Tubeless tires continue to expand from the mountain and cyclocross worlds and onto the road, and Hutchinson recently launched an expanded line-up of their Fusion 5 tubeless and tubeless ready tires with the addition of the ElevenSTORM compound. The compound was originally released last summer on a select range of the Fusion 5 line-up but has now expanded to all models, in tube type, tubeless ready, and tubeless versions.
The ElevenSTORM compound was developed over a three year period to bring all of the benefits of a race, endurance, and all-season tire to one compound, without compromise. Their goal, which just about every tire brand is working towards, was to create a tire that has the best grip and least rolling resistance, but will still provide plenty of comfortable and flat free miles. While comfort is hard to judge, their specific testing protocols for each category helped them develop the ElevenSTORM compound and apply it to each model.
There are three tires that make up the Fusion 5 line, Galactik, Performance, and All-Season.
The Galactik is meant to be the top of the line race tire of the group. At a claimed 180g, it is the lightest offering utilizing Lightskin polyamide reinforcement and a thinner compound thickness. If you are looking for top performance, this is the tire to choose. The Galactik is available in 700×23 and 25.
Next is the Performance line, which would be considered the endurance tire. The addition of Kevlar reinforcement adds additional flat protection. The protection comes with a small increase in weight to 220g, but it would be well suited for grand fondos and spirited training where you are willing to give up a little weight for fewer chances of flats. Available in 700×23, 25, and 28, you can choose the right width for your perfect ride.
Finally, the All-Season tweaks the composition and thickness of the compound to add additional grip in wet weather conditions. It includes the same Kevlar protection as the Performance and will be offered in 700×23, 25, and 28 as well.
Three different casings are available, depending on how you want to set the tires up. Tube type uses a standard tube and tire set up. Tubeless-ready takes the tube out of the equation and replaces it with sealant. Tubeless removes the sealant and has a butyl sealed casing to keep the air in. The three types run lightest to heaviest, respectively, but keep in mind the weight of the tube and sealant when comparing your options.
Hutchinson tested each tire model in specific ways during development in the lab and on the road. For the Galactik, the new ElevenSTORM version saw an increase of 14% in mileage, 6% in wet grip, and 2% in dry grip, with a decrease in rolling resistance of 6% over the non-ElevenSTORM version. For the Performance model, mileage improved by 19%, wet grip by 11%, and dry by 3% with rolling resistance decreased by 14%. The All-Season model had a focus on increasing mileage, which it did by 22%, but it also saw rolling resistance decreased by 11% and increases in wet and dry grip of 6% and 3% respectively.
All three versions are will sell at $86.99. Currently, the 700×25 versions are available in tubeless ready, and the additional sizes and casing styles will be available later this fall.
http://www.hutchinsontires.com
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