Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless Tire Review

The Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless tire is a model to be classified in the category of versatile tubeless road tires, both for the off-season and for racking up kilometers. It also targets cyclists who want to feel confident about their general use, punctures in particular, and whose goal is not to chase the last watts or the ultimate degrees of lean in corners. In short, it’s probably a tire to make you love Tubeless.

Text: Olivier Dulaurent – Photos: 3bikes.fr, Hutchinson

Hutchinson describes its model as “the perfect all-season road tire.” Unlike many tubeless tires designed for competitors, this one is aimed at those looking for a versatile, “no-fuss” model, referring in particular to the latest 3bikes.fr article to read here, both in terms of mounting and punctures during a ride, two points that deter critics of this tire technology.

With an advertised lifespan of 10,000 km and, in internal brand tests, indicating high puncture resistance with forces up to 170 Newtons before experiencing this failure (compared to 80 to 120 Newtons for conventional tires), the Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless has all the characteristics expected for those looking for a tire to leave on their bike all year round.

The tires use a 3 x 127 TPI casing, combined with a new Endurance Bi-Compound, with softer shoulders (hardness index 53 ShA) and, conversely, a harder central tread (62 Sha). In practice, this means the tire is harder in the middle and softer on the edges, a combination designed to reduce rolling resistance while maintaining good grip in corners.

Mounting
Installing these tires did not pose any particular problems on Black Inc Forty Five rims, but it should be noted that some acquaintances experienced more difficulty on different rims. It should be noted that Challenger Tubeless tires are not particularly wide compared to their theoretical dimension – on Black Inc rims anyway, which should limit any clearance issues with the frame.

Hutchinson claims that these tires can operate “without sealant”, thanks to its airtight Airshield. This uses two high-performance sealing compounds inside the tire to keep it airtight. That being said, I preferred to systematically use a Latex-type liquid inside the tire to further increase the overall protection.

The tire is available only with black sidewalls and in three sizes (700 x 25, 700 x 28, and 700 x 32). The 28 and 32 mm are compatible with hookless rims, a detail that can be crucial for cyclists equipped with this type of rim.
On the scale and in the 28 mm section (tested), this gives a verified 405 g. A high weight, to be compared with the claimed 270 g (unverified) for the Fusion 5 Performance from the same brand, also in 700 x 28.

On the road
The test of the Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless tires spanned several months, mixing all types of use (winter and spring, bad roads as well as perfect surfaces, dry and wet roads) and over very variable distances. In use, the rolling quality appeared rather good, especially considering the expected longevity. It proved superior to the reference tire for this type of use: the Continental 4 Seasons (tubed tire). The Hutchinsons also have better grip in all conditions and a less harsh road feel.

However, they have less efficiency and are less comfortable than an ultra-supple race-oriented tire, but not by much, which is a pleasant surprise for a training and endurance tire. Its high weight is also a drawback when absolute performance is sought.

In total, and at the time of writing, I have covered nearly 6,000 km, and over this mileage, I have not suffered any punctures or unexpected air loss, although in use it proved necessary to re-inflate approximately every 15 days. In terms of wear, after such mileage, the front tire is almost like new and should be able to do double that, while the rear tire shows signs of wear but could reach the 10,000 km planned by the brand.

And the grip is very good, to the extent that taking a corner slightly faster than expected could have been problematic with other winter tires. No problem with the Challengers, and over the rides, they give enough confidence to tackle descents without a second thought.

Different pressure tests were carried out, and for a weight of 72 kg, even if the tire sidewall indicates a recommended pressure of 6 bars, I preferred the combination of 5 to 5.5 bars at the rear and 4.5 to 5 bars at the front, although out of the saddle, the lower pressure range gives a slight “unbalanced” effect. Conversely, at this pressure and seated on the saddle, there is no sensation of loss of efficiency. In these conditions, comfort and cornering grip are greatly improved, which allows for efficient riding in the mountains, provided that overall efficiency also includes descending efficiency and not just climbing rolling quality on a billiard table (rarely the case in the mountains).

With its Challenger Tubeless model, Hutchinson is therefore targeting ultra-distance and all-weather training, and even if they have only exceeded theoretical half-wear, the way they have held up suggests that they could indeed be the do-it-all tires. With the puncture and wear-resistant casing, not to mention decent comfort, it is even possible to consider them for bike packing adventures, for example, or during a tough winter training on bad roads.

Conclusion
At €60, the Hutchinson Challenger Tubeless tire is a model offered at a very fair price by current standards. This amount should be weighed against its low wear over kilometers, its puncture resistance, its performance which ranks it just below competition tires, its good grip whatever the conditions, and finally its ease of mounting. Thus, it is an excellent assessment that certainly makes it one of the best endurance tires available.

=> SEE ALSO: All our Test articles