Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Hutchinson Challenger 700x28

8
£29.95

VERDICT:

8
10
A supple ride feel and plenty of grip give the feel of a more expensive performance tyre
Good value for money
Rolls well
Grippy
Not tubeless compatible if that's your thing
Weight: 
303g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Hutchinson Challenger is an endurance tyre, designed for big miles, and for such a hardwearing tyre it is surprisingly supple, offering great handling wet and dry, and good rolling resistance. On top of all that, it's quite the bargain.

Hutchinson released the Challenger a couple of months back, an endurance tyre which it says has lasted 5,000 miles (8,000km) in testing.

> Buy now: Hutchinson Challenger for £24.99 from BikeInn

I've had a set of them for around five weeks, and so far they've covered around 450 miles so this is more about performance than durability. They do still looking pristine, but I'll be back later in the year to update you on those all-important wear rates.

The usual way to make a tyre last longer is to use a hard compound rubber. It won't wear as quickly as a softer one, but you tend to sacrifice grip and ride quality because of the lack of suppleness.

For the Challenger, Hutchinson has specced a bi-compound rubber: harder for the narrow central section, softer either side of that. So you are kind of getting the best of both worlds.

2022 Hutchinson Challenger tyre.jpg

In a straight line they roll pretty well, not as quick as a high-end race tyre but they don't have that wooden feel of some cheaper tyres. You are getting a decent amount of feedback from the road, too.

When cornering, the softer compound is noticeable and the amount of grip is impressive for a tyre costing under 30 quid. In the dry you can take corners fast, and in the wet, too, the Hutchinsons feel surefooted and inspire confidence.

The Challengers have a 66tpi (threads per inch) carcass, which is low, and they lose some suppleness over tyres with a higher thread count. A non-tubeless Continental GP5000 clincher has three layers of 110tpi, for instance.

> How to choose the best width road tyres for your riding 

The overall ride quality is better than that figure would have you expect, though, still offering decent amounts of comfort.

Having a lower thread count can help robustness, and the Hutchinsons have so far proved to be incredibly resistant to cuts. They do have a slightly thicker tread than a race tyre, which also helps, and I have had no problems with punctures over the test period.

2022 Hutchinson Challenger tyre Fitted 2.jpg

For a 28mm tyre Hutchinson claims a weight of 300g, which is roughloy what they tipped our scales at, so this extra rubber does bring a bit of a penalty weight-wise. In the grand scheme of things it's not major, but for comparison a 28mm Pirelli P-Zero Race clincher weighs just 235g.

Fitting was relatively straightforward on a range of wheels with inner rim widths of 19mm and 21mm.

> Clincher bike tyres: find out the easy way to fit them

The Challengers are standard clinchers, as in not tubeless ready (there is a tubeless version on the way in 2023), so they generally are easier to fit anyway. I could get these fitted just using thumb pressure so no worries about pinching the inner tube with a tyre lever.

Value

Priced at £29.95 the Challengers represent good value for money considering the performance and the ride quality. A 25mm and 30mm width are also available, with these 28mm ones also being available with tan walls.

The Pirelli P7 Sport tyres are designed as big mileage tyres that are durable for year-round use. In his test of the 28mm model (310g) Steve found them a touch on the sluggish side, although grip levels were pretty good. They cost £28.99 currently.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best road bike tyres

When Matt tested the CST Cito tyre last year he was very impressed. It has a 170tpi casing, which Matt said gave it a great ride feel, and the compound was grippy in both the wet and dry. In a 28mm size it weighed just 240g, and it costs £32.95.

Conclusion

Overall, for the money the Hutchinson Challengers give a great ride feel and are looking to be very durable too, so if you want a quick tyre that'll also last the distance they make a sound choice.

Verdict

A supple ride feel and plenty of grip give the feel of a more expensive performance tyre

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Hutchinson Challenger tyre

Size tested: 700x28

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Hutchinson says, "The new endurance tire from Hutchinson

Complete peace of mind, all year round.

A tire with no compromises, delivering exceptional performance in terms of longevity, comfort and safety. The tire uses a combination of a slightly thicker tread and high density fibre reinforcement technology to offer unrivalled puncture protection and an incredible lifespan that has been tested up to 8000km.

All of this comes with hardly any weight penalty, a 25mm tire weighing in at just 255g, even lighter than the competition.

A new Hutchinson's Bi-Compound rubber offers a harder compound in the centre of the tire designed to resist cuts and abrasion. This is matched with a softer lateral compound and grooved tread for superior grip when cornering on both wet and dry roads. A 66 TPI casing offers the perfect ratio of weight, protection and rolling resistance."

The Challenger is hardwearing and durable but gives a performance ride feel.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Hutchinson:

Colour: Black

Size: 700 x 25/28/30mm

Tube Type (TT), fits standard rims with inner tube.

Bead: Folding

Reinforced (RF), 100% polyamide puncture reinforcement under the trade. 25% increase in puncture resistance without significant weight.

Bi-compound.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Wear rates are looking minimal and performance is impressive for a tyre designed to be durable and hardwearing.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Supple ride feel considering the low tpi count.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really – a tubeless option would be nice.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For the performance the Challengers are well priced, outperforming others I mention in the review. The CST Citos do offer even better value for money, though, if you want a quick tyre.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's early days in terms of durability, but so far they are holding up well. What does impress already, though, is the ride quality and grip for the price. They're very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
mike the bike | 1 year ago
0 likes

During the short spell when I was riding tubeless on a road bike - I like to call it the time of brain death - I ran Hutchinson tyres.  They were five-star for comfort but  only one-star for puncture resistance.

However, if these are as tough, and as supple, as the reviewer suggests, I may try them when my Pirelli Cinturatos finally give up.  The fact that they are literally half-price is a big incentive in these straitened times.

Avatar
Welsh boy replied to mike the bike | 1 year ago
1 like

I have just bought a pair, only 2 rides on them so far but first impressions are very good 

Latest Comments