Test Long life Hutchinson Blackbird Racing Lab tires

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a version of the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart spy plane built in at least 32 examples for the United States Air Force, which used it primarily from 1968 to 1990. This is the definition as it is used.'you can find it from the Blackbird. But Hutchinson simply took inspiration from it to name its new flagship product in the range route. After almost 4500 km, we can confirm that These tires are not far from flying on the route !

By David Polveroni – Photos: DR

For more information on this new high-end tire, we invite you to read again Product presentation and our first impressions. But to summarize, This is a tire that is announced as the fastest ever developed by Hutchinson., with revolutionary new technologies like the Mach Tread 3.0 rubber and the SwiftEasy Casing construction. According to the brand, it would offer a 10% performance gain compared to the previous generation, as well as a 15% wider tread that would allow for improved grip and better grip.'angle in turns.

The montage

For this test, I opted for a black tubeless version in 26 mm for s'fit with rims with an internal width of 21 mm. The tire then comes into perfect alignment with the rim. This is an aerodynamic asset. These tires, mounted on RAR Even rims, snap into place at the pump and without tire levers. This is rare enough to be emphasized. On d'other rims, i'I had to use an air tank, but here the snapping is done very well, without difficulty, as well as the sealing. 20 ml of latex is enough. I'used the Hutchinson Protect product'Air.

Let us recall that on the route, the most popular preventatives are Stan's NoTubes, Hutchinson, Orange Seal, Silca, or even Pirelli which (d'after what i'I understand, but I haven't tried it yet) would be best with a colma speedtagand the fastest. At Hutchinson, I guess they are already working to match or even surpass this characteristic.

The weight of the tire is a little higher than a Continental with 267 g on the scale in 26 mm (280 g in 28 mm), 20 g extra which, as we will see later, does not disadvantage ittagnot at all.

On route with the Hutchinson Blackbird 

For my 56 kg, I'opted for 4,5 bar at l'before and 4,8 at the'back for routes that I would call variables,'that is to say a pressure which allows me to'have a certain efficiency and comfort on the degraded portions while n'not having the'impression of'have chewing gum on the nice portions with a clean surface. In the latter case, I will go up almost 1 bar. For the rain, I'lowered by 0,3 compared to the initial pressure.

The first few turns of the wheels remind me of a tubular tube.. We find here a touch of route very comfortable. A tire closer to the Vittoria than the Continental. D'elsewhere, coming back to the latter makes me feel something harder; we'is clearly not on the same type of touch route. On a GP 5000 STR, you get the feeling of something that slips on route, but in the sense of low rolling resistance. J'I will come back to this later.

The second big change is the grip.. You l'you will have understood I compare them a lot to the GP5000, tubeless STR version which remains the reference. Here, it'is clear, the taking of'angle is much more reassuring. We feel that the tire gives more confidence. Flagrant. An asset in terms of safety both in dry and wet conditions, where Continental still has to evolve. Hutchinson has perfectly found the right rubber compound to offer this optimal grip. The grip is ensured by the nature of the rubber on the sides, while the central strip offers rolling resistance announced as among the best. For m'To ensure this, we sent the tire to Alban Lorenzini, specialized in this kind of research of performance.

To sum up, we are very close to the Continental, with only 3 W more on the pair at 30 km/h.

But where the French brand stands out is'is about longevity. Over the years, the German giant has reduced rolling resistance at the expense of longevity. You should hardly count more than 3500 km for a GP 5000, and even then, optimistically. With the Blackbird, I n'I never had a flat. There are small cuts on the'back after 2500 km, and I'is soon approaching 4200 km with still some margin… So for me, it'There is no match, even if the puncture remains random. You can puncture on new tires and never puncture for 30 km...

An important point that has been changed compared to the Fusion 5: the tire does not inflate. Its initial size does not change over time. This is important because ending up with a big balloon after a few outings is not desirable...

The balance sheet of test Hutchinson Blackbirds 

The results are therefore rather excellent.. Hutchinson has been able to develop a very versatile tire, with comfort and grip, rivaling the best in terms of rolling resistance. This slight lack is linked to a small compromise with a little more rubber for a lot more kilometers. In short, it's all good. We are already impatiently waiting for the expansion of the range with a tire closer to'a GP5000TT, to be reserved for lenses, as well as'a durable tire for high mileage drivers who don't care about'low rolling resistance and want to avoid roadside repairs above all. route. For my part, I don't'I have never had this problem before... The public price is announced at €69,99 for the tubeless version, and €49,99 for the inner tube version.

=> Buy the Hutchinson Blackbird tubeless for €62,99

=> Buy the Hutchinson Blackbird tubetype for €44,99

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