Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR 45MM Raced | Gravel Tyre Review

When you first handle the Strada Bianca tubeless handmade tires, you’ll notice their unique flat, non-round shape. This is due to their hand-assembled fabric and natural rubber, giving them a soft feel and adding puncture protection layers. The high thread count translates into a significant improvement in ride quality, making the 45mm Strada Bianca noticeably faster and smoother compared to any other tire I've used. I’m confident in saying that with these tires, you can expect an increase in your average speed on gravel roads.

Pros:
Incredibly soft and supple ride
Faster compared to other gravel tires

Cons:
Short lifespan
Higher price relative to durability
Difficult to set up tubeless, especially for the average home mechanic

I fitted these tires before a local gravel race in the “In the Sticks Gravel Series”. The race is always competitive in the 40-49 age category, so I knew I needed to make tactical decisions. My approach was to stay in front for the first 20km to see where I was going and avoid some sharp rocks that could cause cuts. This would obviously come at a price and when we hit the tight jeep track I decided to push on and split the group 15km in, leaving them to chase me down. This created the split with 8 of us getting away including my teammate.
We kept up the pace, riding for my teammate, Egon Campbell. At the 50km mark, during a climb, Craig Uria made a move, and Egon had to follow, leaving the top 5 to break away. I rode with the 50+ SA Gravel Champion for the remainder of the race, almost bridging the gap to the breakaway. Egon eventually won the race for our team, and I finished in 6th position.
The Strada Bianca tires held up remarkably well, offering a plush ride thanks to their handmade quality and high thread count of 260 TPI. When transitioning from gravel to tarmac, the low rolling resistance was evident and beneficial during the faster segments of the race.
Compared to my previous experience with Schwalbe G-One RS tires, the Strada Bianca felt faster and smoother, though their softness does mean that puncturing is a consideration. Despite being a slick tire, they performed admirably on gravel, with only a slight tendency to wash out on very tight corners compared to the Schwalbe’s small knobs.
Overall, I highly recommend the Strada Bianca for gravel races with a higher proportion of tarmac. They are incredibly fast-rolling and offer excellent performance where speed is crucial.

Bicycle rolling resistance test for the 40C:
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance....

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