Hutchinson Barracuda tires
Hutchinson Australia have been nice enough to flow the team a set of the Hutchinson Barracuda tires for our evaluation. They will be run on our Virtue 1's at most rides with the exception of races. The reason for that is the tyres are quite substantial and therefore slower to push around, particularly uphill at the speed at which we require to remain competitive. So from the outset, we must admit that these are not an elite level cross country race tire, and should not be expected to perform as one.
So with the caveats aside, lets get down to what these tires are all about. I'm sure that most of you internet savvy people are capable of doing some research and finding out all the guff on these tires from Hutchinson.
The tyres fit up to our Mavic rims without drama, the stiffer sidewalls than our Piranhas make the tires easier to install without flopping everywhere and I found no need to use soapy water to get them to seal easily. A quick burst with the compressor seated the tyre quickly and easily, the sealant doing the rest of the work. All tubeless tyres should run a sealant, with many brands on the market including Hutchinson.
You can see how much more substantial the tread is, whilst the bag of the tyre is also a bit larger, allowing us to run lower pressures if desired. The tread pattern is obviously quite similar however, so hopefully the riding style should stay the same.
You can see where they based the tread design on, the old Octopus downhill tyres from Hutchinson. A great design from a few years back, they continue to stand the test of time and have evolved into a fast cross country design.
First ride!! The You Yangs was the first place the we got these tyres dirty, and after a brief car park spin to get the feel of them, we were off on the first section of gentle downhill singletrack. The first think that became immediately noticeable was the sheer amount of trail that was being launched into the air! The yelling and screaming from behind our bikes was what first drew our attention to it, from riders getting an absolute sandblasting behind us! So they have some grip!
The tyres roll quite well (see caveat above) and are an absolute pleasure to ride slightly off the track. They don't seem to like the flat, groomed trails as much as they like the rougher trails. Through rider feedback (what we feel) the Barracudas seem to feel much smoother and more stable when they are ridden slightly off the 'racing line' (we were at a race course after all). The sidewalls offer more compliance when they are forced to work that bit harder, and the lower pressures offer bags of grip. I personally was running 34 psi, and I've now cut that to 31 PSI with no danger. And I'll look to lower that as I continue to use them!
The Flat Track was quite tough with the bigger rubber, chasing people on strict XC race rubber, but its all good in the long run. Cornering was an acquired art that took me a little while to dial in. The rock hard surface down there exaggerates the shoulders of the tyres, meaning that to lay the bike over, you must commit heavily to the corner and get off the side of the centre knobs and get the bike using the side knobs for grip. Everything these tyres do, they seem to do bigger than the Piranhas- they *are* bigger, they bag out and offer more cushioning, they grip more in every situation, they need a bigger lean to be ridden properly and to the maximum effect, and they do bigger controlled drifts.
So in all, they seem to be a great tyre for rougher terrain, further from home. They don't really excel on the hard pack, they really excel when it gets a little rougher! This is but part one of a long series of testing, so be sure to check back for more stories about a variety of terrains, and hopefully we can help sway you for your next purchase of tyres, to Hutchinson. For the complete range of Hutchinson Tyres, check out the link!
So with the caveats aside, lets get down to what these tires are all about. I'm sure that most of you internet savvy people are capable of doing some research and finding out all the guff on these tires from Hutchinson.
The tyres fit up to our Mavic rims without drama, the stiffer sidewalls than our Piranhas make the tires easier to install without flopping everywhere and I found no need to use soapy water to get them to seal easily. A quick burst with the compressor seated the tyre quickly and easily, the sealant doing the rest of the work. All tubeless tyres should run a sealant, with many brands on the market including Hutchinson.
You can see how much more substantial the tread is, whilst the bag of the tyre is also a bit larger, allowing us to run lower pressures if desired. The tread pattern is obviously quite similar however, so hopefully the riding style should stay the same.
You can see where they based the tread design on, the old Octopus downhill tyres from Hutchinson. A great design from a few years back, they continue to stand the test of time and have evolved into a fast cross country design.
First ride!! The You Yangs was the first place the we got these tyres dirty, and after a brief car park spin to get the feel of them, we were off on the first section of gentle downhill singletrack. The first think that became immediately noticeable was the sheer amount of trail that was being launched into the air! The yelling and screaming from behind our bikes was what first drew our attention to it, from riders getting an absolute sandblasting behind us! So they have some grip!
The tyres roll quite well (see caveat above) and are an absolute pleasure to ride slightly off the track. They don't seem to like the flat, groomed trails as much as they like the rougher trails. Through rider feedback (what we feel) the Barracudas seem to feel much smoother and more stable when they are ridden slightly off the 'racing line' (we were at a race course after all). The sidewalls offer more compliance when they are forced to work that bit harder, and the lower pressures offer bags of grip. I personally was running 34 psi, and I've now cut that to 31 PSI with no danger. And I'll look to lower that as I continue to use them!
The Flat Track was quite tough with the bigger rubber, chasing people on strict XC race rubber, but its all good in the long run. Cornering was an acquired art that took me a little while to dial in. The rock hard surface down there exaggerates the shoulders of the tyres, meaning that to lay the bike over, you must commit heavily to the corner and get off the side of the centre knobs and get the bike using the side knobs for grip. Everything these tyres do, they seem to do bigger than the Piranhas- they *are* bigger, they bag out and offer more cushioning, they grip more in every situation, they need a bigger lean to be ridden properly and to the maximum effect, and they do bigger controlled drifts.
So in all, they seem to be a great tyre for rougher terrain, further from home. They don't really excel on the hard pack, they really excel when it gets a little rougher! This is but part one of a long series of testing, so be sure to check back for more stories about a variety of terrains, and hopefully we can help sway you for your next purchase of tyres, to Hutchinson. For the complete range of Hutchinson Tyres, check out the link!
posted by Ash Thomas at 8:33 pm
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