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Challenge Gravel Grinder Race Tire

ChallengeGravel Grinder Race Tire(Return to Product Page)

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(63 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Viva velo

Reviewed 8/23/2018
by Viva velo
Cycling Enthusiast
Grand Junction.Co
Value Rating
Overall Rating
On road off road perfect

Not slow on pavement and very stable and quick on dirt roads and tracks. This is the one tire for everything on my Specialized Crux.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Slade

Reviewed 6/24/2018
by Slade
Cycling Enthusiast
Fort Collins, CO
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Bites hard in corners

I've ridden these for 2 seasons and, overall, I like them. They roll fast on pavement and dirt, they wear well (still plenty of life left on mine - I rotate FR each season), I have yet to get a flat, and they're a good value on sale thru BTD. My one con is that they bite hard in corners, especially in loose gravel and dirt. My go-to loop is a mixture of pavement, graveldirt roads and some fast stretches of singletrack. I find that when I take a loose corner at speed, these will start to slide at first and then bite hard as the outer lugs grip. For that reason, I'd say they're best suited to dirtgravel roads (as the name implies) than high-speed singletrack. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but you do need good bike handling skills so as not to over-correct.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by jamisjockey

Reviewed 4/21/2018
by jamisjockey
Cycling Enthusiast
Virgina
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Wow! Maybe a little narrower than advertised

I've only got one ride on these but I'm super happy with them! My clement tires aren't very confident cornering, even on the road. These challenge tires transition real well in corners and lock up nicely on gravel. Reasonably fast on road or dry hardpack as well. Corner well in gravel.

I mounted them on a pretty narrow pair of road rims (vuelta) and my micrometer says they're more like 32's on these rims.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by John

Reviewed 4/2/2018
by John
Cycling Enthusiast
Maryland
Value Rating
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
BTD is an awesome place to shop

Great product, especially on sale

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 12/14/2017
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
upstate New York
Value Rating
Overall Rating
just what I wanted

Just what I was looking for. The larger size fits and will be usable for both paved and dirt roads. Plan to buy a 33 for my wife's bike once they are in stock.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 11/9/2017
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Super fast tires

These tires are very fast, they roll well, but still have good traction when needed.

They have good grip in gravel and the side knobs have enough grip to keep you from losing the front wheel if you hit an unexpected patch of deep sand. As expected they provide virtually no forward traction in deep lose sand.

The only downside is the 38mm tires measure out to 35mm on my wheels, but so far their performance has more than made up for being skinnier than advertised. I'll probably get about 800 miles out of the rear which is on par with other tires I've used.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Jake Oakley

Reviewed 11/4/2017
by Jake Oakley
Cycling Enthusiast
Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Purchased for FallWinter trail, road and gravel riding

I have been riding with the 700x32 tires that came with my bike - worked well in spring and summer riding. Wanted to go to 38s for fall and winter. I have been riding more canal trails and plan on continuing through the fall and winter months. Have about 250 canal trail miles on these tires - they are holding up perfectly, have PSI 55 front and 65psi rear. No flats and a very comfortable and stable ride.

Great price and quick shipping.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 9/21/2017
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Great Gravel Tire

Bought these for Rasputitsa and they delivered. The wider version of the Chicane, these puppies hook right up in packed snow in Cyberia and the side lugs hold when it gets a bit sketchy. Bought a second set after riding these.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 9/17/2017
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Good tire overall

Good all around Gravel grinder but a bit on the heavy side

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 8/11/2017
by Anonymous
Casual Cyclist
Pittsburgh PA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Held up well on the C&O Canal trail.

With over 200 miles on rough roadbed, the tread is still much like it was when new.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Arthur P

Reviewed 6/7/2017
by Arthur P
Sweet Home
Overall Rating
Awesome tires

These tires work! Used these in the gravel Epic and went thru gravel, mud wet and dry pavement! They keep on going!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Rusty Cog

Reviewed 8/14/2020
by Rusty Cog
Competitive Racer
Norhwest Wi.
Value Rating
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
38 is a tire that rolls great on all surfaces

Corners well on loose gravel going 29mph on downhill corners and is fast rolling on both asphalt and gravel at40psi.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Flavio Zanin

Reviewed 12/3/2018
by Flavio Zanin
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Good

Very good

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by deebiker

Reviewed 10/13/2014
by deebiker
Competitive Racer
Portland, OR
Overall Rating
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Go-to adventure tire

This tire is my go-to tire from May-mid September. I opted for the Gravel Grinder after realizing that a 40mm MSO just didn't fit right in my bike. Sacrificed 2mm of width, but gained a hell of a lot of acceleration and versatility of use. Really like that I can use this tire for the early-season races and it's super-puncture protective.

