Hutchinson: New treads to shred
Originally posted on June 21, 2012 at 13:45 pmBy Josh Patterson
Hutchinson is investing a lot of resources in developing its gravity-oriented tires. The French tire manufacturer now has full range of DH tires to suit most conditions. From top to bottom you see the Toro, an all-arounder, available in 2.5 and 2.35; the DZO, for wet and muddy courses; and the Squale, for dry and rocky conditions.
Note the stepped blocks on the DZO. These serve as guides for shaving the tread.
Hutchinson readily admits the company was caught with its pants down when the 29er boom hit. While they are just now getting up to speed with a full line of 29er rubber, the company made sure it would not make the same mistake twice. Three of their most popular treads are available in 650B sizes with more to come. From left to right, the Toro, Cougar, and Cobra:
The Black Mamba is a very low-profile version of the Cobra, with more space between the knobs. This tubular tread was designed for Julien Absalon’s Olympics aspirations. Hutchinson makes treads for Dugast tires. This Mamba tread will be mated to a Dugast casing for a super-light, race-day only tire that most of us would be too afraid to ride.