Michelin’s new Power All Season tyre is designed specifically for riding in cold and wet conditions, so testing these after a spell of icy weather during the winter (when the roads were strewn with slush and detritus), proved to be the perfect testing ground.
Michelin claims the All Season delivers an impressive 15 per cent more grip than its Pro4 Grip predecessor. The claimed weight for the direction-specific 28mm All Seasons is 295g and my two came in at 298g and 309g – but if you can detect that difference then you have better powers of perception than me!
It’s also available in 23mm and 25mm widths. But Michelin isn’t flagging up this tyre for its low weight or high speed, rather it’s focusing on grip, toughness and year-round durability. And for most of the time, these are the more important qualities.
I fitted these to my long-term Boardman SLR 8.9c to up its tyre width from the 25mm rubber it came with. Another advantage over the original tyres with their 100 to 130psi pressure is that these are designed to run at a much lower 58 to 87psi, which is a difference you can feel when it comes to comfort.
This is true even on the quite narrow Boardman rims, which meant that even when fully inflated they didn’t quite reach their nominal 28mm diameter.
It also meant they were an effort to mount on the rims. I got there in the end but it was a bit of an effort and required tyres levers. I reckon that mounting on wheels with a wider inner rim would expand the Michelins out to nearer their maximum width and be a much easier fit. But this didn’t stop them majoring on road grip on some truly dreadful surfaces, both wet and dry.
The All Seasons have a slick Hi-Grip compound central strip under which is a cut-resistant Aramid Protek+ layer for puncture protection and a 3 x 60 TPI (threads per inch) casing for maximising durability.
During the testing they have started very promisingly, and I’ll revisit them again later in the year. They have delivered their promised high level of confidence-inspiring grip, and though their thick, stiffish casings reduce their suppleness and speed, their lowish running pressure certainly helps maximise their comfort.
Product
| Brand | michelin |
| Price | 50.00 GBP |
| Weight | 295.0000, GRAM (700 x 28mm) - Claimed weight for 28mm |
Features
| br_bead | Folding |
| br_punctureProtection | Aramid Protek+ layer |
| Features | Casing: 3 x 60 TPI |
| br_tyreSizes | 700x23c, 700x25c, 700x28c |
