Hutchinson says new Blackbird is its fastest ever tyre and can last over 4000km

Hutchinson has unveiled its new Blackbird tyre, which it says is its fastest ever.

It takes that title from the Fusion 5 Performance, but the Blackbird is built for more than just speed. According to the French brand, which has been manufacturing tyres since the 19th century, the Blackbird packs in equally impressive durability, which should see the tyre through over 4000 kilometres of riding.

In what appears to be a substantial divergence from its previous designs, the tyre has adopted the Mach Tread 3.0 compound and SwiftEasy casing, both of which add to the overall performance package too, with a claimed 10% reduction in rolling resistance.

Both a tubeless and tubed version of the Blackbird are available, with both types available in 26mm, 28mm and 30mm widths - the 28mm and 30mm sizes are hookless compatible. There is also a choice between tan or standard black sidewalls.

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Built for performance: Faster, more durable and grippier

The new Blackbird also carries Hutchinson’s ‘Racing Lab’ moniker, which is applied to all of its performance tyres that are handmade in France. Performance means a lot of things when applied to a road tyre and Hutchinson has clearly tried to tick as many of these performance factors off as possible.

And if the French brand’s claims are to be believed, it has been successful. The Blackbird, according to Hutchinson, is faster and has 10% less rolling resistance than the previous range-topping Fusion 5 Performance, while it has enough durability to last 4000km.

© Hutchinson

The Hutchinson Blackbird has adopted new technology

Most of these headline figures have been delivered by new tech in what is a large departure from the Fusion 5. That’s not surprising as Hutchinson hadn’t updated the Fusion 5 since 2021, leaving three years when it was quiet on the performance road tyre front.

Among the new tech used on the Blackbird is Hutchinson’s SwiftEasy casing, which partly accounts for the reduced rolling resistance. It’s the result of a new construction process through which the 127 TPI casing is wrapped around the bead and then bonded directly to a puncture protection strip, rather than overlapping the layers. The new process has been followed in the name of “unparalleled performance” and Hutchinson says that the design sets “a new benchmark for road and gravel racing tyres alike”.

Durability for 4000km

It’s rare that a tyre is released without claims that it is faster, so the Blackbird’s claimed durability of over 4000 kilometres is perhaps the headline figure.

The lifespan of tyres can vary greatly but 4000km is more than respectable for a performance-orientated tyre, where the aforementioned performance factor often leads to the sacrifice of durability.

To achieve this lifespan, Hutchinson has swapped the 11Storm compound it previously used for the Mach Tread 3.0. This also comes with performance benefits, adding to the lower rolling resistance, but the new compound is also 10% tougher than its predecessor. It also stacked up much better in Hutchinson’s tearing test, delivering a 75% improvement.

Alongside the durability and performance benefits, these new technologies made it possible to make the tread 15% wider, for increased grip, while also optimising them for modern wider rims.

The tubed version of the tyre is available for £43.99 / €49.99, while the tubeless is £61.99 / €69.99. You can learn more about the tyres on Hutchinson’s website.

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