Choosing Can be Easy
Need assistance figuring out which tire to mount for your upcoming gravel race or epic loop? Or perhaps you're selecting a "daily driver" for the season that needs to perform well everywhere? Below we provide details that can help you choose the best tire for your ride.
If you need clarification or advice about which tire is for you, always feel free to ask questions at info@challengetires.us
How We Evaluate Tire Performance
ROLLING RESISTANCE - Tires with low rolling resistance require less power to move forward, meaning you go faster with less effort. Balance this with your desire for off-pavement grip and adverse conditions performance to make a good selection.
HARD PACKED DIRT - This surface is closest to pavement so a smaller knob is going to perform better even with the requiste dust and small gravel present on even the smoothest dirt road.
LOOSE GRAVEL - As the gravel gets chunkier, a taller knob is needed to find traction especially in turns. Loose-over-hardpack is one of the trickiest conditions for a tire to manage because the gravel tends to roll across the hard road surface under your weight.
ROCKS & ROOTS - Performance here is a function of both knob size (traction) and resistance to impact at lower pressures (toughness). Our XP series perform better in these conditions than their non-XP counterparts because they have tougher sidewalls and are less likely to puncture.
WET/SOFT CONDITIONS - Soft or wet dirt allows a taller knob to penetrate and find traction, but the tradeoff is performance on firm surfaces or pavement where a pronounced tread “floats” across a firm surface, unable to find soft conditions to grip.
MUD TRACTION - Tall, loosely spaced knobs are best at finding whatever traction might be available. Mud comes in many flavors and eventually any tire will succumb especially if the mud sticks and builds up on the tread.
TOUGHNESS - A tougher or more resistant tire is less likely to puncture or suffer a pinch flat in rough terrain, with a tradeoff in weight and higher rolling resistance.
Strada Bianca
WHEN IT'S PERFECT – Strada Bianca is the winner when the roads are smooth, fast and dry. They are well suited for road rides that venture onto gravel and dirt roads that are predominantly hardpack. The low rolling resistance and responsive ride are at home on road bikes when a wider, more substantial tire is desired for daily rides.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 5
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 5
LOOSE GRAVEL - 3
ROCKS & ROOTS - 2
SOFT & WET - 2
MUD TRACTION - 1.5
TOUGHNESS - 3
Getaway
WHEN IT'S PERFECT – Getaway is the best choice for riders who enjoy a wide variety of roads. The tight knob pattern has terrific rolling resistance and almost velcro-like dry traction in sandy turns and on surfaces all the way up to champagne gravel. Getaway works best in dry to tacky conditions – anywhere the fast tread can grab clean dirt it’s a great choice.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 4
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 4
LOOSE GRAVEL - 3.5
ROCKS & ROOTS - 3
SOFT & WET - 3
MUD TRACTION - 3
TOUGHNESS - 3
Getaway XP
XP stands for extra protection. The tires maintain the supple feel of handmade construction with the addition of enhanced sidewall protection and an additional bead-to-bead casing layer.
WHEN IT'S PERFECT – Getaway XP is the answer when you would select Getaway but aim to run lower pressures or ride sections of rougher terrain or sharp gravel. If your style is more “set and forget” you’ll love that you can mount Getaway XP for the whole season and not worry about hidden embedded rocks or surprise ruts in fast descents.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 4
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 4
LOOSE GRAVEL - 3.5
ROCKS & ROOTS - 4
SOFT & WET - 3
MUD TRACTION - 2.5
TOUGHNESS - 5
Gravel Grinder
WHEN IT'S PERFECT – The Gravel Grinder’s unique performance profile makes it the perfect Yin to the Getaway’s Yang. Both are a good choice over a variety of gravel, but Gravel Grinder has the edge when conditions are soft or wet. A great spring or autumn tire, and a great option when unpredictable weather has you wishing for a bit more bite.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 3.5
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 3.5
LOOSE GRAVEL - 3.5
ROCKS & ROOTS - 3
SOFT & WET - 4
MUD TRACTION - 4
TOUGHNESS - 3
Gravine
WHEN IT'S PERFECT – When you’re just not sure what you’re going to find, Gravine could be a good choice. The larger knob will feel more confident in almost every kind of terrain. These tires are equally at home in wet and rocky conditions, or when you just don’t feel like slowing down to nurse a less-burly tire through loose turns or chunky sections of singletrack.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 3
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 3
LOOSE GRAVEL - 4
ROCKS & ROOTS - 4
SOFT & WET - 4.5
MUD TRACTION - 5
TOUGHNESS - 3.5
Gravine XP
XP stands for extra protection. The tires maintain the supple feel of handmade construction with the addition of enhanced sidewall protection and an additional bead-to-bead casing layer.
WHEN IT'S PERFECT - If rolling resistance and weight are secondary concerns while you’re bombing through stream beds down loose off-camber descents, the Gravine XP is going to be your favorite tire. From dry gravel to muddy fire road climbs, this tire is the solution when you want superior traction, protection and control without compromising a lively and supple ride.
ROLLING RESISTANCE - 3
HARD-PACKED DIRT - 3
LOOSE GRAVEL - 4
ROCKS & ROOTS - 4.5
SOFT & WET - 4.5
MUD TRACTION - 5
TOUGHNESS - 5
