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review

Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance tyre

8
£39.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Durable, great value and fast tubeless tyre for year-round training
Speedy
Grippy wet or dry
Easy tubeless setup
Not as supple as some
Weight: 
271g

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The Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance is an excellent all-rounder at a good price. For fast group rides, commutes and café rides, they don't skip a beat regardless of weather. It provides plenty of speed yet good puncture protection, and is reminiscent of the excellent Continental GP 4000 II – with the added benefit of being tubeless ready without extra podge. Could be a little bit more supple, though.

This is not the only Fusion 5 – the range also includes the Galaktic (fastest) and All-Season (toughest) Fusion 5s, while this Performance version sits right in between. Tested here in 28mm guise, it's also available in 23, 25 or 30mm.

> Find your nearest dealer here

After running tubes for the first few rides, I thought I'd take advantage of their tubeless ready nature. Having dabbled before I'm enamored with the concept and lower pressures, but put off by the faff (I'm looking at you, Cadex Race 25). The Fusion 5 experience, though, has finally convinced me tubeless is the way forwards.

2020 Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 700x28 road tyre - 3.jpg

Setup is as simple as thumbing the tyres onto the rims and squirting in a little sealant. The tyres seat and inflate with a track pump – and I tried them on a few wheelsets, as rims really can vary. I was amazed at how easily they went on all the wheels I tried – it's a good indicator that you'll find them easy as well.

2020 Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance fitted 3.jpg

The Fusion 5 Performance feels fast and grips well whatever the conditions, and even on greasy lanes. They're not the plushest on rough roads, though – I'd describe them as comfy-ish. There are more supple tyres out there: for example, the Vittoria Corsa Control does a miraculous job of smoothing bumps, probably thanks to its 320 threads per inch casing (the Fusion is 127 TPI).

For tubeless tyres that need denser, stiffer sidewalls to stop air leaking out, though, I think 127 TPI is a good compromise of comfort and durability.

2020 Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 700x28 road tyre - 2.jpg

These tyres hold air well – as well as a set of tyres with butyl tubes, in fact. Impressive for tubeless tyres which can sometimes be rather porous and need pumping up more often.

> Fitting tubeless tyres – learn how with this simple guide

At a claimed 270g for this 28mm size, and weighing in just 1g heavier on the RoadCC scales of truth, these tyres are impressively light – especially as Hutchinson claim they're good for 4000km. Having covered nearly 1000km on them myself with no sign of wear (or punctures), though, this seems a realistic claim rather than a figure randomly been plucked from the air.

2020 Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance fitted 1.jpg

At £39.95 the Fusion 5 Performance is great value – it rivals tyres of a much higher price.

The Hutchinson's closest competitor is probably the Continental GP 5000 TL, which not only has a considerably higher RRP (£69.95) but is also a fair bit weightier (306g vs 271g in 28mm). If you're looking for the ultimate in comfort then maybe these aren't for you, but in my experience, you can't expect a tyre with significantly higher TPI to last anywhere near as long.

> 40 of the best road bike tyres - rubber for speed, durability and puncture resistance

Overall, the Fusion 5 Performance is not be the supplest tyre, but other than that it delivers the complete package. I found it amazingly easy to fit and inflate, hard wearing and a brilliant choice for year-round training, whether on fast smooth rides or cruising through puncture-prone lanes.

Verdict

Durable, great value and fast tubeless tyre for year-round training

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 700x28 road tyre

Size tested: 700x28

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?

Hutchinson says: "The Performance version of the Fusion 5 family is THE perfect harmony for all cyclists wishing to go fast and far. Associated with a Kevlar® reinforcement under the tread, it will reassure the most nervous and offer a durability superior to 4,000km."

I've used comfier tyres, but I feel that a really good balance has been found.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

ElevenSTORM® compound

Tubeless ready

127tpi

270g claimed weight

Kevlar® reinforcement puncture protection

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Any tyre is a compromise between speed, durability, grip and comfort. The Fusion 5 Performance manages that compromise well, and although there are more supple tyres out there, this will last longer.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

The 4000km life expectancy is believable – they haven't cut up at all or squared off yet, and are likely to last twice as long as many comparable tyres. Particularly impressive given their low weight.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10

Obviously heavier than tubed tyre, but lighter than most comparable tubeless tyres.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
6/10

The 127tpi casing isn't uncomfy, but it's stiffer than some. The lower pressures needed in this 28mm version certainly help.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Cheaper than many tubeless tyres, and should last ages.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Fast, grippy and durable – it's an excellent training, race and sportive tyre.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

How easy they are to set up.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Slightly harsher ride than some.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Really well. Most comparable tubeless tyres we've tested are more expensive. Continental's GP 5000 TL is £69.95, Vittoria's Corsa Control TLR G2.0 is £69.99, and Michelin's Power is £59.99. Plus, the only tyre that rivals the weight of the Fusion is the Panaracer Race A Evo 4 at £59.99.

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 overall score

Long life, good grip levels, easy to fit and inflate... the Fusion 5 Performance is a brilliant all rounder at a good price. If they were a little more supple they'd be a nine, although those that are – with a higher TPI count – also tend to be more expensive.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 6ft  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride: Specialized venge pro 2019  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 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, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

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3 comments

Avatar
Prosper0 | 3 years ago
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I've been impressed with these tyres. Hands up I bought them because I wanted to try tubeless tyres on my commuter and they were simply the cheapest available. 
The tyres have been excellent, pretty plush, fast and resilient. I've been commuting in London on them for a year, they have punctured but sealed flawlessly and they were very easy to fit. Hutchinson have been making tubeless road tyres longer than most other companies so it shows. Maybe not sexy but very good tyres. 

Avatar
IanEdward | 3 years ago
0 likes

How wide did they measure up, and on what width rim?

I've seen suggestions that they measure up true to size on 19mm rims, so the 28mm would be a good replacement for my 25mm GP 4Seasons which actually measure up as 27mm...

Thanks

Avatar
Prosper0 replied to IanEdward | 3 years ago
0 likes

Just measured my 28mm and they come up 30 on 19mm rims. 

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