Eric F 

The Challenge Getaway Pro tires have been on my radar for a while, and I picked up a pair for a reasonable price on eBay ($52.54 ea) to go with my recent addition of Shimano Ultegra C50 wheels. My goal for gravel tires is low rolling resistance on pavement, but enough grip in the dirt for confident handling on fast downhills and mild singletrack. I've been very happy with the Pirelli H/M combination I've been running, but have left those mounted to my American Classic aluminum wheels for the time being. Unfortunately, my gravel bike's chainstay clearance is not great, and 40mm tires are a tight enough fit to scuff the chainstay if they collect much mud, so I'm pretty much limited to sub-38mm tires.

First impressions...

Mounting - Most online reviews claim that mounting these tires is extremely difficult, and is the biggest downside. That was not my experience. Getting them on the rim was not much of a battle at all. After adding sealant through the valve stem, they inflated easily with just my floor pump. Some sealant squeezed out through the bead as they were inflating, but the tires sealed quickly, and everything was easily cleaned up with a towel.

Ride - Running 45psi in the rear and 40-psi up front, the first thing that stood out to me is how supple these tires are. The mythical magic carpet ride of high thread count, handmade tire casings is no joke. My short ride included a 2.5mi dirt climb that includes some rocky sections, some moderate downhill singletrack, and some pavement to and from the dirt. The tires definitely smooth out some of the harshness on rough terrain. In the dirt, the rear traction while braking isn't great, but not any worse than the Pirelli H. I need to spend some more time on these to asses the front grip. I was taking it moderately cautious on this first time out, and will push their limits more as I get more accustomed to them. So far, nothing was concerning. On the pavement, they feel quick and efficient, and spin up pretty quickly on energetic accelerations. Because of the suppleness of the casing, I don't get the immediate impression that these tires are tough/durable in the same way I feel with the Pirellis or IRC Boken Doublecross that I've used before. I might be totally wrong about that. BRR rates their puncture protection pretty high.

So far, I'm liking these tires a lot.

jaydubu

I just mounted a pair of these on yesterday but unfortunately I am still waiting for a hub internal so I haven't been able to run them yet. But, I have been running a pair of Bianca Strada pro's which are basically the handmade slick version of the challenge handmade TLR pro tires and they ride fast and fantastic which is why I wanted to try the Getaways. After mounting several sets of these tires, I have it down pretty good. There still tougher than a regular clincher but now I know a bit more about mounting them. It takes me about an hour to do the complete swap for the pair. That includes dismounting the tires that I am changing out.
There is no doubt that these tires are special. At least the Challenge Strada Bianca Pro TLR's are. And I have no concerns that the Getaway's will be the same.

SoSmellyAir

And here I had always thought you favored narrow tires to go faster!

Sweet! Cream or tan sidewalls look even better on gravel bikes (with a little dirt or dust) than on road bikes.

Eric F 

I'm looking for a balance between rolling efficiency on hard surfaces and grip when it gets loose. I have been happy with the balance I was getting with the 35mm Pirellis, but have been wanting to try these Challenge tires for comparison. I like the the 40mm Pirellis, too, but the tight fit in the chaninstays is concerning. The 40mm Pirellis feel bit sluggish to get spinning compared to the lighter weight of the narrower tires, but they are very confidence-inspiring in rough conditions.

Eric F 

An hour? That seems like a long time. I think my swap time was less than half of that. That said, it seems like some wheels make things easier than others.

jaydubu

That included cleaning out the old sealant from the old tires. Cleaning the rims with alcohol. Mounting the tires, filling with air and seating them. Then removing valve cores and putting in the new sealant. I'm Slow.

Eric F 

I guess a big difference is that I was working in a hurry. I also skipped the step of inflating before adding sealant. My time did include stripping off the old tires, cleaning out the sealant, and wiping off the rims (no alcohol, though).

t2p

that’s quick especially if it includes removing old sealant

must not have been ‘Orange Seal’ or a similar sealant - that stuff can require hours to remove ...

recently removed orangish / brown sealant from a pair of used tires

whew - did not peel off easily like some other sealants ... hours to remove that stuff and that was after tires were submerged overnight in warm soapy water ... that stuff is something else

Eric F 

I use Orange Endurance in all my tires. The tires I was removing were fairly recently mounted on these rims, and everything was still liquid. It cleaned up pretty quickly with just water. On tires with a layer of dried sealant, I've had efficient results using a stiff brush and water.

t2p

was tempted to use an angle grinder on some areas lol

Joeyseven

This about the same use I'm looking for on one of my gravel bikes.
Order one to test out .

