The Challenge 4 Stagioni XP Handmade TLR is a high quality tyre that offers good grip in the wet, and is a bit more durable than the other handmade TLRs in Challenge’s range. It’s easier to fit too, but it’s still not as durable as some other winter offerings.

4 Stagioni, as any pizza aficionado will tell you, means four seasons, and this is a tyre designed to give the supple feel of a high-thread-count casing, married to a more robust construction that’ll serve you through the winter. Five sizes from 28mm to 38mm are available, and you can have black or tan sidewalls.

At its heart lies the same handmade SuperPoly 220-300tpi casing as with other Challenge tyres, and if you’ve ever fitted one you’ll know they come packed flat – it’s often a chore to get them into a tyre shape, especially when you’re running tubeless. The 4 Stagioni uses a different construction process, however: instead of effectively sticking the tread onto the casing, the tyre is moulded. It’s a bit more tyre-shaped straight off the backing board, which certainly helps when fitting them for the first time.

I needed the Airshot to get them seated, but I didn’t have to do anything like fit inner tubes the get the shape, or tape the tyres to the rim to stop them popping off, both of which I’ve had to do with Challenge tyres in the past. Challenge has tweaked the bead design, which it says also helps with seating. Sealing them was okay: they’re a bit porous at the sidewall, and took more sealant than I’d initially allocated before they became stable.

Challenge-4-Stagioni-fitted-1.jpg
Challenge-4-Stagioni-fitted-1.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

One of the differences with this tyre is the tread compound. “SMARThydro optimises wet surface traction,” Challenge tells us, and I’d say that for a well-built four-season tyre, grip levels are good. With a semi-slick tread they’re better on wet and greasy stuff than other Challenge tyres, such as the Strada Bianca, although I wouldn’t say they were quite up to the level of some direct competitors: Ollie really liked the Michelin Power Protection, for instance, and I think the Pirelli P Zero 4S is probably the pick of the bunch for grip. At least of the tyres I’ve personally used.

Comfort-wise I’d say this 30mm tyre is pretty good, but not exceptional. Once inflated they measure up wider than advertised – 31.6mm for a 30mm nominal size – although that was on a Hunt wheel with a generous 25mm internal width. Comfort levels were on a par with other winter tyres of a similar size, really.

Challenge-4-Stagioni-fitted-3.jpg
Challenge-4-Stagioni-fitted-3.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

By far the easiest way to make your tyres more comfortable is to just fit bigger ones, and given the clearance in my frame I’d probably opt, were I buying, for a wider 4 Stagioni; it’s good that such a wide range of sizes is available. They feel pretty quick for a four-season tyre, and at 364g in a 30mm carcass they’re a decent weight too.

I’ve not punctured these tyres in about 1,000km of trying, and that’s been predominantly on 200km audaxes in some pretty poor weather, so there’s been plenty of opportunity. A check of the tread didn’t throw up any obvious thorn holes or other damage, so it might just be that I’ve been lucky. There’s a bead-to-bead puncture protection layer in the casing to guard against pointy things, though.

The tread is wearing well, which is more than can be said for the sidewalls: the rubber there is very thin indeed, and after a winter on the bike they’ve worn noticeably. I don’t think it’s necessarily an issue in terms of the longevity of the sidewalls as the casing is all intact; they just look a bit tatty now compared to when they were fresh on.

Value

At £85 an end these aren’t cheap. The Michelin Power Protection has actually dropped a tenner to £69.98 since we reviewed it, and Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S remains £79.99. They’re all close on weight. There’s also the Continental GP 5000 AS TR to consider, which at £89.95 (or £94.95 if you want black!) is even pricier.

The Pirelli Cinturato Evo TLR is a bit cheaper at £79.99 and a bit heavier at 423g, while the Hutchinson Challenger TR is a lot cheaper at £54.99. And a lot heavier. It’s 508g. All of those are good options for riding all year round; the Challenge is the lightest of the lot and puts in a good performance but, pound for pound, the Pirelli P Zero 4S is for me probably a better tyre. I haven’t used the others in this list so I can’t directly compare them, but they’ve all scored well.

Overall

This 4 Stagioni probably isn’t the pick of the bunch for me, although if you’re looking for a wider size and a tanwall construction, that would narrow down the choice quite a bit…

Test Report

What does the manufacturer say about this product?:

Challenge says: “Challenge tyres is proud to introduce a new all-conditions road tyre: the 4 STAGIONI XP – Handmade TLR. This performance-driven, tubeless-ready model brings unmatched quality and uncompromised ride feel to the category.

“The 4 STAGIONI is named after the changing seasons and the diverse weather they bring. With more cornering traction and increased puncture resistance, this is the answer for riders who keep riding long after summer is over and demand more than a stiff, lifeless rubber training tyre. 4 STAGIONI is crafted using Challenge’s signature Handmade Construction.”

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:

Challenge lists:

New Easy-Fit Shape
Handmade SuperPoly 220-300tpi Casing
XP Casing Protection with Corazza Silver + Gold Armor
SMARTHYDRO Rubber Compound
Updated Bead with improved Hookless (Tubeless Straight Side) Compatibility
Five Sizes with Tan or Black Sidewalls

Rate the product overall for quality (1-10):
9/10
Rate the product for performance when used for its designed purpose (1-10):
8/10
Rate the product for value (1-10):
5/10

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:

Lots of tyres at this kind of price, but you can get plenty of good ones cheaper.

Rate the tyre for ride quality:
8/10

Any comments about ride quality? Are they comfortable? Do they feel especially quick, or slow?:

Good; they feel supple and are not overly bulky or heavy.

What did you find to be the optimal pressure for running these tyres?:

60psi

How easy were the tyres to fit? If you ran them tubeless, how easy was that to set up?:

Much easier than any other Challenge handmade tyre I’ve tried, although not as easy as some moulded tyres.

Did you have any punctures during testing?:

No

Rate the tyre for durability:
7/10

How have the tyres worn? Is there obvious tread wear after testing? How are the sidewalls?:

No tread wear, but the sidewalls get a bit tatty.

Rate the tyre for grip:
8/10

Tell us more about grip. How are the tyres in different conditions?:

Good grip all round; wet grip is noticeably better than other Challenge compounds.

Rate the tyre for weight:
7/10

Any further comments on weight?:

It’s not heavy for a four-season tyre.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product?

Probably not unless I wanted tanwalls.

Would you recommend the product to a friend?

In a wider tanwall build, yeah.

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are good four-season tyres and in some cases they’d be a great choice, but I think for the average rider there are better options out there.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 53Height: 189cmWeight: 104kg

I usually ride: whatever I’m testing…My best bike is: Dward Design Custom Audax, Lauf Úthald, Cannondale Topstone

I’ve been riding for: Over 20 yearsI ride: Every dayI would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: Road racing, Gravel riding, Indoor riding, Indoor racing, Bikepacking, Commuting, Touring, Club riding, Audax, Fitness riding, Leisure riding