Tufo Thundero.

Consistent knobbing across the tread and it runs FAST.

The Ultradynamico Rose is worth taking a look at. It has a bit more centerline tread, but they're slighly ramped and continuous so they roll well. I actually like them better than the Challenge in most conditions, and if you've had good luck with the Challenge the light weight sidewalls of the Ultradynamico likely won't cause you problems.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

So far I'm liking the Vittoria Terreno Dry.

Really nice tires, but boy do they wear down quickly. Also need to run *really* low pressures to get anything close to the side knob bite of the Challenge (this isn't necessarily a bad thing in my book, jfwiw).

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

The copy on the site is wild... which means i'm pretty sure i know who created it 🤪

Seems like a tire that might get faster after that centerline has worn down a bit. It certainly has the look of the bite i'm looking for. Thanks.

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
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Specialized Pathfinder Pro?

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Formerly DrD

have tried all the 2bliss options. insufficient side knobs. :-\

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
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The IRC Boken has what you are looking for. They come in a 36 and a 40 in 700c.

Solid! Looks like a reincarnation of the gravel grinder. Thanks.

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
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I found the Boken to be much more comparable to the Dune than the Gravel Grinder/Chicane

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

Just on looks I'd agree. Seems the side knobs on the Dune and Boken are farther out and require more lean before they bite.

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
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They're also lower *and* smaller, and more continuous.

The Chicane started out as a custom tire for Helen Wyman that was cobbled together with the outer tread blocks of a Limus glued next to the center section of a file tread...



...it's literally the outer knobs of a big mud tire with a full file in the middle. The gravel grinder is essentially a larger version of this. The Dune/Boken style tires are more like a file tread combined with the outer blocks of a Grifo style tire. They're more continuous than on a Grifo, but they're roughly that size.
Big side knobs are terrible in sand; they tend to catch and pull you sideways. As a result, most of the file tread designs that come out of cyclocross don't have side knobs like the Chicane.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

Sorry for going a bit off the OP's topic - any thoughts on the Panaracer Gravel King Slick's. Looking to get a set of these 700 x 35 for my All Rounder bike on dedicated For Gravel Wheels - swapping these in for Gravel Rides and setting the Road Wheelset aside.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

i haven't tried them, but perhaps the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M would meet your needs. More center line tread than a file tread tire; but i'm assuming you want "mininal center line tread" because you want something that rolls fast but still hooks up predictably in loose corners. The Gravel M should be faster than Challenge's vulcanized tires.

I've been voting for the Vittoria Mezcal gravel tire on BRR.com the last few months. That could be a candidate too, if it tests well. I love the mezcal on my XC bike.

A good option and fairly low cost...especially when compared to Rene Herse tires that are also made in the panaracer factory.

In my experience, the GK Slicks wear out kind of quick, but not terrible. The Gravelking SS lasts longer and should be a bit more durable against flats/cuts, and has better grip on gravel. If you're 90% road and 10% gravel, the slicks are probably a good way to go. Any more gravel and I'd go the SS route.

The Schwalbe G-One RS is along that line and gets good reviews around the interwebz. https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-g-one-rs-700c-gravel-tire?fltr=

I rode Big Sugar last weekend with the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M which has more pronounced side knobs than Pirelli's Gravel H tire and a minimal center tread. I felt confident on the M's.

Check out the Conti Terra Speed. They have a little bit of tread and roll faster than SS in BRR’s test. It’ll be my winter tire and probably what I’ll race on near year.

Otherwise, the G-One RS Super Race.

I’ve ridden and raced many of the popular tyre models and for me the RS is by far the best I’ve used for dry, hard packed or mixed surface conditions (and the tyre many of the top riders in Europe have been using).

Did it seem like you saw a lot of other people with flats? I go back and forth between those Pirelli tires and Ramblers or even Ravagers if I'm riding a lot of single track. It seemed like a lot of people were in town with some questionable tire choices, but I didn't do the race to see for myself.

The weekend before for Little Sugar, which I did do, was flat city with a lot of people with poor tire choices for the area.

Yes, there were a lot of riders that flatted on the course. I stopped and gave up 2 CO2 cartridges to one guy and he was on Vittoria Terreno Dry's as I recall. But that gravel in northwestern Arkansas was pretty brutal!

I put the Cinturato's on the Monday before the race (700x45 up front and 700x40 in the back) and had three pre-rides with them before Saturday. If it's a race I care about finishing, I always change to new tires the week of the event.

Oh yeah and one other n=1 experience. My son also rode Big Sugar and he was on Schwalbe G-One R tires in 700x40. He changed his tires out on the Thursday before the race as well and didn't flat.

I used the Kenda Aluvvium Pro (seems to basically be the new, improved version of the Happy Medium) at Unbound this summer. It seemed to handle well enough, plenty of traction, all that, but... (and there's always a but) the sidewalls weren't robust enough, IMO. It wasn't the rocks, though it might have been had I not been pretty cautious with line choice. Nope, I took a pretty hard square-edged hit in a creek crossing that pinch flatted my front tire. The impact should've been a pretty bad burp, but the rim cut the casing in two spots (right at the bead and a little further up the sidewall, same side of the tire).

For fast rolling courses with relatively mild gravel, might be a good choice. For chunky stuff, can't recommend it.

For you... I'll allow it ;)

What's your ride these days? Last i recall you are mostly road and brown pavement? You don't really drop into gnar gravel much?

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

I'm still in the learning process of what certain treads are for certain conditions. Am i wrong to assume that large side knob is for loose over hard but rather is for mud? Just going off of "this is what i've experienced" at this point.

Can attest to big side knobs and sand from OTGG... would get wrenched in odd directions at complete random there.

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App