
Earlier month, we hinted at a new tread from Challenge, the Chicane, which was rumored to be a tire with aggressive side knobs. It was spotted being prototyped last season for leaning over in corners on dry courses and having traction on the icy courses that we saw in Madison at Nationals.

And so, Challenge finally announced that it was ready: “Taking cues from existing treads and feedback from professional athletes, Challenge has developed the ultimate tire for most fast cyclocross courses.”

Developed in conjunction with British National Champion and American favorite Helen Wyman and her mechanic and husband, Stefan Wyman, the Chicane is a “no-compromises tread pattern, which inspires confidence in loose corners but accelerates rapidly in straightaways.”

“They give you the best opportunity to get traction in important corners as well as have the ideal tire for sprinting at the end of a race,” Wyman explained after winning the European championships on the prototypes.

“It suits the predominant conditions in many of the world’s cyclocross hotbeds better than anything else on the market,” commented Alex Brauns, owner and Challengetech factory manager.

The 33mm Chicane will be available in both tubular and open tubular models, which mount like a clincher. Both options are constructed at the Challenge factory with advanced proprietary handmade technology and without extreme heat treatments, which allow the tire to maintain the optimal supple ride on the fine, lightweight casing.

Challenge notes that: The Challenge PPS (Puncture Protection System) belt adds durability to the 300TPI (thread per inch) SuperPoly casing. Tubular models are constructed with Challenge seamless latex inner tubes — the only seamless latex tubes on the market — with removable valve core, while the open tubular models include a folding Aramid bead.

The Chicane will be available this fall through international distributors and local retailers.

Challenge also recently released the cotton-cased Team Edition version of their Grifo tubular.

Specs: