Challenge

Criterium RS Team Edition Tubular Tire

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"The Criterium RS Team Edition Tubular Tire is the tire I point serious road racers toward when they want to know what the absolute top of Challenge's road lineup feels like in a race situation. The combination of 350TPI sealed corespun cotton, SMARTprime compound, and a seamless latex tube creates a performance system where every element is working to reduce rolling resistance and maximize grip simultaneously. It corners with a confidence and sensitivity that is simply not available in any other format at this level, and the PPS protection means you can focus entirely on racing rather than managing risk."

Road racing at the highest level demands a tire that contributes to the outcome rather than simply staying out of the way, and the Challenge Criterium RS Team Edition Tubular Tire was engineered to be an active performance advantage from the moment it rolls off the start line. Recognized by Road.cc as a recommended tire and awarded Editor's Choice by Bikerumor, the Criterium RS TE represents the culmination of Challenge's handmade road tire philosophy applied to the demands of criterium and road race competition, where speed, grip, and reliability have to coexist without compromise.

The SMARTprime compound is the fastest rubber formulation in Challenge's road lineup, delivering measurably lower rolling resistance than the standard Smart compound while maintaining the traction and durability needed for repeated race day use. Because Challenge's handmade process never exposes SMARTprime to the heat and pressure of industrial vulcanization, the compound retains its intended softness and speed characteristics through the full life of the tire rather than hardening off as conventionally produced rubber does over time. The 350TPI sealed corespun cotton casing represents the upper tier of Challenge's casing construction, offering a natural softness and compliance that polyester simply cannot match at any thread count. Challenge seals the cotton sidewalls to resist water absorption and improve long-term durability without sacrificing the extraordinary suppleness that makes cotton such a prized casing material among performance-oriented riders.

A seamless latex inner tube completes the performance system, adding a final layer of compliance and cornering sensitivity that allows the casing to work at its full potential. The seamless construction eliminates the pressure inconsistencies associated with traditional joined tubes, delivering even inflation and a more consistent ride feel across the full circumference of the tire. PPS puncture protection adds a tightly-woven fabric barrier between the tread and casing, providing meaningful flat resistance on the glass, debris, and rough pavement surfaces that characterize urban criterium courses and aggressive road race routes. Available in 700x25C at 270g and 700x28C at 315g, the Criterium RS Team Edition Tubular Tire gives racers the flexibility to match tire volume to course demands while maintaining the same elite-level performance characteristics across both sizes.