As a brand Hutchinson can sometimes be over-looked because of their size compared to their competitors. However, Hutchinson produce some extremely good tyre options for Road, MTB and Gravel bikes. Hutchinson are also innovators, being largely behind the initial development of Tubeless MTB and road tyre technology.
History
We have some long established manufacturers in cycling and bike accessories, Hutchinson make some of those look like fresh start-ups. 1853 was when things kicked off for Hutchinson. Initially Hiram Hutchinson was producing coated fabrics in a town to the south of Paris. He began producing bike tyres in 1890 and had early success. This early success was thanks to the ‘Monofil’ tyre which was winning races, back when bike races were just beginning.
Tubeless Pioneers
The road tubeless tyre format was introduced by Hutchinson and Shimano way back in 2006. This followed Hutchinson’s earlier success manufacturing high performance tubeless MTB tyres. While it wasn’t hugely popular at the time, it did show what was possible with the road tubeless technology in years to come. This no-doubt planted a seed for tyre and wheel manufacturers. Tubeless offered big real advancements in terms of grip, ride qualities and puncture resistance, all with a similar weight to tubed clincher tyres. The technology didn’t go completely un-noticed at the time, the 2008 Omloop Het Volk was won by Philippe Gilbert on Hutchinson tubeless tyres.
Range
The Fusion road series feature tubeless compatibility and ranges from the wet-weather training focussed Fusion 5 All Season Storm, to the out-and-out performance tyre, the Fusion Performance TT Storm, which is ideal for those wanting fast rolling performance and longevity. Gravel riders will appreciate the Overide HS series, featuring dual tread compounds, great for the typical mixed terrain gravel rides, they combine fast rolling with enough grip for the rougher terrain. The HS part of the name stands for Hard Shell, this is a tough textile grid reinforcement to reduce susceptibility to punctures. The Sector 32 was developed for the extreme road conditions of races such as Paris Roubaix. Despite being a tough 32mm wide tyre, it weighs in at a relatively light 315 grams.
