Hutchinson has announced the Challenger Tubeless, a new ultra-endurance road tyre with a claimed lifespan of 10,000km.
The Challenger Tubeless builds upon the existing clincher version and is claimed to offer “a level of puncture resistance never achieved in a performance road tyre before”.
As such, the Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless is targeted at all-season and ultra-endurance cycling.
According to the French brand, it has been tested by athletes competing in the previous two editions of the Transcontinental Race, a self-supported, ultra-endurance race across Europe.
Hutchinson also says the Challenger Tubeless has such good air retention that it can be used without tubeless sealant, if desired.
The Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless costs £59.95/€59.99 and is available in 700x25, 28 and 32c sizes.
Designed to last
While many of the best road bike tyres feature headline claims about low rolling resistance, it’s rarer to see such a heavy focus on durability and high mileage.
Hutchinson, though, says the Challenger Tubeless tyre is designed to last for 10,000km, or “an entire year's riding” (or perhaps multiple years if you average less than 27.4km per day).
It’s said to achieve this using a new technology called Hardshield.
Hutchinson’s Hardshield technology takes the form of two puncture protection strips that are layered with the Challenger’s 3x127 TPI (Threads Per Inch) casing.
One of these layers is a 'flexible wide polyamide' (a type of nylon fabric) that covers the width of the tread, while the second is a narrower strip of 'super-strong Aramid threads' (Aramids are another type of synthetic fibres, that can be woven into fabrics), which provide additional protection underneath the tyre’s contact patch.
In addition to this, the Challenger’s dual-compound tread is 2.3mm thick – twice the thickness of an ordinary road bike tyre, according to Hutchinson.
These technologies are claimed to enable the Challenger Tubeless tyre to resist punctures up to a force of 170 newtons.
In contrast, Hutchinson says “punctures typically occurred at a force rating of 80 to 120 newtons” in an unnamed range of competitor tyres.
Sealant-free tubeless
While most tubeless tyres typically require the use of tubeless sealant for an airtight setup, Hutchinson says the Challenger Tubeless doesn’t need it.
It says sealant can be used to help fix any punctures, but that it’s also possible to put in an inner tube and repair the tyre at home for a “mess free tubeless experience”.
Hutchinson says this is made possible by the tyre’s new Airshield technology, which sees a flexible butyl layer (the same material used to make traditional inner tubes) applied to the inside of the casing.
This is claimed to improve air retention significantly, without harming the tyre’s ability to deform to imperfections in the road.
A “robust, abrasion-resistant coating” has also been applied to the tyre’s tubeless bead, which helps in forming an airtight seal with a tubeless-ready rim.
Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless specification
The Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless uses a 3x127 TPI casing with Hutchinson’s new Hardshield and Airshield technologies.
The dual-compound tread uses a softer rubber on the shoulders for improved cornering grip and a harder one in the central portion for lower rolling resistance and high durability.
Available with black sidewalls only, a 700x28c Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless is claimed to weigh 400g.
Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless
- Price: £59.95/€59.99
- Type: Tubeless
- Casing: 3x127 TPI
- Available sizes: 700x25c, 700x28c and 700x32c
- Colour: Black
- Claimed weight: 385g, 400g and 450g
