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review

Michelin Power Endurance

8
£34.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Very good tyres that will last and last – if you want one set for the whole year, consider these
Weight: 
260g

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With the tarmac in Britain comparable to a cheese grater, a hardwearing tyre makes sense. The Michelin Power Endurance tyres are grippy, hardwearing and surprisingly fast. However, seriously strong thumbs are required or you might just pinch all the tubes in your shed.

The Power series has, according to Michelin, taken off where the Pro series left off. There are three tyres in the range, each claiming to outperform its predecessor. This, the Endurance, sits in the middle of the spectrum, with the Competition for faster rides and the All Season for the winter miles (and presumably spring, summer and autumn). Endurance would indicate that Michelin has built these to last, and they're living up to the name.

> Find your nearest dealer here

At the heart of the Endurance tyre is the X-Miles Compound. This hardwearing rubber has been designed to give '20% more resistance' over the Pro4 Endurance. Michelin has also included more rubber along the centre line of the tyre; maybe an obvious feature, but more material takes longer to wear away. The bold claim from Michelin, however, is '200,000 puncture-free kilometres for 200 tested riders'. A very attractive claim for those who value hassle-free miles above all else. I can say that during my test rides, I've encountered no punctures while riding on some pretty shocking roads. In fact, while washing my bike, I checked the tyres for cuts. Not one! I really struggled to even find a blemish.

'More grip for greater speed around the bends' – that's what Michelin says about its new Grip Design. It's a simple concept that Michelin appears to have got spot on: as much as I pushed in corners to make these step out of line, they remained ever-planted and tracked smoothly. Even under heavy braking they refused to slide.

Michelin also claims these tyres are 'disc-brake ready'. To cope with the extra power a disc can generate, the company says it has gained '20% traction' and '52% side grip' over its main rival. I can't vouch for the figures, but the tyres were noticeably hard to budge even when I was trying my best to make them slide.

Michelin has also added its Aramid Protek +. This is a 'super high-density reinforcement' that runs under the central channel of the rubber and stops just short of the sidewalls. Michelin has aimed to save a little weight by reducing sidewall protection over the All Weather tyre. This 25mm set came in at 260g which, while not getting weight weenies excited, is not a significant penalty. The tyres feature a slick surface with slight channelling for water on the shoulders, and it feels like a relatively fast tyre. It certainly wasn't holding me back on faster training rides.

> Read our buyer's guide to road cycling tyres

My only issue came when mounting the tyres. The fit is very tight, resulting in my first ever pinched tube. While the tyres are brilliant and punctures have been rare for Michelin's testers, I wouldn't be confident about replacing a tube at the side of the road should a flat occur. That said, these tyres make the potential punctures so rare, I'd take one difficult change over many easy ones!

Verdict

Very good tyres that will last and last – if you want one set for the whole year, consider these

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Michelin Power Endurance

Size tested: 25-622

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Michelin says: "FOR COMPETITIVE CYCLING AND MAXIMUM KILOMETRES

- 8,6 WATTS

+ 20% more resistant to punctures

Ride further thanks to the new X-MILES Compound.

These special rubber combinations are more resistant to abrasion and cuts.

Paired with a new generation GRIP DESIGN tread, you'll enjoy more grip and speed around bends."

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

The rubber compound does what it's supposed to do and is very tough indeed. The graphics are nice and clean up well. The only problem is a very tight fit.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

No punctures, no cuts and they roll very quickly for such a hardwearing tyre.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

No cuts in my test set after serious abuse over Mendips' worst roads.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

Respectable weight for a heavy-duty tyre.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

At £35, and just under £30 if you search online, these are a similar price to Continental's Gatorskin. They should last a full year or more, too – not bad at all.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Super-hardwearing with no punctures or cuts even. Does what it says on the tin.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

These surprised me with how quickly they rolled. I never felt held back. Add that to the superb rubber compound, and this is a tyre I'd be happy to run all year.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The fit is just a little tight. It makes installation a pain.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Very good tyres for all-year use, only really let down by the tight fit.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 1.77m  Weight: 61kg

I usually ride: Rose Xeon RS  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

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13 comments

Avatar
StraelGuy | 7 years ago
0 likes

I'm replacing my old 4 Seasons with a set of these and I've just fitted the front one. Just as a heads up, they weren't as hard to fit as Conti tyres. I was dreading fitting them but got it on with no lost inner tubes.

