tires its’ worth looking up actual reported widths first.

Kurosan
Kurosan
10 years ago

@Ajax – Mainstream bike manufacturers have been building bikes that will fit at least 27’s or 28’s recently. Even makers like Specialized are starting to get a clue that the vast majority of cyclists don’t race, never will, and don’t need a bike that was designed to do so.

I go nearly as fast on my carbon CX with 28mm road tires as I do on my carbon road with 23mm tires but with a heckuva lot more comfort on the CX, especially on longer distances (> 100 miles). What’s not to love?

Joshua Robot
Joshua Robot
10 years ago

The perfect tire for my new Kona Zone endurance road racing bike which clears up to a 32c tire. Psyched!

– Robot

MtotheAC
MtotheAC
10 years ago

These are going to go great with my Cervelo R3 mud

Paul Witzerman
8 years ago

You got an R3 mud? You are one of a very lucky few. How did you get that?

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