Italian tyre specialists Challenge are highly regarded in the bike world, and the tubular version of the Paris-Roubaix have been used by pro teams in the eponymous race, albeit branded up with the logo of a certain wheel manufacturer.

They also do the ‘open tubular’ (read: clincher), version of the Roubaix which first launched in 2010, and they’re available in 27mm width only. Equipped with a double PPS (puncture protection strip), they’re designed to be run at low pressures to help prevent the pinch flats that are common when you’re barrelling over cobbles.

285g per tyre is an acceptable weight penalty and you also get the classic tan sidewalls that’d be a wonderful finishing touch if you’re looking to give you ride the pro look. If you’re after something even wider, Challenge also do a 30mm open version of their Strada Biancha tubulars, developed to be ridden on the dusty, gravelly roads of Tuscany.