Avatar
srchar | 7 years ago
0 likes

No problems fitting Pro 3 Endurance or SC here - make sure you get the tyre bead right down into the well of the rim on the other side, then use thumbs to push the last bit of bead over the rim. It helps if you hold the wheel out horizontally and pull it into your waist as you're doing this.

Avatar
fustuarium | 7 years ago
0 likes

I've been using v1 of these since they came out last year. Spending significant time on the turbo and they're going really well. Noise is low, durability excellent and I can just dismount the bike and ride on the road instantly where they feel excellent also.

Avatar
mike the bike | 7 years ago
0 likes

I think tyres in general are a thousand percent better than those I started on in the sixties but not every new model represents progress. The website bicyclerollingresistance.com has recently compared this tyre with its main rivals and also with the previous Michelin Pro4 v2 Endurance. It doesn't shine against either, disappointing the testers in both the rolling resistance and the puncture protection categories.
I know there's much more to tyres than these two factors but nevertheless if you are in the market for new rubber you might care to read the report.

Avatar
bendertherobot | 7 years ago
0 likes

I found Pro 4 ok. But Pro 4 Endurance impossible. They'd be fine with my new tyre tool but you can't really take that out on the road.

Avatar
Hipshot replied to bendertherobot | 7 years ago
0 likes
bendertherobot wrote:

I found Pro 4 ok. But Pro 4 Endurance impossible. They'd be fine with my new tyre tool but you can't really take that out on the road.

 

Impossible?

 

This is very odd. I've had 3 new sets of Pro 4 Endurance so far and never had a single problem. And I only bother carrying one tyre lever.

Do you have very delicate hands? 

 

Avatar
. . replied to Hipshot | 7 years ago
0 likes
Hipshot wrote:

Impossible?

 

This is very odd. I've had 3 new sets of Pro 4 Endurance so far and never had a single problem. And I only bother carrying one tyre lever.

Do you have very delicate hands? 

I have never been called delicate, but I too invented many new swearwords fitting my Pro4 Endurances.   After breaking 3 levers, I discovered the technique of standing on the tyre and using the wheel as a lever (thank you internet).

I now carry a tyre jack on long rides, but thankfully no punctures in 2000  miles.

Avatar
TypeVertigo | 7 years ago
0 likes

Doesn't the initial tightness of the tire carcass and bead loosen up after it's held air for a while?

That was my experience with Continental's 28 mm Ultra Sport II slicks. Even with folding beads, they were ridiculously tight and hard to mount out of the box. When I punctured a few months later, I was dreading dismounting the tire a little, but fortunately enough it was much easier to dismount and remount by then.

Avatar
iian | 7 years ago
0 likes

All michelin tyres are stupidly hard to fit.

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to iian | 7 years ago
1 like
iian wrote:

All michelin tyres are stupidly hard to fit.

You big girl, I have lithions on two of my bikes, pro 4s on the other, none are any bother.

Avatar
theraggyone | 7 years ago
1 like

Ive been using these for 6 weeks now, they are brilliant fast and grippy but also hardwaring, still looking new after nearly 1000 miles and no cuts. I have mounted them on two differant sets of wheels so far, mavic ksysium eltes and 23mm wide carbon clinchers with no issues at all, managed both times to get them on using my thumbs ( no lever needed) maybe its your technique but then never had issues with pro4s either :p

Avatar
bendertherobot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Rolling resistance is good on these. But Endurance have always been difficult to fit (ditto with the Pro 4 version) and that does worry me.

Avatar
muffies | 7 years ago
2 likes

ps: aramid is kevlar. kevlar is the brand name. aramid is the real name of the material. So its kelvar like other tires  3

These tires are indeed particularly great though

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