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Featured Review: Hutchinson Fusion 2
by JJsKHS

Price Paid: $25.00 at chainlove.com
Review Date: October 20, 2009
Used product for: 6 months
Overall Rating: 5 of 5
Value Rating: 5 of 5

Bike Setup:
Giant TCR C1, Ultegra, Ksyriums

Summary:
I ordered a pair of these this past spring after reading positive reviews and finding a deal online. Little did I know what kind of value I was getting.

I have ridden 2,000+ miles on these tires and raced on them about 10 times. I won’t attempt a superficial ride quality quantification other than to say “they ride swell”. They have never slid out in fast crit corners or crazy descents, even in wet conditions (taking proper precaution of course).

They have also not flatted once. In fact, the only time I have had to pull them off the rim is when my crappy tubes have ruptured at the valve stems. By the way, the ease in which you can pull these tires on and off the rim can’t be overstated. I hardly needed to use levers even when they were brand new.

My pair are starting to show their wear and I’ll be replacing them soon. They have all sorts of miniscule cuts in the center tread from a season of abuse and the sidewalls are starting to fade (still, never a flat from the road). And I am 100% positive I will replace them with an identical pair of Fusion 2’s.

These tires may or may not stand toe to toe with your $60-$70 boutique tires, but for what it’s worth, they’ve more than proven themselves to me. All season long, through rainy races and over patches of gravel on my most ridden routes, every time I’ve looked down I’ve been reminded of the stubborn quality of these Hutchinsons. The name is ingrained in my mind as I have praised these tires to my riding buddies all season.

Not to mention that they also look really sharp.

Strengths:

• durability
• a child could put them on a wheel without using levers
• solid cornering grip in both wet and dry conditions
• looks

Weaknesses:

• Hutchinson is a weird sounding name (seriously, that’s it)

Similar Products Used:
Michelin Pro2Race

Michelin Pro3 Race™ Review Pro Review - by Steve Cooper

• High Density Puncture Protector (HDPP) nylon belt.
• New dual-compound tread.
• 20 percent more straight line grip than the Pro2 Race.
• New shoulder rubber offers a huge 40 percent improvement.
• Weight: 200g.
• MSRP: $59

Overview:
Reports I’ve read on Michelin’s Pro3 Race are binary. Riders either to seem to praise them or malign them. As far as I can tell, the significant difference in each review seems to have more to do with how soon or frequently the rider flatted versus how the tires handled on the road.

While a tire’s review should be linked to how well it both performs and holds up on the road, it’s hard from this reviewer’s perspective to bash a high performance tire solely based on whether a puncture occurred. Punctures are a risk unless riding on a swept course or a track. And lightweight performance tires are more prone to puncture or cut than a heavy duty training or touring tire. Put a rough and tumble tire in front of me for review, and I’ll shift that focus around to put durability front and center. But let’s be straight up – these are high performance tires first, and second, training tires for those blessed with a respectable tire budget, riding on pristine roads, with an absolute need for every spin to feel sporty.

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