Michelin has marketed its new Pro 5 tyre as a bit of an all-rounder, focusing on speed and grip without sacrificing durability and longevity. It’s aimed at every rider from amateur roadie, to racer, to long distance athlete, and while that’s a wide spectrum – the holy grail of tyres even – it’s a role that it does very well.
It wouldn’t be a new tyre launch without some percentages, so here goes. Michelin claims that the Pro 5 is 35 per cent more efficient than its predecessor, the Pro 4 Endurance – something that has been achieved thanks to a new tubeless ready design and a mix of Gum-X rubbers.
I have used those Pro 4 Endurance tyres in the past and they are decent performers, but the Pro 5s do feel quicker rolling and more like a race tyre than the 4s.
In fact, I’m a big fan of the Pro 5’s performance. Before writing this, I hadn’t realised they were designed to cope with big mileages and assumed they were designed as a race tyre. (I don’t research things until I’ve done most of the testing as I like to kick things off with an open mind.)
The Gum-X compound certainly has that soft feel to it and the carcass feels supple even with the included bead-to-bead protection added, which Michelin calls Shield.
Grip is also very good in all conditions and thanks to the combination of the carcass and compound feedback is uncompromised. This is a tyre that gives lots of information to the rider, and that gives confidence.
From a performance point of view, I wouldn’t put it in the same class as Continental’s GP5000 range or Schwalbe’s Pro One, but considering the all-rounder nature of this Pro 5, I think Michelin has done a very good job.
It’s one of those tyres you can kind of fit and forget to your road bike that is quick enough on smooth, dry roads, but if it’s been raining for weeks, washing grit and thorns out into the road, that’s no problem either.
I’ve put around 500 miles onto these tyres so far, so it’s early days in terms of longevity and I will come back with an update in the future on how they have held up. Things are looking good so far with no real signs of wear on the central section, and in terms of puncture issues, there have been none to speak of.
All positive so far then.
Yes, it is, with the only real negative being that they were an absolute pain to fit. As you unravel most tyres from their box or sleeve you just know whether things are going to go smoothly. I wasn’t getting that vibe from the Pro 5s.
They wanted to keep curling themselves back up and a quick go at getting them on a rim was, shall we say, frustrating.
Requiring a tyre lever to get the last bit of the first side onto the rim I left them like that for 24 hours which is normally enough to let the tyre stretch a bit and settle into its new shape.
Day two, and things didn’t go much smoother. I had one tyre fitted to a 19mm inner width rim and the other to a 22mm with both requiring much cussing, thumb aggravation and tyre lever usage to get them to finally fit onto the rim fully.
The Pro 5s are designed to work with both hooked and hookless rims, so a snug fit is welcome to stop them blowing off the latter, but Michelin has gone above and beyond.
My biggest concern was getting one off at the side of the road should I have a puncture or something, but thankfully after leaving them on the rims for another 24 hours, the one on the 19mm rim came off relatively easily and fitted onto another 22mm rim for testing without too much swearing.
One thing Michelin has said it’s improved is air-tightness, which I will grant them is impressive here. Initial inflation was done dry – as in no sealant applied – and they inflated with a basic track pump and gave that reassuring ping as the bead tucked in under the hook of the rims I was using.
Both tyres then held most of their pressures for the next 24 hours, dropping maybe 10 per cent. After adding sealant through the valves, there was no weeping through the sidewalls, and I’ve only needed to top up the air once a week.
There are four sizes available: 28mm, 30mm, 32mm and 35mm in both black and these dark tan sidewalls. I’ve been using the 28mm and they measured up at 28.6mm on the 22mm internal rim and 27.8mm on the 19mm.
Priced at £59.99, the Pro 5s aren’t exactly a budget tyre, but neither are they as extreme as some range topping rubber. The similarly styled Continental Grand Prix TR tyres that I was reviewing alongside these were slightly cheaper at £54.99, but I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that performance-wise the Michelins marginally have it.
The Grand Prixs top out at 32mm in width too, if that’s a concern for you.
Vittoria’s Ridearmor TLR is a tyre that focuses on puncture protection, but without sacrificing speed or grip, according to George. They have an RRP of £59.99 and weigh 383g for a 28mm tyre, compared to 317g for the Michelins. The Continentals are 362g for a 30mm. All weights are from our own scales, not manufacturers’ claims.
Also for £59.99, Pirelli offer their Road TLR from the P Zero range. I reviewed those at the end of last year and was generally impressed. Like the Pro 5s they were a bit of a struggle to fit, but once on showed decent performance – just not quite in the same league as the Michelins.
They are available in the same sizes as the Pro 5s and weighed 377g for a 30mm tyre.
Goodyear’s Eagle TR tyre is a cheaper alternative at £50, but it’s not quite as high performing as the Michelins and I had a few issues with fitment with hookless rims. They are relatively light though at 318g for a 28mm.
Conclusion
Fitment faff aside, I rate these Pro 5s highly. As a non-racer who still wants a fast rolling, grippy tyre that can just be left on the bike, they tick all of the boxes on my shopping list. The price isn’t stupid either.
Verdict
Tight fit, but impressive performance, durability and grip once they are on
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Michelin Pro 5 tyre
Size tested: 700x28C
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, “The new MICHELIN Pro 5 has been designed to meet the needs of the most experienced riders, whether they are fans of long outings or road racing. With a remarkable performance in all conditions, the MICHELIN Pro 5 sets new standards.”
It’s a very impressive all rounder tyre with its main focus being on performance.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Sizes: 28/30/32/35mm
Colours: Black or tan sidewalls
Bead: Foldable
Rim: Hooked or hookless
Wheel size: 700c (Erto 622)
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Great rolling resistance and grip levels.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Supple ride feel.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
A pain to fit.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
These are priced in the thick of it with similar tyres like those mentioned in the review from Goodyear, Pirelli, Vittoria and Continental.
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 overall score
If these were easier to fit I wouldn’t be able to find fault with them, but that aside the blend of a quality compound, supple carcass and impressive durability means that they still rate highly.
About the tester
Age: 46 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month’s test bike My best bike is: B’Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
1 thought on “Michelin Pro 5 tyre”
I’ve just fitted these, also
I’ve just fitted these, also on some Hunt aerodynamicists, and yep, absolute nightmare to get on (and off). Hopefully they ease off a bit in time otherwise I dread to think about dealing with a flat by the side of the road.