If you ride tubular tires for cyclocross, you just know- as great as some tubeless and clincher tires may be, the best ground interaction and rider control come from the supple and conforming nature of a well-made tubular tire. All of the big names in cyclocross tubulars follow a similar design ethos. Challenge executes their Team Edition tubulars with a super supple, yet strong 320 TPI Sealed Cotton CoreSpun casing. The S3 designation of the Team Edition models speaks to the Sealed casing, Softer tread rubber compound, and incredible overall Suppleness fully centered around the natural properties of a latex inner tube system. By adding the correspondingly supple PPS protection belt, the Grifo Team Edition Tubular Cyclocross Tire offers grip and control on rocks and rougher surfaces with less fear of a puncture.

The most closely duplicated cyclocross tubular tire tread of all time is that worn by the Grifo. The best all-around cyclocross tire ever created excels in wet or dry, soft packed, rocky and root-infested courses, grass, and more. The Grifo features fast rolling, biting knobs and a center section that offers excellent pedaling and braking traction. When the camber goes off-line, the side soft, but textured round side knobs are remarkably effective, especially in grass or sand, where the suppleness at lower pressures guarantees a great tire footprint at any angle. The components react, responds and roll faster as a result of this combination- which is the ideal counterpart to the Grifo's loose-to-mixed surface purpose. It gives that little bit of speed advantage combination on any surface that comes from lower rolling resistance and rider confidence.

Challenge calls for a pressure range from 22-35 psi. Rider weight and actual use will determine what works best for you, but we recommend starting at 29-31psi. We find that going softer is best on rough hardpack when you need more overall footprint and grip. The tire is much faster when firm enough to really maximize the tread. Going softer may improve cornering, and assist you much in sand or mud. Today's riders often power through every mud slog or sand pit. Classic cyclocross riders carried and ran more, knowing that this approach was faster than riding, but rider skills have evolved, and improvements with everything from frames, tires, forks, wheels and disc braking have provided ample platforms for skill advancement. Of course Classic riders also truly excelled at mounting and dismounting, skills that not everyone can master. If you are a gravel rider, or a cyclist who trains a lot on loose, soft or mixed terrain, you will likely favor pressures in the 30-32 psi range with a high level of confidence and ultimate safe speeds. On race day as the terrain is worn in by previous races, you will likely drop it down, especially on courses with off-camber matted grass or soft corners, with a little wet dirt.