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Taipei First Look: Challenge Takes on the dirt with new Gravel Grinder Clincher and Tubular

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Challenge Gravel Grinder Tire

Growing almost as fast as fat bikes, gravel bikes are another category that is pushing the development of bikes and components. Needing to be both fast rolling and grippy on loose surfaces, those who frequently venture off road with skinny tires will have a new option for the perfect tread with the new Gravel Grinder from Challenge.

Check out the tread pattern next.

Taipei First Look: Challenge Takes on the dirt with new Gravel Grinder Clincher and Tubular

Built with a file tread center and Limus like shoulder knobs, the 38mm clincher will sit alongside a 36mm tubular and open tubular. Competition take note, Challenge has licensed the name Gravel Grinder – to use it, you must pay Challenge $1 and one beer per year for use of the name. Seems fair to us.

Taipei First Look: Challenge Takes on the dirt with new Gravel Grinder Clincher and Tubular

Like the Triathlon and Paris Roubaix tires, the Gravel Grinder features a double puncture protection to get you home. Also, while it wasn’t on hand, Challenge mentioned that they will be offering another new tire that will essentially be a baby Limus. Using smaller tread blocks, the baby Limus will be more of an all around tire rather than a mudder.

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Superstantial
Superstantial
10 years ago

Wait, they licensed the name “Gravel Grinder”? From whom? Or do you mean they trademarked it and want a dollar and a beer for a license to use it?

That purported license fee is fun and all, but I’d have preferred they just didn’t TM that common phrase. Maybe a dollar now, but there’s no telling whether they’ll go Specialized in future.

Superstantial
Superstantial
10 years ago

Despite the nascent IP craziness. I really do like that tire.
Nice looking tread, 38 width means it should fit in a lot of cross frames.

WV Cycling
10 years ago

I know there’s a difference, but it reminds me too much of that Clement tire, and the Ritchey SpeedMax Cross Pro.

I don’t know much about CX tires though.

(Love me some Challenge Elite road tires though!!!)

Todd
Todd
10 years ago

Did they license the design from the Kenda Happy Medium?

Tath
Tath
10 years ago

I’m hoping they trademarked it and put a laughable fee on it to keep someone else from trademarking it and charging a boatload to use it.

Bill
Bill
10 years ago

So it’s the Chicane, wider?

Bert
Bert
10 years ago

Very impressed with what Challenge has been doing lately — running the “Gravel Grinder”s smaller brother Almanzo. The clincher version (as opposed to “open tubular” with its porous sidewalls) will appeal to people pursuing tubeless conversion.

That said, I think this tread on a 40-45mm 650b casing would probably be my dream dirt/gravel tyre for converted CX bikes.

WRM
WRM
10 years ago

Here’s a brief trademark primer:

One doesn’t “trademark” a brand or name. You register a trademark. A trademark is commonly understood as a “brand”, or, more broadly, any feature of a product or service that designates the source of the goods. This could mean a name, logo, color, design, shape, or any host of possible features. A “registered trademark” gives the registrant the exclusive use of a particular mark for a particular category of goods or services.

Challenge has submitted an application to register the trademark “GRAVEL GRINDER” for tires and other similar goods. It seems this article confuses trademark licensing, something done by the registrant of a trademark to allow others to use the trademark for a fee (think Fuji licensing “ROUBAIX” to Specialized), with an application to register a trademark, namely, the GRAVEL GRINDER mark for tires and similar goods. Either that, or the article means to say that Challenge is offering to license the name to intersted parties.

Notably, another entity, Gravel Grinder LLC of Lincoln, NE, has submitted an application to register the same trademark, GRAVEL GRINDER, for clothing. Since they are very different categories of products, both terms could become registered trademarks, but, there are a whole host of factors considered before the USPTO issues a registration.

@trademarklab
@trophiesorscars

http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86139296&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

Pilot
Pilot
10 years ago

Seriously? A file tread like this will wear out in a few hundred miles of gravel riding. This tire will have a bald patch down the middle quickly. And what’s with those huge shoulder knobs?

Challenge Tires
10 years ago

@VW Cycling and @Todd: Gravel Grinder is a cross between the 10-year-old Grifo XS file tread in the center and the 5-year-old, Stefan/Helen Wyman-designed Limus side knobs — we are not copying anyone else’s tread.

@Pilot and @Bill: The Gravel Grinder is a bigger version of the popular Chicane cyclocross tread but GG has a harder rubber compound for longer wear on more abrasive gravel roads, more tread coverage on the sidewalls to protect from cuts and double PPS for more puncture protection.

@Superstantial and @tath: Challenge has applied for a trademark for both Almanzo and Gravel Grinder in the category for Bike Products. If you would like to sub-license the Gravel Grinder name from Challenge we will indeed (probably) offer you the same deal we offered the guys at Niner bikes who have spent years developing their category of Gravel Grinder bikes and Guitar Ted at Gravel Grinder News – one dollar plus one (good) beer per year shared German-style (eye-to-eye across a table) preferably on a hot, sunny day after a long ride.

Challenge trademarks our product names so they are not trademarked later by companies seeking to block us from using a name we have invested heavily to promote. We also are happy to extend a sub-license to our friends in the industry who also have invested in a name and deserve the same protection.

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