CX/Gravel Tire Test: Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR 36

The Challenge Strada Bianca is a CX/Gravel bike tire with a nearly slick tread that's available in quite a large range of versions and sizes. This is a test of the most expensive (non-tubular) version: Strada Bianca Pro HTLR which is the handmade tubeless-ready version with tan sidewalls. You really 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 buying.

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The Strada Bianca Pro HTLR is made up of a folding 260 TPI "SuperPoly Corazza Armor" casing which is handmade and tubeless-ready. To add to the confusion, the website indicates this uses "PPS Ganzo" puncture protection while the box the tire comes in, and online sites that sell this tire, indicates it uses a "PPS2" anti-puncture strip. The good part is that once you get the right tire, it looks amazing and performs great in our tests.

We've already tested some other Challenge CX/Gravel bike tires last year (Gravel Grinder and Grifo Pro) and although those tires perform quite well in our tests, we weren't really impressed by them. When purely looking at the specifications, the Strada Bianca with its nearly slick tread should outperform those tires in at least the rolling resistance tests.

The Pro HTLR version is available in the 30-622, 36-622, and 40-622 sizes which should serve nearly anyone that's looking for some gravel bike tires. This is a test of the 36-622 version that's probably the most popular size for CX/Gravel bikes.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Challenge
Model	Strada Bianca Pro HTLR
Year	2021
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	Very High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	00542
EAN	8855627005424
TPI	260
Compound	-
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	36-622
Specified Weight	375 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	50
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 36 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	375 grams
Measured Weight	393 grams
Measured Width Casing	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	35 mm
Measured Height	31 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.2 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.60 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)	15.7 Watts CRR: 0.00471	19.5 Watts CRR: 0.00585
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)	19.2 Watts CRR: 0.00576	24.2 Watts CRR: 0.00725
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	45 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	2.60 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	58 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 Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR is an extremely fast CX/Gravel bike tire that also offers great puncture protection. The Strada Bianca Pro HTLR easily outperforms the Panaracer GravelKing TLC, which is a very similar tire, in nearly all tests except for a slightly higher weight. Something else that's also very nice about this tire is the extremely wide tread (51% tread to casing ratio) which is something we do not see all that often.

If you don't mind the high price and don't need any knobs, the Challenge Strada Bianca Pro HTLR will make your gravel bike fly. As this tire is basically an oversized road bike tire, it's interesting to compare it to the tires in the road bike section. If you do, compare the RR High (60 psi) rolling to the 80 psi values found in the road bike section as that should give a similar comfort level.

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RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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