Can Challenges new Mud cross tire kill a Rhino?
Challenge, the handmade Italian tire manufacturer, has a new tire that’s ready for the coming cyclocross season. The Grifo Fango mud tire rounds out the brand’s line that includes the Grifo XS file tread, which is built for sand and smooth courses and the Grifo, an all-conditions tire that’s over 20 years old, easily recognized by its chevron tread pattern. The Grifo Fango is set to compete with Dugast’s Rhino, a pure-bred super-aggressive tire that has become the mud tire enthusiasts and pros clamor for. The question is if the Fango can take down a mud tire with a reputation that precedes all others. Challenge might have been resting on its laurels; it hasn’t developed a new cyclocross tire since its originals were developed under the Clement name over 20 years ago. It might have been that Challenge thought the market just wasn’t ready to support an investment in this area. It also could have been a problem with its U.S. agent not conveying domestic needs back to headquarters. Its Eur
