Michelin Tyres - Product Requirements!

[KidJambo]

For those of you who don't know me, I am the Sales & Marketing Manager for Michelin Tyres cycle products in the UK & Scandinavia. Every year I attend a meeting where we outline what we need in our range in the future and what trends we anticipate in our markets. In the past I have simply asked a pool of distributors and retailers for their opinion but their answer usually revolves around an existing product but with a better margin. Last year I had the idea to post on a public forum and it proved very successful so I thought I'd do the same again this year!

This is your chance to have you points put across to our central design team who will be responsible for our cycle products ranges in years to come so if you think there is a gap in our range then I would love to hear about it. I can't promise that we will make it - comes down to a global demand and if it is worthwhile us investigating in R&D, design and manufacture - but some of the things that were mentioned last year are in the pipeline for 2010 so this is worthwhile.

I know you would all like a tyre that weighs about the same as a condom, has zero rolling resistance, never punctures, never wears out, changes colour and costs nothing to buy but you have to be slightly more realistic than that - technology is moving on all the time...but not to that extent...yet!

Maybe you have an idea for a new tyre or would like an existing product in a different size, colour or with a greater degree of puncture protection - no idea is too silly....well, some are, but you know what I mean. I can promise that all (sensible) ideas will be amalgamated into my already extensive report and put to the management team later in the spring so get your thinking caps on.

I look forward to hearing what you might come up with! 

[gordon taylor]

A choice of colours in 25mm size, not just 23mm.

Thank you. 

[Tewdric]

A tyre specifically aimed at lightweight tourists and randonneurs would be nice - 700 x 25c, reasonably light, good puncture protection, low rolling resistance, good grip, but ultimate longevity not that important.  An updated Krylion Carbon if you like.

Can you do a small batch of YACF branded ones? ;-)

[KidJambo]

A choice of colours in 25mm size, not just 23mm.

Thank you. 

I am told - and this is from a Parisien Fashion House - that for 2010 BLACK is the new black!

[KidJambo]

A tyre specifically aimed at lightweight tourists and randonneurs would be nice - 700 x 25c, reasonably light, good puncture protection, low rolling resistance, good grip, but ultimate longevity not that important.  An updated Krylion Carbon if you like.

Can you do a small batch of YACF branded ones? ;-)

25C is a weird size - is it a wide lightweight tyre or a narrow randonneur/touring tyre? We only really do the Krylion carbon at present although I have been specifically asking for the Erilium2 in wider sizes for the last few years. We also have a range of lightweight touring/commuter tyres to compete against the Marathon Supreme coming later in the year although unsure that'll go as narrow as 25C at this stage.

A small batch? Can you take about 20k units?

[Gus]

I can see your problem. I'm living in Denmark and no one uses 25C we use 23C  because the roads are so good, so selling them here will be impossible.
Saying that I have switched to 25C after riding in UK and France, the comfort are soo much better.

So my wish are the Krylion Carbon  all black in 25C and maybe in 28C as a competitor to Panaracer.

[Rhys W]

Michelin's finest are always on my best bike. However, I noticed the Pro 3 seems to be far more susceptible to cuts than previous models. I reckon it's city-street glass that's the problem - but susceptibility to cuts is what I'd like to see improved.

[TimC]

Some Krylions in stock somewhere - anywhere - would be nice. And I need a pink version of the Pro Race 3 for my wife's bike!

[TimC]

Michelin's finest are always on my best bike. However, I noticed the Pro 3 seems to be far more susceptible to cuts than previous models. I reckon it's city-street glass that's the problem - but susceptibility to cuts is what I'd like to see improved.

I've noticed the same - I'm on my third Pro Race 3 on the back of my 'Dale. Great tyres apart from that, though.

[gonzo]

I'm a conti user, but the main things that would make me switch are:
- Greater cut resistance
- Easier to mount on wheels

I currently use GP4000S' but they have two big problems:
1) They wear too quickly - I had to replace my last set after about 2561miles. Inevitable with race tyres I guess.
2) Stupid naming convention!

NB. I seem to remember that your last fashion tip was that we were going to move back to fluro!

[Lucky]

Tubular versions of the PRO³ Race and Light 

[tonycollinet]

I'm sure you've seen my "bombproof commuter" thread.

