Hutchinson Expands Blackbird Range With New Race And All Season Tyres
- Blackbird Race reduces rolling resistance by 10% over previous model and lowers weight to just 240g for 28mm version
- Blackbird All Season features increased grip for wet weather riding and huge 6000km lifespan
- Blackbird Race developed in conjunction with Intermarché-Wanty and Olympic gold medal winning triathlete Alex Yee
7th March, Paris - Hutchinson, the French pioneer of cycling tyre technology has today announced the expansion of its Blackbird range of performance road tyres with two new models, the Blackbird Race and Blackbird All Season.
Blackbird Race
The Blackbird Race embodies the pinnacle of Hutchinson's industrial expertise, designed to satisfy the most demanding riders, whether on the WorldTour or the local crit circuit.
The tyre marks a step change in Hutchinson’s race performance offering. Taking the DNA of their fastest ever road tyre the 'Blackbird' and refining each of its constituent parts, to create an exceptionally lightweight, even faster tyre that is amongst the most technologically advanced on the market.
Developed in conjunction with WorldTour team Intermarché-Wanty and Hutchinson’s roster of elite athletes, with an early prototype ridden to a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics by British triathlete Alex Yee. Every aspect of the Blackbird Race has been finely tuned to achieve a perfect balance of speed, grip and puncture resistance.
The tyre features a new Ultraswift casing that develops a construction method created for the original Blackbird. By pushing their manufacturing techniques to the limit of what is currently possible, Hutchinson has reduced the weight of the rubberised fabric used in the casing by almost 22% while also reducing the thickness of the central cross section of the tyre by 23%.
A completely airtight tubeless seal is achieved by wrapping this 127TPI casing fabric around the bead then bonding it directly to the central Polyamide puncture protection strip. This results in three 127TPI layers on the side of the tyre but just two in the centre, greatly increasing ride quality and reducing rolling resistance.
This Ultraswift casing technology results in an incredibly flexible, lightweight tyre that offers huge levels of grip, a supple ride feel and greatly increased sense of speed while riding.
The rubber compound in use on the Blackbird Race is also a new development. Mach Tread Ultimate builds on the learnings from the previous generation Mach Tread 3.0 to further improve rolling resistance and grip. In doing so, Mach Tread Ultimate takes the crown as the fastest compound ever developed by Hutchinson, a superbly balanced innovation that optimises speed, grip and abrasion resistance.
In combination, these developments result in the fastest tyre Hutchinson has ever produced. The Blackbird Race offers a 10% gain in watt efficiency over the existing Blackbird, with Hutchinson’s tests finding the 30mm version to be even more efficient than the 28mm. Weight has been reduced by 17% on the 28mm model to a class leading 240g (or 255g for the 30mm model). The versatile nature of the tyre means it will be the tyre of choice for the vast majority of Intermarché-Wanty’s races throughout the year.
Handmade in France, the Blackbird Race represents the culmination of years of Hutchinson’s expertise, developed through decades of working with the world’s best athletes and their ‘Racing Lab’ program that includes top talent from across all cycling disciplines.
This is all achieved while offering unmatched value when compared to its competitors. Having one of the fastest tyres on the market doesn’t have to mean spending the most, with the Blackbird race competitively priced at at €79.99 / £69.99.
The Blackbird Race is hookless compatible and available in 28 and 30mm versions (with wider versions currently in development by the French brand).
Blackbird All Season
The Blackbird All Season is designed to complete the Blackbird ecosystem of tyres by offering a fast, performance tyre that suits all conditions, increasing speed, safety and peace of mind year round.
To achieve this a number of new technologies have been utilised. Firstly, a bi-compound tread is used to maximise efficiency and protection, with Mach Tread 3.0 in the centre and a new Safetread compound on the sides of the tread that maintains grip levels even in incredibly cold and wet conditions. Tread thickness has been increased by 24% to 2.1mm, this has the effect of not only aiding in extending the lifespan of the tyre to 6000km but also giving greater protection against road debris commonly found while riding in poor weather.
The Blackbird All Season sees the return of Gridskin technology. An innovative, snakeskin like knitted sidewall fabric previously only seen on limited edition Hutchinson tyres. It offers increased levels of sidewall protection against cuts and pinch punctures on a par with Hutchinson's Hardskin protection but at a fraction of the weight. This matched with the thicker tread and Polyamide protection strip mean puncture protection is unmatched for a performance tyre.
The result is a tyre that is capable of high speed riding year round without sacrificing grip or comfort, ideal for winter riding without compromising summer performance. With a competitive weight of 340g for the 28mm version the Blackbird All Season is the perfect choice for riders tackling winter Gran Fondos, cobbled races or those seeking to ride fast where road quality is low.
Handmade in France and available in either Black or Tan Wall, in both Hookless compatible Tubeless and Tube Type specific versions. The Blackbird All Season comes in 28, 30 and 32mm sizes with pricing starting at €49.99 / £43.99 for Tube Type and €69.99 / £63.99 for Tubeless.
Blackbird Ecosystem
The new additions to the Blackbird ecosystem of tyres mean Hutchinson now offers a range of high speed performance tyres to suit all racing and riding conditions.
Blackbird Race: An uncompromising race tyre with the ultimate in speed and handling
Blackbird: An all-round tyre that offers a balance of high performance and every day liveability through its low rolling resistance and 4000+km lifespan
Blackbird All Season: For those seeking a performance tyre that can safely handle wet and cold conditions without sacrificing speed
Product and lifestyle images can be found here
For more information please contact:
Chris Terry
About Hutchinson:
Hutchinson is a pioneering French brand with over 130 years of expertise in cycling innovation. Founded in 1853, it remains the only manufacturer of "made in France" bicycle tyres, embodying unmatched craftsmanship and premium material expertise.
From Raymond Poulidor to Thomas Voeckler, Hutchinson boasts a rich palmarès at the top tier of professional cycling, with multiple Tour de France stage and overall victories throughout its history. As a leader in tubeless technology, Hutchinson played a key role in its development, setting a global benchmark. Its meticulously crafted, high-performance products are trusted by professional athletes and cycling enthusiasts alike, reinforcing Hutchinson's reputation as a driving force in cycling innovation.