Thanks for the feedback and review,

msu2001la

These tires look awesome and I've been debating picking up a pair. I want to try sizes wider than 33mm for CX racing this fall and these look like they'd be good for early season/dry races.

Eric F 

Ride #2 Review...My initial impression that these tires are excellent on pavement and hardpack was confirmed. They definitely feel fast. Part of my ride was a combined pavement and dirt 1 mile climb segment - new PR! As much as I like them on hard stuff, I'm still unsure about these tires when things get loose. Compared with the 35mm Pirelli M that I was using previously, the Getaway feels less sure-footed on the sand-over-hardpack conditions that are common in my area during the summer months.

Eric F 

Ride #3 Review...I made an adjustment to the tire pressure (38F/40R), and it reduced the feel of front-end sketchyness in the dirt a bit. My confidence in these tires is improving. I'm finding that I need to really get the bike leaned over for it to grip better on looser surfaces. The center row of blocks is great for rolling fast, but not so great for cornering. In contrast, the center row on the Pirelli M is quite a bit narrower, and the transition to cornering blocks happens sooner. On hard stuff, they keep proving that they are fast - very fast. I expect these will be my tires for my next gravel event in October.

Eric F 

Follow-Up Review...I've put these tires though some work all over the terrain I ride on a regular basis, plus some new areas I still really like the way these tires roll and feel - fast and supple. I've gotten used to how they handle, but still find myself being a bit more cautious in off-road corners than I have with other tires. My one area of concern is sidewall durability. I've had one sidewall abrasion that lead to a leak. The sealant took care of it, but it's not something I've seen from other tires. There are multiple spots on the sidewalls of the rear tire where the outer layer is looking pretty beat up and worn. The front tire also has some spots, but seems to take less overall abuse in this area. The sidewall wear on the Getaways is enough that I'm probably going to switch back to my well-tested 35mm Pirelli Gravel H/M combination for my event coming up in a few weeks. Challenge has released a Getaway XP version that has increased protection, but they aren't available in a width that works for my frame (sub-40mm).

Caliwild

Interesting... Yeah, I went with Pirelli Cinturato H's front and back, and the front was kinda scary. Just ordered an M for the front, so hoping I have a similar positive experience as you.

Eric F 

I've run the Pirelli H/M combination in both 40 and 35, and I like them a lot for a balance of rolling efficiency and front cornering grip. My frame clearance at the chain stays is a bit tighter than I'm comfortable with for 40s, but I've been happy enough with the 35s, even at high speed on fairly rough terrain. BRR's rolling resistance numbers for the Getaway caught my interest, and there's a lot I like about them. If it wasn't for the durability concerns, I would stay with them. My search is for race tires, but the nature of gravel racing also demands durability. I've ridden - and punished - the Pirellis enough to feel very confident in their capabilities.

Eric F 

I put the Pirelli H/M 35s back on my bike and rode them on my local loop last night. I was reminded why I liked the Pirellis so much, and the contrast vs. the Challenge Getaway Pros was pretty vivid to me. Despite the very mild tread pattern of the Pirelli H, it seemed to grip a little better in the rear than the CGP when climbing steep pitches with loose(ish) conditions. Rear braking traction was not noticeably different between the two. When descending a bumpy, rutted, twisty singletrack, with sections of sand-over-hardpack, the front end control of the Pirelli M was remarkably better than the CGP. With the CGP, there sometimes is a vagueness in the initial part of a turn as the bike is leaning over from the mostly-continuous center tread row to the wider-spaced side knobs. Because of this, I sometimes found a lack of fine precision in control of my line. Usually, it isn't a big deal, but every once in a while that fine control matters a whole lot. In non-technical conditions, it would probably never be a concern. Handling control when things get demanding is where the Pirelli M shines brightest. When picking a narrow line through rocks and ruts, the Pirelli's confident grip and excellent control - along with the robust feel of the tire - inspired me to push my speed a bit more. For what I want in a gravel tire, I'm willing to sacrifice the sublimely supple ride of the CGPs for the durability and sure-footed handling of the Pirellis. If the Pirellis were notably sluggish on hardpack or pavement (like I found with the IRC Boken Doublecross), my opinion about them would be different. Right now, the Pirelli H/M combination is my preference.