Also, even though it's not technically a tubeless tire, it hooks up like a dream on both my Stan's NoTubes wheels and my DT Swiss rims on my Asylum Meuse.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by PDX teacher biker

Reviewed 8/25/2014
by PDX teacher biker
Competitive Racer
Portland, OR
Overall Rating
9 of 10 customers found this review helpful.
Out of the saddle in loosey goosey gravel...no problem

I just put these tires on my CX bike to get some rides in before the Oregon Stampede (130 miles, 70% GRAVEL). I am a 5'3 woman so I was reluctant to put this big of a tire on my bike for fear I would think it was too slow when not riding gravel. The tires feel fine on the road but they really do shine in gravel. After riding for a few hours in Forest Park (Portland, OR, gravel roads are fire roads) I was most impressed with how I was able to get out of the saddle and accelerate in gravel, especially up steep uphill grades, without that sinking in or spin out feeling at all. The tire also feels very secure through corners (even if one has to brake through the corner to avoid a dog that should be on a leash). On pavement, the tires feel faster than traditional cross tires. If I do any early season CX racing in dry conditions I would even consider leaving these tires on for racing.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Marc

Reviewed 1/13/2023
by Marc
Portland
Overall Rating
Perfect grip and super supple

Tires are great for cross or gravel as long as it's not too muddy. Fast rolling on pavement and great grip on dirt/gravel roads. Really comfy running tubeless and can run lower pressures. Not too difficult to mount on tubeless rims and don't leak like WTB.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 1/18/2017
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Oregon
Overall Rating
Great all around tire

I use this tire to commute(20 miles a day) and also hit the logging roads nearby. Fast on the pavement and grippy on the hard pack.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Tinbender75

Reviewed 1/12/2015
by Tinbender75
Cycling Enthusiast
Oklahoma City
Overall Rating
6 of 6 customers found this review helpful.
Great Tire for Gravel, Road or Mud!

When I got my cyclocross bike I primarily got it for gravel and after riding with the stock 32 tire on gravel I decided to try something different. The stock tires walked a lot on gravel and were slow when I was on the road. I read a review of the Gravel Grinders by Guitar Ted and decided to try them. I have rode about 500 miles on them and I love them. No more walking on gravel unless it is very loose. They are fast on the road as well despite their size due to the file tread pattern in the middle of the tread. I had a lot more control on mud as well with them. Mud does like to stick to the sides due to tread on the sides. I highly suggest them and I haven't found anyone who doesn't like them.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 9/6/2014
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
New Hampshire
Overall Rating
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
Great all rounder for all-road riding

I ride lots of dirt roads and rail trails in New England. These are the best all round ones I've found so far (have ridden Vittoria XG, Maxxis Mud Wrestler, Clement MSO 40's). They are light for a 38mm, wide enough to avoid pinch flats, quiet and fast enough on pavement, and provide great traction on a wide variety of surface and allow you to stand on graveldirt hill climbs. They dampen the ride without being too bouncy.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by jmorgan29er

Reviewed 9/5/2014
by jmorgan29er
Competitive Racer
Raleigh, NC
Overall Rating
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Hookin' Up

I run this tire on a Niner RLT9. It has seen a fair mix of road, dirt roads, gravel roads, singletrack and jeep trails. I have run it in group rides on the road and in one of the toughest gravel races (Savage CX) in NC. It is a good all around tire that has hooked up well in turns and just enough volume to not get beat to death on rougher roads and trails. It has seen 500 miles and the center is worn on the rear, but you can still see the file tread. I have run Clement MSO 40s & 32s and this tire comes as a perfect fit for me. It is still fast like the 32 on the road and has the cushion of the 40. My one grip with Challenge and all other companies is to make this tubeless.

Thank you for your feedback.

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