Challenge Tires has been on a tear this year, converting a couple of their more popular models into vulcanized tubeless ready cyclocross tires at Sea Otter. Then at Eurobike they finished the transition off by adding the Grifo and Limus to the mix. Hit that link for all the tech details and size options. Those are shown above and below, followed by a look their first mud tread pattern…
The Grifo (bottom, left) was Challenge’s first cyclocross tread pattern and has an all-conditions design that’s proven extremely effective at the highest level of competition. The Limus is the current mud tire, but it wasn’t their first.
That honor goes to the Fango, which was introduced in 2008 and still has its fans (and about 60 or so tires left in inventory, or so we hear).
The Fango used a scooped center knob that provided a bit of bite while also keeping it rolling fast.
The Fango remained their go-to tread for sloppy conditions until 2011, when the Limus debuted.
Now that the cyclocross line is filled out with tubeless-ready, standard clincher and tubular options, they’re turning their attention back to gravel. For now, they offer their very smooth Strada Bianca, the Alamanzo, and the Gravel Grinder in tubulars, and the Strada Bianca and Gravel Grinder in tubeless-ready clinchers. But, they hinted that there’s a lot of testing and development going on right now, and that we should expect to see the fruits of that next year.
