Challenge

Strada Bianca Tire - Clincher

Challenge is known for producing some of the best handmade gravel and dirt racing tires out there, and its new Strada Bianca Clincher Tire is right there at the top of the line. What was previously called the 'Eroica,' the Strada Bianca was renamed when it received its updated, double protection layer design. After all, when a tire's named after the hundreds of miles of classic gravel 'white roads' in Tuscany, you know that it was built to be durable, comfortable, and to provide the best puncture protection available.

The Strada Bianca is referred to as an 'open tubular' by Challenge, as the clincher design shares many of the same construction methods and materials as its tubular collection. For the casing, Challenge used its handmade, highly puncture-resistant, and lightweight Super Poly material. With 260 threads per inch (TPI), you receive a remarkably supple ride that you'll feel the first time out. On top of the casing, Challenge added a belt of corespun polyester. Essentially, this means that the casing fibers are made by twisting staple polyester fibers around a central filament core, creating one yarn from multiple fibers. As a result, the material is between 40 and 50% stronger than typically spun materials, while retaining a similar, if not lower, overall weight. This layer is what Challenge calls its PPS (Puncture Protection System), and it's specifically made from the tightly woven polyester material to preserve the casing's supple feel. But Challenge didn't stop there, as it knew this tire would be seeing its share of rough surfaces. Because of this, a second PPS layer was added on top of the first, giving you maximum flat protection without sacrificing overall ride comfort.

The new 30mm-wide profile was then wrapped with the popular Paris Roubaix herringbone tread pattern, as this gripp'y design continues to be one of Challenge's most versatile for a variety of road surfaces. This low-profile pattern perfectly blends speed and grip. The tread was applied using Challenge's proven hand-glued method, which involves mounting and then inflating the casing on a wheel. Only then does Challenge carefully glue on the tread layer. As a result, the tread isn't put under tension when you inflate the tire on your wheel, and that lack of tension leads to lower rolling-resistance, added grip, and increased comfort.

At the bead of the tire, the Super Poly casing is wrapped around Aramid fibers. Essentially, Aramid is a strong material, which is why it's commonly used in bulletproof vests. For the Strada Bianca clincher, this equates to added cumulative strength and durability.

The Challenge Strada Bianca Clincher Tire is available as a 700c x 30mm open tubular tire and in the colors Black/black and Black/tan. Each tire weighs in around 360g without tubes.