Michelin Power Protection TLR review: a top all-season tyre that excels in the wet – if you can afford it

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The Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre impresses with its wet-weather grip and generally lively ride quality.

I’d be happy to use this tyre all year round if I weren’t bothered about using race tyres – it’s appealingly light and delivers confidence-inspiring suppleness without sacrificing puncture protection.

At £80 / $85 / €81, it’s not cheap compared to many other all-season/training tyres, but its excellent all-round performance justifies the cost.

Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre details and specifications

Michelin says the Power Protection TLR tyre is reinforced for use all year round, utilising its ‘bead-to-bead Shield’ puncture protection belt under the entire carcass of the tyre.

An additional higher-density strip is applied over this, under the central part of the tyre, with a 3x120 TPI (threads-per-inch) casing on top.

This is topped by the brand’s ‘Magi-X’ compound, which is said to offer better grip in damp and wet conditions, plus improved longevity, compared to the brand’s highly rated, racy Power Cup TLR tyre.

The tyre also features a textured tread pattern to further improve cornering grip, located either side of the slick central strip.

Michelin offers the Power Protection TLR tyre in three sizes – 700x28, 30 and 32c, which recognises the general trend away from 25mm and narrower tyres, but stops short of offering a more progressive (even wider) size.

There’s no tan-sidewall option, but this is a relatively minor consideration.

Michelin says the tyre is compatible with hookless rims, up to a limit of 72.5psi / 5 BAR on 23mm-wide rims.

My 700x28c review tyres weighed 322g each, which is competitive with the best all-season tyres I’ve tested. In fact, it’s lighter than both the Continental Grand Prix 5000 AS TR (343g, £89.95) and Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 4S (344g, £79).

The Specialized S-Works Mondo is even lighter at 317g, though, and notably cheaper at £55 / $80 / €70.

Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre installation and setup

Tubeless setup was relatively easy on the Hunt 50 Carbon Disc wheelset used for testing, which features contemporary 22mm internal and 30mm external rim widths, with a hooked profile.

I fitted the tyre with the use of a single tyre lever, and the bead slid into place using a track pump.

I was also impressed by how little air leakage I experienced, indicating a good bead seal, albeit this is largely dependent on the tolerances between the tyre and chosen rim.

Removing the tyre proved easy, too – no one wants to be stuck by the side of the road forced to insert a tube, but unable to prise the tyre off the rim due to an overly tight fit or rigid bead.

The Michelins measured 28.5mm wide at 80psi / 5.5 BAR.

Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre performance

On the bike, the Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre performs very well, delivering high levels of confidence thanks to its relatively light and supple construction.

It feels lively and responsive for an all-season tyre, similar to the Continental, Pirelli and Specialized tyres already mentioned, and offers very good grip.

The textured shoulders don’t feel as though they bite quite as keenly as the Specialized S-Works Mondo (a particular strength of that tyre), but the difference is small.

I could rail into corners with measured aggression and felt comfortable in the tyre’s ability to stick to the road, even in the wet.

The compound also seems resilient to knicks and cuts – every ride is different, with a lot of luck involved, but they remain almost spotless after hundreds of kilometres of testing.

If nothing else, it also serves as a confidence-booster that the tyre has bead-to-bead puncture protection (unlike even racier all-season tyres, such as the Mondo). Given it doesn’t ‘spoil’ the overall ride quality, I can see why some may choose to opt for this over a less hardy choice.

That said, the Power Protection TLR is the most expensive tyre on test, and only notably outpriced by the excellent Continental GP5000 AS TR.

In this case, the extra reassurance appears to have a price – albeit, that could well be one worth paying.

How we tested | all-season road tyres

I tested this selection of the latest all-season tyres through the northern hemisphere’s late autumn and winter.

Testing conditions varied wildly, from a prolonged period of dry, mild days to the aftermath of storms Ashley, Bert, Connell and Darragh. By the end of testing, I had covered in excess of 1,500km.

I used a Hunt 50 Carbon Disc wheelset for testing consistency, and assessed ease of installation and removal – after all, while we hope all-season tyres will save us from punctures, it’s never guaranteed.

Each tyre’s specifications, sense of speed, grip and suppleness were also assessed, with the overall goal of indicating where on the all-season tyre spectrum each sits – and relative value was also addressed.

All-season tyres on test

• Specialized S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5
• Michelin Power Protection TLR
• Teravail Telegraph ‘Durable’
• Vittoria RideArmor TLR
• Pirelli Cinturato Road TLR
• Schwalbe One 365 ‘Performance’

Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre bottom line

The Michelin Power Protection TLR is an impressive all-season tyre, which leans more towards the performance end of the scale.

Importantly, it doesn’t neglect puncture resistance (as far as my testing can prove), plus given I found it relatively easy to fit, seat and remove, it’s one of the better picks for emergency roadside repairs.

It’s a pricier tyre than most rivals, and I’d like to see an even wider option for those who want it. But if you have the budget and the available sizes suit your tastes, I’d happily recommend it as a fast and grippy all-season road bike tyre.

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