Challenge Limus Cyclocross Tyres

By Rob Allen

We review the mud focused Challenge Limus cyclocross tyres

The Limus is Challenge’s mud offering. It features relatively thick three part blocks with less space between them than some other mud treads. The classic high thread count supple Challenge casing, a Cycletechreview favourite, is also in evidence. With the British winter turning most cyclocross courses into a soup, we decided to give it a spin.

 
Ratings:

 

Pavement (2 out of 5): This tyre is no pavement rocket – nor is it designed to be. The big blocks drag in straight line and squirm in the corners. We would look at other options for courses featuring a lot of tarmac.

Hardpack and dry grass (3 out of 5): The Limus is plenty grippy enough for these conditions – the only drawback is it drags more than a true intermediate. The side knobs it shares with the Chicanes give it a planted feel in the turns and it never feels like letting go. The super supple casing gives a very smooth ride over rougher sections.

Wet grass (3 out of 5): Again, a competent performance outside its core window of operation. The Limus will cope well enough with these conditions, more optimally if they are part of a mixed course that also has some sloppier bits. For pure wet grass tracks, however, an intermediate would be faster for most.

Sodden grass and light mud: (4 out of 5). The Limus is in its territory here. It bites hard went lent over giving us plenty of confidence to lean on the edges, and is supreme under braking. We still felt it rolled marginally less well on the less extreme sections of courses than Clement’s PDX, but that is a minor gripe. Works well as a pair or as a front matched with an intermediate rear such as a Grifo, or a Chicane if you are feeling brave…

Mud (4 out of 5): A very competent performance, supremely grippy. The only issue we could find, as a consequence of the smaller spaces between blocks than some of its competitors, the Limus doesn’t clear really sticky mud quite as well and “balls up” sooner in really extreme mud.

Final thoughts:

The Limus is a very competent mud tread, and we often say that if we could only run a single set of tyres for cyclocross they would have to be mud treads – what you lose in the dry you more than gain in the mud. Unlike our other favourite mud tread, the Clement PDX, it measures 33mm and is UCI legal, if that matters to you; though we suspect if it does, you’ll be wanting the tubular version.

Also, we know it’s a pointless observation, but the new Challenge graphics coupled with a cool tan sidewall do give these tyres a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ in the looks department… for the first half lap at least!

Challenge Tyres

Challenge UK (Pailgap)

 
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