CX/Gravel Tire Test: Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR 40

The Challenge Strada Bianca is a CX/Gravel bike tire with a nearly slick tread that's available in quite an extensive range of versions and sizes. This is a test of the 40 mm version of the most expensive (non-tubular) version: Strada Bianca Pro HTLR, which is the "handmade tubeless-ready" version with tan sidewalls. You have to be careful when buying these tires, as with so many versions, it's easy to end up with the wrong version. We strongly advise checking the part number before purchasing.

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We already tested the 36 mm version of the Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR (read our review) back in 2021 and found it to be one of the fastest gravel bike tires out there. Although the 40 mm version has been available for a while, Challenge has been working on adding more sizes of the Strada Bianca over the last few months. The Strada Bianca Pro HTLR now covers nearly the entire range of gravel bike tire widths as it's available in the 30-622, 33-622, 36-622, 40-622, and 45-622 sizes.

To get back to the many different versions of the Strada Bianca, we also tested the cheaper vulcanized TLR "Race" (read our review) version. We found the vulcanized version to be a completely different tire with vastly different performance levels. To complicate things further, both the "handmade" and "vulcanized" versions are then available in a traditional tube-type "clincher" version as well as a tubeless-ready version.

When purely looking at the "handmade tubeless-ready" HTLR versions, all the available sizes seem to be exactly the same except for the obvious bigger size. In this review, we'll compare the 40 mm version against the 36 mm version that we tested in 2021, which will give an excellent look at different sizes of the same gravel bike tire and how they compare against each other in our tests.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Challenge
Model	Strada Bianca Pro HTLR
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	00564
EAN	8855627005646
TPI	260
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	450 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	45
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	30-622 (700x30c) 33-622 (700x33c) 36-622 (700x36c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c)

Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	450 grams
Measured Weight	435 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	38 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.50 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant) (current protocol)	Conti Cross28 (160 gr) (test protocol)
Measured Width	38 mm	38 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (54 psi / 3.7 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (45 psi / 3.1 bar)	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	14.8 Watts CRR: 0.00444	18.6 Watts CRR: 0.00558
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	17.7 Watts CRR: 0.00531	22.7 Watts CRR: 0.00680
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	53 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.50 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	57 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.2 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The 40 mm version of the Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR performs very similarly to the 36 mm version (read our review) we tested back in 2021. We do see some small differences, but those can easily be attributed to fabrication tolerances, material revisions, age of the tire and storage conditions, and the margin of error of the tests themselves.

Compared to similar tires, we can still consider the Strada Bianca Pro HTLR to be an extremely fast tire that performs surprisingly well in our puncture tests. When we tested the 36 mm version last year, we didn't have our wet grip tester ready yet, and we didn't immediately find its main flaw, which is its low performance in the wet grip test. If wet grip performance isn't important to you, this tire will be an excellent choice. If you value wet grip, we recommend looking at other tires.

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RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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