Challenge Strada Open Tubular (£48)
Challenge Strada Open Tubular (£48)
Although they’re only available in 25mm, the Stradas are one of Challenge’s best all-round tyres.
The Italians have added in a layer of their puncture protection strip (PPS) which brings the overall weight up to 285g, but they’re definitely the sort of tyre to consider if you’re after one rubber to rule them all.
Casing is a very supple 300tpi, but being backed up by the PPS should mean there is still little to worry about in the puncture stakes. The single PPS tyres have the strip between the outer rubber and inner layer, but Challenge also do tyres with an additional PPS on the inside if you’re deeply concerned about keeping flats at bay.
And don’t be thrown that they’re called ‘open tubulars’ – they’re still clinchers. Challenge uses open tubular to describe clinchers that have been made using the same techniques as their popular tubular tyres. If you don’t like the tan sidewalls, then there’s also an all-black version.