CX/Gravel Tire Test: Challenge Strada Bianca Race TLR 36

The Challenge Strada Bianca is available in many different versions that range from handmade tubeless-ready, handmade tubular, handmade tubeless tubular, handmade clincher, vulcanized tubeless-ready, and vulcanized clincher. With this many versions of the same tire, it can be challenging to pick the version that best suits your needs.

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We've already tested the handmade tubeless-ready (HTLR) version of the Strada Bianca "Pro" (read our review) and found it to be a very fast rolling tire with good puncture resistance. The handmade tubeless-ready version is quite an expensive tire which is where the vulcanized tubeless-ready "Race" version comes in, as it's available at much better prices.

The vulcanized Strada Bianca comes with a classic 120 TPI "Nylon Superlight" casing with no extra puncture protection under the tread (the handmade version comes with PPS2 protection). It's available in the 30, 36, and 40 mm sizes and a 46 mm wide 650b version. We can't find much about the compound, so we're unsure if this is the same compound used on the handmade version.

This is a test of the 36-622 version with brown sidewalls. As we also tested the 36 mm version of the handmade tubeless-ready version, this will make for an excellent comparison.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Challenge
Model	Strada Bianca Race TLR
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	02089
EAN	8855627020892
TPI	120
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	36-622
Specified Weight	0 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	55
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	30-622 (700x30c) 36-622 (700x36c) 40-622 (700x40c) 46-584 (650x46b)

Challenge Strada Bianca Race TLR 36 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	0 grams
Measured Weight	395 grams
Measured Width Casing	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	35 mm
Measured Height	32 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	3.00 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	35 mm	35 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 (60 psi / 4.1 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (40 psi / 2.8 bar)	21.2 Watts CRR: 0.00635	25.0 Watts CRR: 0.00749
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 (30 psi / 2.1 bar)	25.2 Watts CRR: 0.00755	30.2 Watts CRR: 0.00905
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	37 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	3.00 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	71 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

Compared to the more expensive handmade tubeless-ready version of the Strada Bianca (read our review), the vulcanized version rolls slower and offers less puncture protection. The biggest potential problem we see is the weak sidewall construction that results in thin and easy to puncture sidewalls for a tubeless-ready tire. Part of this is offset by the extremely wide tread (52.2% tread cover), covering a larger portion of the sidewalls than on most other tires.

In our wet grip test (available through Pro View), the vulcanized Strada Bianca does well and outscores the handmade tubeless-ready version that isn't that impressive when it comes to wet grip. The better wet grip probably comes from a more flexible casing as there is no stiff anti-puncture belt under the tread and possibly a different compound as these tires come from different factories.

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RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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