HOW TO:
Selecting the Perfect Gravel Tire
Need assistance figuring out which tire to mount for your upcoming gravel race or ride? Or perhaps you're selecting a "daily driver" that needs to perform well everywhere. Below we provide details on the tires in our gravel line. The keywords give you the tires attributes in a nutshell. For further insight, we reached out to Challenge-sponsored pros to get their take on the tires. We hope this information allows you to better choose a Challenge Gravel tire based on their capacities and strengths.
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Keywords: Fast, Smooth, Comfortable
STRADA BIANCA
The Strada Bianca is suitable for poor pavement, packed dirt, dry gravel, or a mixture of all of these. The tires are designed to provide comfort by absorbing bumps and maximize speed via their herringbone tread pattern. Our Pro Says: “Strada Bianca is a fast slick tire perfect for road-gravel mixed rides, especially when the gravel is hard packed and dry. I used the 45mm Strada Biancas in several races last year. The tire’s width allowed me to ride with really low pressure. They absorbed everything, making for a super smooth, really fast ride!”VIEW OPTIONS -
Where is it Perfect?
STRADA BIANCA
Courses/Regions: They are well suited to "champagne" gravel, when the roads are smooth and fast. Consider Nordmarka in Oslo, Birkebeineren in Lillehammer, or Halmstad and Bergslagen in Sweden. Fast gravel roads in the Rocky Mountains like those found in Steamboat or northern Utah. Equally, they would do well in their namesake – Strade Bianche!VIEW OPTIONS
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Keywords: Fast Rolling + Cornering Traction
GRAVEL GRINDER
The Gravel Grinder is for cruising at speed and cornering with confidence. Its construction combines a fast-rolling diamond center with aggressive shoulder knobs. When the tire is upright, the diamond center offers little resistance, allowing for high speeds. However, when you lean the bike over to turn, the side knobs hook the ground for traction. Our Pro Says: “They are lightweight and the feel is great. They are my preferred tire for fast gravel on a wet day. They are perfect for courses with hard gravel roads but lots of turns. You get the extra grip on corners while not compromising the speed.”VIEW OPTIONS -
Where is it Perfect?
GRAVEL GRINDER
Courses/Regions: These are for roads a bit more varied than those where Strada Bianca is the best choice. Tighter turns found on secondary roads, descending into or exiting washes or perhaps good gravel roads that are a bit wet. Gravel Grinders are often the tire of choice for Northern European gravel like Halmstad UCI or FNDL GRVL, both Scandinavian races that have mostly fast but also variable gravel.VIEW OPTIONS
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Keywords: Fast, Versatile, All-Around
GETAWAY
Our most popular gravel tire is designed to handle hardpack, gravel, loose, and rocky soil; in other words, many of the conditions you might face every day. Our Pro Says: “They are fast, great handling, but also work well when a section has chunkier gravel. They are good all-around tires for riding or racing courses with some more challenging conditions.”VIEW OPTIONS -
Where is it Perfect?
GETAWAY
Courses/Regions: It's likely the best choice for most riders who enjoy a variety of dirt. The tight knob pattern has terrific rolling resistance and almost velcro-like dry traction in more Western USA conditions than you would imagine. The low profile tread isn't as grippy as Gravine over rocks and roots, but anywhere Getaway can grab dirt it's a great choice. For example, The Traka, which takes on the paved roads, gravel roads, and trails surrounding Girona. Consider also the terrain of Northern Europe where it gets a little muddy.VIEW OPTIONS
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Keywords: Aggressive and Dependable
GRAVINE
The Gravine is the most aggressive tread of the Challenge line-up, suitable for more severe gravel terrain. Taking inspiration from our knowledge in cyclocross, we increased the height of the knobs for enhanced grip through muddy sections and over more rocky terrain. An open-tread design encourages mud/dirt shedding and self-cleaning of the tire. Our Pro Says: “The Gravine is the tire I use when I know the going might get tough. Perhaps the weather has been wet and the course has muddy sectors. I know that I can trust the Gravine’s tread to get me through. Likewise, there are those days where I get off the beaten path. The Gravine can safely take me from gravel to muddy forest road and back again.”VIEW OPTIONS -
Where is it Perfect?
GRAVINE
Courses/Regions: When you're just not sure what you're going to find, Gravine could be a good choice. The larger knob works better in loose and soft terrain, and rocky or rooty sections of singletrack will feel more confident. These tires are equally at home in the wet conditions of Northern Europe as well as the rocky conditions of Spain. Challenge-sponsored team Sartoria Gravel used the tires to great success at this year’s Traka.VIEW OPTIONS
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Keywords: Durability and Protection
GETAWAY XP / GRAVINE XP
XP stands for extra protection. The tires maintain the supple feel of handmade construction with the addition of enhanced sidewall protection. This offers great protection against punctures when facing chunky gravel and loose stones. Our Pro Says: “The Getaway XP are a good option for courses with a huge variety of terrain, as they are fast and handle well, but have increased puncture protection. The durable construction does add weight over the Getaway, but if a course makes you worry about punctures, then Getaway XP is my selection. The Gravine XP allows me to push my gravel bike to its limits with confidence - it's a tire I can trust in the worst conditions!" -
Where are they Perfect?
GETAWAY XP / GRAVINE XP
Courses/Regions: XP tires are a good option for The Rift Gravel Race through the dark lava fields and highlands of Iceland, and equally good for Unbound with Kansas’ notorious chunky gravel. Or perhaps think of Rasputitsa in Vermont, a notoriously wet spring race that has sectors of gravel that venture into the muddy woods.