Challenge Paris-Roubaix Open Road tyre

Whoops, hit the save button too soon! To continue: there are many complaints around the internet about the difficulty of mounting Challenge tyres—why is this not mentioned in reviews? Why are "details" like this glossed over? Part of the function of a tyre is to be easily mountable and replaceable/repairable in the field. No matter how well they roll, there's no point to tyres that you can't get on or off the rim without a struggle or within, at a maximum, 30 mins. Tubulars can take a long time to get glued but they're not difficult to do and you know (mostly) that they're going to roll well. Challenge tyres are simply too difficult to fit and, IME, too fragile to be worth the effort or the money. There are plenty of better alternatives. For instance, I've found Compass tyres offer geat performance without the ridiculous hassles of Challenge tyres.

I can only hope they've improved these tyres since I tried some maybe 4 or 5 years ago. They were very very difficult to mount and unmount from any rim I had, were pathetically vulnerable to puncturing, and wore to paper thin within less than 400 kms. I threw them away after yet another 3-puncture day. Recently, I was pursuaded by a LBS to try the Strada Bianca Pro. These were not just difficult to mount but IMPOSSIBLE to mount on either HED Belgium Plus, HED Belgium, Bontrager Aeolus, a cheaper Bontrager, or a Mavic CX rim. I've got about 50 years experience building bikes and can pretty much do any maintenance on them. These are the first tyres I've been unable to get onto a rim. I know all about getting the beads in the centre channel, soap, chalk, talcum powder, heating the tyres &c. I've followed Challenge's advice on how to mount their tyres. The tyre simply cannot be fitted on the rim. Not even without a tube or rim tape. I've broken three tyre levers so far—normally I don't even use tyre levers. IME Challenge tyres are simply useless. Even if I could get these tyres on the rim what are the chances I could get it off?

Ive had the Pro version of the Strade Bianche (very close to the Paris - Roubaix) on my crap weather bike for a couple of years now.

They were a complete bastard to fit. I ran them, first time out, at 90 psi. They cut up like you would not believe and I punctured twice (front and back) within 15km thanks to grit and flints on the road (this was in January). They were also a complete bastard to remove to fix my puncture. I ended up using 45 mins and breaking a tyre lever in the cold, pissing rain.

After chucking them that day and running tubeless WTB Crosswolf CX tyres all winter I then went back to the Challenge tyres in the spring. 

I now run them at 70 psi (I weigh 70kg or so) with anti puncture strips. Not one puncture since and they are very comfy, grippy tyres. Look cool too. Just be aware that they are made of a very, very soft compound and that they have absolutely no puncture protection.

I'll keep going back to my Giant PRSL2s, 28mm, 280g, roll fantastically well and are very puncture resistant, cost me peanuts to buy from Rutland at closeout and bought another new pair on ebay for £20 I was so impressed. I use them all year round but have recently bought some Panaracer Race A Evo 3s for my Sabbath September and they are coming up around 31mm on a H+Son TB14as, I can just about get them under the mudguards/brake arch of the shimano 650s. Hoping to finish the Sabbath build so can get to run them out but bicycle rolling resistance sems to rate them quite well, particularly in the puncture score. The 28s also come up similar weight to the Giant tyres.

Sometimes tyres are such a lottery and when you're paying big bucks and don't get what you expected it's a real let down, pardon the pun.

These are £20 a pop at Planet X:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYCHOPPARO/challenge-open-paris-roubaix-70...

For that price I'd willing to put up with some hassle with regards to fitting them. 

I'd love to see a head-to-head of these against the less expensive, vulcanized, 120TPI "Race" version of the same tire.   Specifically, I wonder how much of the ride magic goes away with the cheaper tire, and does the more conventional construction make them easier to mount.  120TPI vs 300TPI should mean a noticible reduction in suppleness, but the 120TPI tires have a single layer puncture belt,  vs 2 for the  "PRO" model, and weight 100g less, so maybe the ride quality is close?

