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review

Michelin Power Road Tubeless 700x32

9
£59.99

VERDICT:

9
10
One of the grippiest and quickest tyres on the market, especially in this size
Quick rolling
Plenty of comfort
Grippy compound
Weight: 
353g

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At 32mm across, this is the widest of Michelin's Power Road Tubeless tyres, and it matches the skinnier versions for performance and grip while being easier to fit.

When I tested the 25mm version of this tyre back in April, the only real criticism I had with it was that it was a bit of a tight squeeze to get it to fit on 19mm rims and upwards as there wasn't a huge amount of give in the bead. Leon found the 28s much easier, just a slight issue in the final levering stage he said, and with these 32s I'd go so far as to say installation was a breeze.

> Find your nearest dealer here

First off, they popped under the lip of the wheel rim first time before adding the sealant. With that in place and the tyre pumped up to 80psi, they initially lost a bit of pressure overnight but not much, highlighting how non-porous the sidewalls are.

Regardless of the pressure, the Power Road is a comfortable tyre. Its four layers of 120TPI (threads per inch) casing keeps the construction feeling supple – not something always found with tubeless tyres.

> Should you go tubeless?

They roll fast too, and thanks to the X-Race compound, grip levels are high both in the wet and the dry.

Confidence-inspiring is how I'd describe them. For such a wide tyre they still offer the race feel of their narrower siblings, just with a little more weight, 353g as opposed to 297g for the 28mm option, and 266g for the 25s.

2020 Michelin Tyre Power Road 700 x 32C TL Ready.jpg

With race bikes coming with ever-larger tyre clearances – the Specialized Tarmac SL7, for example, will accept up to 32mm rubber, and the Canyon CF SLX Disc comes with 32mm as standard – it's good to see wide tyres delivering this kind of performance.

The 25mm tyres have been ridden about 1,000 miles so far and are showing very little signs of wear, so I can't these 32mm offerings faring any differently. I'm also yet to get a puncture or any damage either. Leon says much the same in his review of the 28s.

> Buyer’s Guide: 45 of the best road bikes tyres

The £59.99 rrp sits quite competitively. It's ten quid less than the highly regarded Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL, for starters.

Another class act is the Schwalbe Pro One TLE, one of my favourite tyres. The widest option is only 30mm, along with a 25mm and 28mm, and has an rrp of £66.99, so a little more expensive than the Michelins.

Overall, the Michelin Power Road tyres are up there with the grippiest and fastest-rolling on the market. They are a pretty good price too when compared to their main rivals.

Verdict

One of the grippiest and quickest tyres on the market, especially in this size

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Michelin Power Road Tubeless 700x32

Size tested: 700x32

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?

Michelin says:

"More rolling efficiency. With Tubeless Ready technology you improve your performance and are more efficient.

More robustness. Thanks to its 4x120 TPI casing which improves the robustness of the tyre and offers more comfort at low pressure.

More longevity. Thanks to the X-Race Compound designed to optimize the wear of the tread.

MICHELIN'S ADVICE

Disc Brake Ready technology allows the tyre to withstand the extra braking of bicycles with disc brakes thanks to a specially adapted rubber."

It feels like a very quick tyre with plenty of grip.

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

From Michelin:

ETRTO Size: 32 - 622

Pressure (BAR): 8/5

Pressure (PSI): 116/73

Color: BLACK

X-Race Compound : New rubber compound that combines rolling resistance, grip and wear to improve tyre longevity.

Air Proof: Fitted with sealant, makes the tyre Tubeless compatible at high pressure.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

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

Wide tyres with a racy edge to them.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great grip levels.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really.

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

It's cheaper than both the Schwalbe and Continental mentioned in the review, while matching them on performance.

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

A very impressive tyre in all aspects of performance and durability. Cheaper than many of the top end rivals too.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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3 comments

Avatar
Yorky-M | 3 years ago
1 like

I have a pair on the winter bike,  and they are expensive and the 28mm are 30mm really and bit of rub on the guards; did4000km last winter. When I was putting new block and chain on the hack bike for this winter, they look perfect and ready for another onslaught of pain and salt

Avatar
Thelma Viaduct | 3 years ago
1 like

How do they compare to the Panaracer Gravelking 32mm Tubeless smooth tyres? GKs are half the price and 65g lighter.

Avatar
Tim Ward | 3 years ago
1 like

FYI - As part of the 2021 new product range the Schwalbe Pro One TLE and Pro One tube type are now available in 700 x 32 in both black and tan wall.

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