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Challenge Strada PRO 700c Tire

ChallengeStrada PRO 700c Tire(Return to Product Page)

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(12 customer reviews)
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(25%)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Steve T

Reviewed 3/26/2024
by Steve T
Arizona
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Maybe the best tire ever.

A fast tire with tubular like road feel. Use them on 2 of my bikes , really durable and they look great. I�m a long time Challenge fan.

Here�s a mounting tip ( yes they can be difficult.

Mount the tire on the rim without a tube. Let it sit 24 hours, put the wheel in the sun and after an hr or so pinch the tire into the center making the tread round. Then take off one side and insert the tube. Only need to do this on new tires.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by IM

Reviewed 6/22/2021
by IM
Cycling Enthusiast
Seattle
Value Rating
Overall Rating
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
Vastly imrpoved on a great tire.

Longtime fan of open-tubular type tires, back with the old Vittoria Open Corsas and Torelli's offerings. What they lack in rubber compound technology from the big guys, they more than make up for in grippiness from the soft casing. In terms of ride feel, they're well a step above premium tires like the Conti GPs or Michelin Pros.

First time riding Challenge tires but very familiar with the manufacturer from the 'cross world. They ride just like the old Open Corsas�soft and cushy for their size, and feel well planted in corners. I don't anticipate them to last as long as conventional clinchers, but expect to get a summer out of them. Already put 100 miles in, riding through urban and industrial streets with nary a puncture. You can get away with a slightly lower pressure with these, and that helps with avoiding flats. You're not going to snake-bite unless you ride sort of recklessly or go extremely low.

I purchased 25s with the anticipation that, like most open tubulars, they'll grow a little bit once worn in. They measured 24mm when I first mounted them and now measure 26mm. Running them at 85psi.

I'll also admit that I read many of the poor reviews from circa 2016 involving catastrophic blowoffs with this tire at higher pressures, and was very nervous on the first ride. First, it seems the common denominator is running very wide (like 25c) rims or carbon rims with non-standard hooks. Challenge has updated their compatibility chart, and my 18c alloy rims are within the suggested range. Second, Challenge appears to have added a vulcanized reinforcement along the bead that aids in tire retention. The bead is a bit beefier than before, search for recent images of the folded tires from other sites and you'll see a black strip on the outer edges. So far I've had no problems. Mounting the tire wasn't as much as an ordeal as I remember with past open tubulars.

Highly recommend this tire, or better yet, if you have the clearance, the Paris-Roubaix or Strada Bianca. Same tire but wider. Best $xxx you'll spend on your bike. Comfort=Speed.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by dabrains

Reviewed 4/22/2019
by dabrains
Detroit, Michigan
Overall Rating
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Disappointed

I really wanted to like these tires. There's so much variability in the production that some you can mount with your hands others you need to pry on with tire levers. I guess the final straw was finding quarter inch slits in front and rear tires without any real wear on them yet. They're just too soft of a tread and too much variability in production to be confident on any sort of ride. I've had more flats with these than I've had mirrors, probably 5 to 6 in one season. when they were mounted on my bike they rolled grade and fell super. I just can't get over how few miles I've been able to put on them confidently.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 12/20/2018
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Really a smooth easy rolling tire.

It takes plenty of bby powder and tire levers that are thin to mount th tire onto the rim. Mount tire without the tube and let it sit for a day to stretch then go for it. Ride quality is awsome!!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by C DUB.

Reviewed 9/5/2021
by C DUB.
Competitive Racer
IDAHO
Value Rating
Overall Rating
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.
not exatcly what I expected.

probably the narrowest 25C tires I've used. Looks like a 23 once mounted, and speaking of mounting these tires, hope you have good to exceptional thumb strength and and infinite patients. not an easy task AT ALL.

very soft, wear faster than most tires of this type, and not puncture proof at all. so, now I know and won't be purchasing them again.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Larry T.

Reviewed 11/26/2015
by Larry T.
Cycling Enthusiast
Italy
Value Rating
Overall Rating
One of my all time favorites

Life is too short to ride on cheap, stiff tires! But if you're uninterested in gluing and otherwise fooling around with tubulars, these are the next-best-thing, especially when-if you get a flat - just pop in a new tube and you're on your way. These are right up there with the much more popular-famous V brand when it comes to ride quality. Swap 'em front to rear as soon as the rear shows signs of wear and you'll get a lot of life out of these, though they're not the tires for those who crash over potholes or won't ride around glass and other road debris. Enjoy cycling! Ride on high-quality tires!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 7/28/2015
by Anonymous
Competitive Racer
Orange County, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
Roll and grip like no other - but come break down on carbon rims

My first few rides on these tires were fantastic. The roll so smoothly and I could corner with more confidence than I've felt on the old Vittoria Open Corsa's. However after about a few rides I started hearing a thudding noise coming from the back tire. Upon inspection I noticed that the sidewall had bulged and was hitting the brake pads. I took them back to the shop and was able to do a return but then the next tire did the same thing. The shop owner told the Challenge rep about this and the rep mentioned something along the lines of yes, this is known to happen when using these tires on carbon rims. I think this is a bit ridiculous given the near ubiquity of carbon rims these days.