I have used a couple of pairs o thes in 30mmm and overall they are very nice tyres.

2 points though.

They go on very easily I find. However when new and thus flat they are a pig to get a tube into. The tube wants to sit under the bead of the tyre and gets trapped when inflating if care is not taken. This then explodes! Not so bad once you know how but a pig first time.

They are fragile. My first pair fell apart way before the tread wore. The red strip inside, the puncture proofing I guess, came unstuck from the main carcase. I mentioned this to the importers who told me, in virtually these words, that they are a Sunday best tyre.  They were replaced though.

I use them for all sorts of riding. Summer road tyres that allow me to use bad roads and gravel if so wished and when worn they become my gravel tyres and I accept the odd puncture.

Nice to ride but tubeless offers much more.

I have 27 mm Paris-Roubaix on my road bike and 30 mm Strada Bianca, which is very similar to Paris-Roubaix only wider, on another bike. I love both. The ride quality is exceptional, I completely agree with the article. However I must disagree with the other claims, that is the difficulty to install the tire and the lacking protection. Indeed, when I first got the Strada Bianca it took me more than an hour and a bucket of sweat to put it, - but then I figured that I should've used two tire levers, and this basically solved the problem. Fitting fresh Paris-Roubaix with two tire levers took me the same time as any other tire. Fixing a puncture on the road is not a problem at all, after being fitted for the first time the tire quickly takes the shape of the rim, taking it off and re-installing is possible with bare hands with a minimal effort. I did it twice, I had two punctures during more than 3000 km in total for both tires, first time it was a nasty thorn local to my area that can penetrate virtually anything, second time it was something sharp that essentially slashed the tire damaging the casing and leaving a 5 mm wide cut. I rode more than 500 km since that and the tire surprisingly still holds. I'd say that for me the protection looks more than adequate.

However, the best part is not only the ride quality and the apparent duralibility, - what I find truly remarkable is the fact that the tire still feels like a new after more than 2000 km, other high-end tires (Corsa, Conti GPII) start to feel dull getting to this mileage or even much earlier, in the worst case they are starting to get punctures, the rubber start to crack and even peel apparently due to degradation of the tire casing and the tread. Nothing like this with Paris-Roubaix, there is no signs of rubber changing its qualities and the casing is as soft and supple as new.

Clearly this isn't a racing tire, the aforementioned Corsa or GPII have much better racing or climbing feel. However, Paris-Roubaix is very close, and multiplied by its sturdiness and longevity it makes it for me probably the best training tire that I ever had.

Forgot to mention that the tires behaved very well on local unpaved roads where I brough them on numerous occasions. Crushed rocks, occasional sand patches, dirt, sudden steep climbs and descents - clearly a road bike won't be as fast as a dedicated machine in this environment, but Paris-Roubaix behaved quite confident and even inspiring.

I have a pair of challenge tyres. Fitting them on rims is probably one of the worst experiences I have had with a bicycle (and I have fallen and broken bones). Certainly high quality, hand made... but so ridiculously tight that just imagining trying to change a flat with them on is enough for me to not use them.

I run Veloflex Master 25s most of the year and I've been impressed with the ride quality - I recognise your comment about the suppleness and give. Back on Gators for the winter and there's more road buzz, evidenced by numb fingers making a reappearance.

They're a similar TPI to the Challenge tyres, come in en vogue tanwall (also coloured tread versions if you must) and go on easy-ish (my rims are 19mm). Label is printed directly on the tread so does eventually rub off but they look cool, particularly on a black rim. Hesitate to say it but zero punctures for me and that's riding on New Forest roads and flat chalk paths on Salisbury Plain. 

Availability can be an issue - particularly the 28s - but if you can find them (Bike24 have them but postage ups the price) they typically come in at around £30 which is a bargain for a handmade Italian artisan tyre. Can't think of another 320TPI tyre at that price?