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challenge grifo cyclocross clincher tyres

when it comes to the art of cyclocross riding, i fit very snugly into the enthusiast, category; somewhere near the bottom, but very definitely included. were i to participate in a cyclocross event, even the not very good class, i have every expectation that i would be lapped and pulled out before crossing the line for a first or second time. in the light of which, i prefer to try and remain an unknown quantity, rather than demonstrate the known quantity in public. however, in common with my very expensive and far too good for me drumset, i do like to outfit my specialized crux with the best cyclocross tyres i can afford.

in this case, a pair of challenge grifo 700x33c.

and, in a similar manner to my requirement for all my drums to feature reinforcement rings, any cyclocross tyres apportioned to that bicycle must be exactly 33mm in width, and most certainly sport tan sidewalls. in my little world, tan sidewalls are a great deal fasteer than black ones, otherwise why would wout van aert fit them to his cervelo? (inarguable logic, you might say).

of course, when time came to fit said rubber to my wheelsmiths, i could hear my mother's voice repeating her favoured epithet 'pride bears no pain', though in this case, it actually did. many apart from yours truly, have remarked upon the intense difficulties experienced when attempting to fit pretty much any contemporary tyre to a set of quality wheels. for this reason, i took the advice of one of the post's correspondents a few years past, and purchased a tyre jack not only to ease the fitting of difficult tyres, but to save myself a few pounds after nipping a more than my fair share of inner tubes when attempting fitment using tyre levers (even pink ones).

however, when setting about placing the grifos to a pair of wheelsmiths, the problems started simply attempting to get the first bead over the rim. from there on in, things simply got worse. the problem, dear reader, is just how tight those tyres are, all but forbidding any physical ministrations to fit the inner tube between tyre and rim. thus, when employing the services of the aforementioned tyre jack, the tube simply got in the way, and my thumbs became more painful by the minute.

it really shouldn't take an hour and fifteen minutes to place a new pair of tyres on a pair of rims.

i have learned from previous experience with challenge tyres that, to ensure the bead is correctly fitted, it's often necessary to substantially over-inflate each tyre, until the black plimsole line is equidistant from the rim edge on both sides of the wheel. following that, the tyres can be de-flated to the desired pressure. based entirely on my total lack of cyclocross experience, i tend to leave them at a slightly higher pressure than necessary in order to ensure they're fully seated prior to giving them and me a hard time.

my favoured cyclocross parcours, one that i believe would even pass for competition use, is through bridgend woods, where all manner of surfaces (mud, grass, dead leaves, gravel and rock) can be found to test one's mettle, and through which i can mostly be found wanting. the inclusion of several dog walkers with the darling little pooches not on a lead, provided ample opportunity to test the veracity of the grifos' grip in emergency stop situations. to say that the relatively minimal tread behaved with aplomb would be something of an understatement, and for which a golden retriever has cause to be very grateful.

the tyres easily roll from the gravellous sections of the main tracks through the woods created by incessant landrover use, onto the thick, wet grassy strips that inhabit the centre of such tracks. the only point i found them to lose traction altogether was when standing to climb on fine, loose gravel. returning to the seated position while continuing the attempt, restored the desired grip almost immediately.

i confess i'm not at my best when traipsing through squirmy mud at what i like to call speed, but it seems that the tyres remained all but oblivious to their pilot's concerns, not only keeping me impressively upright, but ploughing through inches deep gloop with little in the way of deviation. and though one hardly chooses grifos for their quiet alacrity on tarmac, in truth, that could just as easily have been a justifiable choice, only revealing a modest impression of tractor tyres on completely smooth tarmac (of which there is very little around the principality).

and i would not offer such praise had i not both climbed and descended outwith my minimal comfort zones, on dry, wet and everything in between. add to that several kilometres of grassy sheeptracks, but a few centimetres wide, and it's hard to think of anything that might surpass their excellence other than maybe a set of challenge tubulars. though i would dearly like to emulate my 'cross heroes and ride on the latter, i think it imperative that one is aware of that one 'bridge too far'.

a pair of grifos is not particularly cheap. though your mileage may vary in finding a bargain discount, the rrp is £68 each, leaving little change out of £140 for a pair. that they are not tubeless compatible is a bonus point in my opinion, but challenge does offer a tubeless version for the misguided amongst you. however, like their limus predecessors, i'll be happy to run these until they fall apart some years in the future.

challenge grifo clincher cyclocross tyres

sunday 8 october 2023