If Challenge can address this particular issue, then I'll be back on these tires in a heartbeat. Until then, I'm sticking to the tried and true Vredestein Tri-comps.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 4/5/2015
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Suburbs of Philadelphia
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Update for my previous review

I've put these tires through the ringer now and absolutely love them. Completed an 82 mile ride yesterday at the Hell of Hunterdon with about 15 miles on wet, variable condition gravel/dirt roads. People were flatting all-over. Not me. These tires are a beast and still look like new after yesterday's hell. I was waiting for a flat...never happened. And some spots on the course were nasty. My new favorite tires. Hope you get them back in stock so people can purchase these. Highly recommend. So far since I've installed them I logged 500 miles and no punctures.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Rusty G.

Reviewed 3/12/2015
by Rusty G.
Cycling Enthusiast
Suburbs outside Philadelphia
Value Rating
Overall Rating
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.
Fantastic rolling tire...

...I'm on my second pair and this is the newer updated version and is different than what is pictured. What is pictured is the older Strada 25 (my previous pair) with the old graphic and 260 TPI. The newer version (and what will arrive when you order here) has a different graphic and is now 300 TPI. BTD needs to update their product image for this tire. They roll fantastic. Can run a bit lower pressure and run a bit wider than 25mm. Currently mounted on my 23mm wide hoops they are pushing 27mm. They are softer and wear quicker than the GP4000's I previously used, but the ride quality is night and day. I got an entire season out of my previous pair (just shy of 4000 miles and the front still looked great, the rear was bald down the center). I'm anxious to put the new 300 TPI version to work. Flat protection is on par with other tires I've ridden, but that is neither here nor there depending on the road conditions. I'll go weeks and weeks without flatting, then flat 3 times in a week. Yes, mounting can be hard, but it's not tricky. Just gotta man handle them onto the rim, seat your tube very well to avoid pinching, and fill'er up and enjoy the bliss. They will stretch and subsequent tube repairs will be easier.

BikeTiresDirect.com Comments
Hi! We are extremely sorry that the photo did not have the updated version of the Strada 25 and we are in the process of updating it. We are constantly bringing in new product and Challenge has updated the Strada 25, increasing the TPI and PSI capability. We think the new version is excellent! Thank you again for pointing out the discrepancy and let us know how the updated version preforms. Best, Jeremy BTD
Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Old Rider

Reviewed 5/24/2021
by Old Rider
Cycling Enthusiast
Austin
Value Rating
Overall Rating
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.
Too hard to mount. Bought two. One was a wrestling match and the other was impossible. I agree with other reviewers about poor quality control. Otherwise a beutiful tire, very old school sewup like.

Beautiful tire that is impossible to mount on my HED Ardennes.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Mr Off Route

Reviewed 9/25/2017
by Mr Off Route
Cycling Enthusiast
San Juan Island, WA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Mount on rim without tube for a week to stretch, best tire you could ask for.

Open tubular Challenge tires live up to their name when first mounting. Install without a tube and let the bead stretch for a week, afterwards they'll be fine! These tires roll as well as any, are tough yet smooth, and super sticky. Keep inflation to a minimum in order to appreciate how good they are. I have measured these at 27 and 28 mm though labeled 25. The Challenge Roubaix, labeled 27 mm, comes in more toward 30 and makes a really nice front tire. Sadly, it won't fit between my chainstays. Our roads are rough, we do gravel, moss and grass also.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 3/1/2018
by Anonymous
Bose Idaho
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Awesome tire!

This thing is the best feeling tire I've ridden since sew-ups. They seem average for durability with only minor cuts from debris in the tread. On my first ride I managed to put a 16 pinney nail through the sidewall. Over 900 miles later they are still going strong. I figured the casing would come apart from that nail but so far it hasn't. They are tight when you first install them but I didn't need tire irons to get them on the rim. It looks like they should last over 2000 miles but I don't think they will make it to 3000?

Thank you for your feedback.

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