There's a serious battle going on between tyre makers for who can make the fastest-rolling race-orientated tyre. Michelin's entry in the fray is the Power Competition and it's a goodie with excellent grip, decent puncture resistance and low rolling resiatance.
The Power Competition is the successor to the Pro 4 Service Course, a tyre that road.cc rated very highly a few years ago. This year Michelin revamped its entire range and the new range-topping tyre uses a brand new carcass and compound with a thinner Aramid Protek puncture resistant belt sandwiched between the two, and it comes with some heady performance claims.
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For a tyre aimed at racers and demanding performance cyclists who want the fastest equipment, Michelin claims that the new tyre offers a massive 25% reduction in rolling resistance over the tyre it replaces, amounting to a 10 watt power saving which can save 85 seconds over 40km at 35kph, based on testing by independent Finnish company Wheel Energy.
Road.cc doesn't have the facility to accurately test this claim, but over at Bicycle Rolling Resistance they found the new tyre to offer the claimed reduction in rolling resistance compared to the old Pro 4, which puts it above the Continental GP4000S II and Schwalbe One tyres.
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In the real world, the new tyre is certainly fast. Back-to-back testing against the old Pro 4 tyre reveals a small gain in speed over familiar roads, using a power meter and cycling computer to compare the old versus the new. The new is faster, not by a huge amount, but in the current climate of marginal gains, every little difference counts.
What of its other qualities? The new rubber compound, called Power Race and derived from the French company's MotoGP division, gives the tyre a very sure-footed feel on a wide range of road surfaces. It's excellent in the dry, providing a very secure feeling through the corners when leaning the bike right over.
On wet roads, it's more confidence inspiring than the Schwalbe One but Conti's GP4000 just edges the Michelin Power Competition, based on my own feelings testing the tyres at the same pressure (80-95psi depending on the weather) and on the same bike and over the same roads, trying to rule out all variables.
Puncture resistance is on a par with the previous Pro 4, a tyre that took a huge step forward from the older Pro 3 in terms of durability and resistance to puncturing. I've punctured just the once through the many hundreds of miles I've so far clocked up, and that came from an unsighted pothole on a dark country lane. I've not yet punctured from anything piercing the carcass, even on some of the country lanes littered with thorns from hedgerow trimming. Durability is impressive and the tread is still in good condition with no holes or cuts to the tread or sidewall to report, and the wear rate is decent considering it's a lightweight race tyre.
You get a choice of two widths, 25 and 23mm. I tested the latter because that is what was sent for review, I would have leant towards the wider tyre personally. Still, the 23mm tyre does measure up a tiny bit wider on some rims so it is closer to 24, which gives you a bit more volume. Despite its width, it's comfortable tyre with that supple and cushioned feel that comes from high-quality lightweight race tyres.
Verdict
Fast and grippy tyres good for wide range of conditions and favourably priced compared to their main rivals
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Michelin Power Competition tyre
Size tested: 23-622 700x23C
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
The Michelin Power Competition tyre delivers performance and efficiency thanks to a special new compound developed for MotoGP - The pinnacle of 2 wheeled motorsport.
The pure performance compound delivers huge improvements over its predecessor the Michelin Pro4 Service Course. A 10 watt reduction in rolling resistance equates to the Power Competition being 1 minute and 25 seconds faster over 40 km, at a speed of 35 km/h. This is a huge huge 25% reduction in rolling resistance.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Features
10 watts less rolling resistance than Michelin Pro4 Service Course (1 minute 25 seconds over 40 km at 35 km/h)
25% less rolling resistance than the Michelin Pro4 Service Course tyre
Compound designed for speed and efficiency
Disc brake ready
Aramid breaker
Specification
Weight: 195g, 215g
Size: 700x23c, 700x25c
Casing: 3x180 TPI
Slightly heavier than the claimed weight, but still very light
Even the 23mm width tyre provided decent comfort and cushioning
At RRP it's favourably priced compared to its main rivals
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
A very fast and grippy lightweight race tyre
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Godo grip in wet and dry and feels fast
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Puncture resistance is the main tradeoff
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
Michelin has managed to improve an old favourite and it's a good choice, at a good price, for anyone in the market for a lightweight race tyre
About the tester
Age: 31
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.
8 comments
I have tried Pro3s (rubbish) and Pro4s (slightly better but still not great) and have always been disappointed with the ride, grip, fitting (need to manhandle them on !) and wear life.....I'm sticking to GP4000s mk2s....totally better in every way possible !....oh and have really useful wear indicators !
Pro3's was a setback.
The 25mm Pro 2 was and is one of the best clincher ever made, ligtweight for a 25, super sublte compared to the Pro 3 and 4, genrous in size (meassures 26.7mm on a narrow OpenPro rim) and a with a lot better puncture resistance than especially the Pro 3.
When production stopped i managed to find several stashes, when i ran outi switched to 25mm veloflexes which where nice but nothing like the 25mm Pro 2..
For the past 3 years ive been on tubulars though.
After years as an ardent disciple of Schwalbe I've recently discovered Michelin's Pro4 and I have to say I'm impressed by, well, everything really. ( Mr Turner - I am the original model for the 7-stone weakling and yet fitted them with no bother and no levers. It's all in the technique.) The fact that they are now heavily discounted is a bonus and I may buy a couple of sets for future use before they finally disappear.
I've tried them all, Continental, Schwalbe, Vittoria, but am 100% a Michelin convert. Fast, puncture resistant and great value compared to the German brands. Couldn't be happier.
I had a sidewall blowout on a 25 mm Pro 4 Service Course last week. The tire was not very worn. Until then I had been a fan. I think I'm going to stick with Rubino's.
This reply may sound like I am here to review but want to share my story about tires
For me, nothing beat Schwalbe One in term of price/durability, been using 1 year and 6 months and its still supple, thick enough for daily road use without puncture and roll well (actually its roll faster than new tire according to reduced in tire mass).
GP4KS2 is great one but wearing is way too fast and price is ridiculous in my country (lol) its roll good regardless.
Now I using Panasonic Evo 3 Type A, its good, light and aero tire shaped (middle section of tire is a bit pointy so its reduced contact point and gain a little aero advantage) However, its wearing a bit too quick, after roughly 500 miles, middle section get a little flat now. . . I doubt this tire durability will able to get pass 2000-3000 miles. But its still roll good, get puncture once . . . though
Never try Micheline yet, I dunno how durability, I usually loved racing tire with good durability (like Schwalbe One)
And price is so exaggerate in my country . . . what funny is Schwalbe One is cheapest in my country while the rest is just price up to the point that "its ridiculous" and prevented me to use them
I had a gash appear on the new Michelin Comp after only a few rides. Which was a shame as they were hands down the fastest clinchers I'd ever had. No confidence in them after that. That sounds bonkers, I know, but I have so few visits that I decided to swap away from them. Like the poster above I now run Schwalbe One which are superb. I'll go Pro One when I get the right wheels. Indeed I now run a selection of One, G-One, S-One and X-One on each of my bikes. And some Kojak on the commuter! I didn't set out to be a Schwable fanboy but it turned out that way
my technique is near perfect (done it enough times!) wheels and tyres are simply different; my all carbon Zipps fall on whereas my original 404s are a very tight fit and def something I wouldn't want to be trying in the dark ! (It happened once !) same with Older Mavic SLs. Michelin have always been a let down....Conti just ride so much better !