Well that is what I need - fire a small, nail laden, tactical nuke at it, and it comes out the other side grinning like a loon. Obviously for a commuter, punctures are a disaster.

I am favouring the marathon supreme at the moment - what is the rough time frame for your alternative? Are we talking later as in "the next few weeks" or later as in "maybe in time for Christmas"?

I want 700x32, cos my commuter bike will also be my tourer - and touring this summer will be partly off road (tracks n trails)

[Biggsy]

25C is a weird size - is it a wide lightweight tyre or a narrow randonneur/touring tyre?

I reckon there's demand for both of those: lightweight racing tyres and light touring tyres in 25C.

Tyres on racing style bikes have gradually been getting wider as people realise the narrowest tyres aren't actually very fast on average British roads afterall, let alone comfortable.  The trend went from 20 to 23C, and surely 25C will be next.

And a lot of those who ride audax bikes or winter road bikes would rather not have the weight and bulk of 28s, and may not even be able to fit them in their mudguards and frames comfortably, so then 25C is ideal.

[hubner]

Tyres with a black tread and natural (mid-brown) sidewalls, like a traditional tub:

[Biggsy]

  No thanks.  I vote for black sidewalls. 

[inc]

When are Michelin going to produce a tubeless road tyre especially now that Campag say it is the future and  have suitable wheels along with Fulcrum and Mavic. At the moment it is just Hutchinson. The wheels are too expensive for most  at the moment but any standard rim can be converted using Stans No Tube. I would do it tomorrow if Michelin produced some tyres.

[Robbo5]

Another vote for black tread and amber or brown sidewalls.

[FatBloke]

Another vote for black tread and amber or brown sidewalls.

And another Bleugh!  to counter it!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Another vote for black tread and amber or brown sidewalls.

Yes, I don't like 'kiddy kolours' on tyres.

[hubner]

We only want tyre companies to offer a choice. If people don't like black tread and amber sidewalls, they can just choose tyres with another colour.

[Steve GT]

krylions and PR3's in plain black?

[arry_b]

Agreeing with Tonycolliet, I'd like to see a Michelin version of the Marathon Plus. If you made it a little lighter and easier to mount, the world would beat a path to your door.

[GruB]

Some Krylions in stock somewhere - anywhere - would be nice. And I need a pink version of the Pro Race 3 for my wife's bike!

Ditto.  In yellow for the TCR and the blue for the MonstaThorn.

[rdaviesb]

Definitely think we need a wider choice of 25c tyres.

[nuttycyclist]

Another 25C vote here 

I'm going to be honest in admitting I haven't ridden Michelin in a long time (but am happy to ride any free samples I am sent).  Below are the things I have liked with tyres, but failures too.   I've ridden more tyres than these, but they are all pretty "tyre like", these ones stick out in my mind.

Panaracer Pasela 700x23(?) - very comfy (soaked up road vibration) and seemed fast.  But after a set mileage (always the same, and the same that other riders here had on that narrow tyre) they suffered continual flats.  (Note: the riders on 35C tyres lasted much longer).  I think the profile I liked was the narrow central ridge for straight line low resistance, but then it had good grip on corners.  that central ridge wore out too soon though.

Bontrager Hardcase racelite 700x23 - again very comfy and fast.  Once worn a bit slightly slippery on greasy corners, but pretty good traction all year round (I've ridden both these and the paselas on ice).  Very good p*nct*re resistance.  A 600k audax that had every flatting resulted in me pulling around 20 flints from the tyres a week later when I read the ride reports.  Another overnight ride in the rain that had everybody flatting did catch me finally with a huge sharp flint, but they tyre was 3500 miles old (first flat) and there were 9 other similar flints in the tyre that hadn't gone through.  What I didn't like is that you can hit a sharp item (glass etc) that takes the whole tread off    I'll try and get a photo of the last one I took off - I was riding on several patches of canvass

Schwalbe Blizzard (I think, this was back in 2003, I may still have the old one on the garage).  Too slippery in the wet, prone to flats after a while, too harsh a ride (going from this to the pasela was like switching from floorboards to a queen sized waterbed for nocturnal activities).


I'd be after a tyre that had the protection of the racelite, the comfort and grip of the pasela, and plenty of longevity (5000 miles at least) in 700x25.  As for colours, they all look the same after year round riding, but I'd prefer black and dark grey as that doesn't show up the dirt or brake grime.