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challenge chicane 700x33 cyclocross tyres

yes, you are indeed correct. who in their right mind would attempt to review a pair of cyclocross tyres on the weekend that witnessed the self-appointed pinnacle of the road racing season? that would be me. sitting forlornly on the hall cabinet of the croft, is my uci rainbow striped big bobble hat eagerly awaiting the last weeks of october this year when cyclocross becomes the sole object of desire to those with velocipedinal tendencies. two of us in the sunday peloton would be more than happy if next weekend brought a very early start to october.

however, while checking today's eurosport coverage of le tour, i inadvertently learned that, on 22 july, the eurosport player will be shut down and all cycling coverage transferred to discovery+. according to the e-mail i had apparently received informing me of this state of affairs, by way of compensation for this untoward announcement, discovery have offered a half price monthly subscription until december 2024. it's an offer i was only too eager to accept, signing up to discovery+ almost immediately to ensure i have untrammeled coverage of the forthcoming cyclocross season, where once again, each event will commence with an earnest discussion of the tyres being ridden by the principal contestants.

though the majority of cycle tyre manufacturers have 'cross tyres in their range, at the pointy end of the sport, choice would appear to have been effectively sewn-up (pun intended) by challenge and dugast. though the latter is now owned by vittoria, dugast tyres still seem to hard to come by in blightly, while the challenge range is far more easily acquired. according to uci regulations, competitors in events overseen by the blazers at aigle are restricted to a maximum width of 33mm, a width officially checked by a chap with a wooden device resembling an upturned front fork, ensuring that nothing wider has been sneaked in unannounced.

i would dearly love to have you believe that i spend my saturdays jumping the planks, navigating my way through dense muddy patches and breezing through deep sand traps, all the while displaying the sort of bike-handling skills that would have wout van aert drop his jaw. (i guy can dream can't he?). however, the reality is that, like the majority of faux cyclocrossers such as yours truly, and brits aboard gravel bikes, the majority of my saturday kilometres are on metalled roads, though it should be admitted that many are peppered with copious amounts of gravel resulting from wholly ineffective road repairs. add to that my weekly perambulation of the grassier side of uiskentuie strand's dunes, and at a great stretch, it could be said that i am making appropriate use of my specialized crux.

in winter months it is more likely to found shod with challenge's grifo or limus treads, all the better to cope with agriculturally muddy roads and the occasional need to stray onto the roadside verges when avoiding vehicles that ought really to have stopped in a passing place. the chicane option offers a wide file tread in the centre, bordered on both sides by a knobble or two. there's little doubting that the centre section offers a smoother ride on road and a concomitant increase in velocity. the latter, combined with a new chain, chainring and bottom bracket bearings, has eased the saturday strain quite considerably.

but they still offer the opporchancity to speed down uiskentuie's grassier region, with tangible grip even when wet. i also took a deviation across the gravel track leading to foreland road, a track that provides loose gravel, a varying trickle of water and plenty of uneven ground to negotiate, both uphill and down dale. there may have been a marginal loss of traction when climbing unseated, but forward motion was largely unhindered.

prior to purchase, there was what might be categorised as a minor misapprehension related to inflation pressures. the grifos which the chicanes replaced, indicated on the sidewall that pressures ought to sit between 33-40psi, the higher number being what i thought was a tad on the low side if riding on road. checking the illustrations on the challenge website, pressures on the chicanes were shown to be between 23 - 90psi. the moral of this story is never to believe website illustrations; the chicanes also require a maximum 40psi inflation, as can be seen on the real thing.

i would suggest purchasing an accurate tyre pressure gauge, for the tread is glued to the casing and regular use at excess pressures will soon show the edges of the tread beginning to delaminate. it transpires that my ageing park tool track pump is frighteningly innacurate. however, a 33mm clincher tyre inflated to 40psi is a great deal more resilient than i had expected.

i've already related just how unbelievably difficult it is to fit a pair of challenge anythings on a wheelset. all i can say is, study as many swear words as you can before commencing. even with a tyre-jack to assist, i still ended the day with sore thumbs, severe frustration and a scolding for my colourful language from mrs washingmachinepost. however, i'm very much of the opinion that the effort is well worth it. i've ridden challenge tyres on my cross bike ever since discovering that specialized's own 'cross tyres have the fragility of toilet paper. i'd quite like to try a pair of dugast at some point, but that will depend on availability (are you listening vittoria?).

though the professionals and serious amateur cyclocross racers would still likely opt for tubulars, for those of us less familar with the heat of battle, clinchers are probably the more pragmatic option. and it's a highly commended option; never once have i regretted fitting challenge tyres, and the chicanes, if your offroading tends to be somewhat limited, at least during the summer months, are an excellent choice. they might be a tad on the pricey side, but i do figure that you get what you pay for.

challenge chicane cyclocross tyres bear an rrp of £68 each, but you can find them a tad cheaper if you shop around. | challenge chicane 700 x 33 cyclocross clincher tyres

sunday 30 june 2024