Michelin Power Road Tubeless Tyre 28

The Michelin Power Road Tubeless tyre offers a fantastic blend of low weight, good grip, impressive ride feel and tubeless readiness – all with the French company's signature low rolling resistance. In this 28mm-wide spec, it's impressively comfortable too – and slightly easier to fit than Stu found the 25s.

We reviewed the non-tubeless clincher version of the Power Road in February, and found it 'everything you want' in a race tyre. It's light but puncture resistant, grippy but smooth rolling, and available in all of the sizes a racer (or keen sportive rider) might want. The good news is this 28mm tubeless version, like the 25mm tubeless version Stu tested in April, is much the same – confidence-inspiring, supple, and grippy.

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Compared with the clincher version, the shape of the Amarid bead has been updated to create that necessarily-tight seal with the rim. Slightly chunkier, its outer layer is more pliable than the core, to make seating easier and sealing more effective.

As with the 25mm version, the casing comprises four 120tpi layers, which is three more than the tubed version gets. This boosts both the protection levels and airtightness of the carcass itself. It also has an Amarid Protek+ puncture protection layer and a stronger sidewall than the old Power Competition tyre (whose sidewalls were the subject of many complaints, according to Michelin).

These changes inevitably result in a weight gain. At 297g the tubeless version is 39g heavier than the tubed one, though the overall weight is partially offset by the lack of tube... and partially un-offset again by sealant.

On our scales the 28mm Power Road Tubeless is 5g lighter than a 25mm Continental GP5000TL, though of course Continentals are notorious for sizing up larger than claimed, and they’re 37g heavier apiece than the 25mm Power Road Tubelesses.

The X-Race compound is fast rolling and performs almost as well in the wet as the dry, and wrapped around this new carcass it gives a performance that's impressive all round – the Power Road Tubeless is instantly distinguishable from the version we tested in February.

Despite the slightly higher weight, the Power Road Tubeless feels lightfooted and fast, and feel and feedback are truly excellent – you get a real sense of exactly how much grip you have, so you can push closer to the edge with confidence. Quite how far you push is up to you, but rest assured comfort is good too at optimal pressures for your weight (around 75-80psi for me).

Over pimply roads – you know, the coarse, broken tarmac type – the 28mm rubber is incredibly capable. The lower pressures afforded by wide tubeless rubber bring seriously impressive cushioning, yet without a loss in rolling speed. Over these poor surfaces you hardly lose speed at all – it's the dream scenario.

The X-Race compound is tacky enough in the dry to offer great adhesion, especially under cornering, while in the wet the added feel of tubeless provides that extra bit of confidence – indeed, performance levels are fundamentally high whatever the weather.

Fitting proved relatively easy too – although Stu found the 25s a bit tough to fit on three separate brands of wheels, which he put down to the slight inflexibility of the bead, I only found this a slight issue in the final levering stage of installation. Otherwise, the 28s fitted without too much argument.

Arguably, Mavic's bespoke wheel/tyre system is easier, but I would say that the Michelins more or less match Conti’s GP5000TLs, which is no bad thing. They seated straight, true and first time on a set of Vision SC 40 wheels.

Our test set is showing no sign of wear or damage after several hundred kilometres, though I'll keep tabs on how they perform through winter (I'm not one to switch to hardier, slower tyres if I can help it!) and update this if necessary.

At £59.99, the Michelin Power Road Tubeless undercuts its key rival – the GP5000TL – by a tenner, and Schwalbe's longtime category leader the Pro One (£66.95) by around £7. Vittoria’s Corsa Speed TLR G2.0 is also more at £64.99.

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Hutchinson’s Fusion 5 beats it at £39.95, and is an impressively light, grippy and quick tubeless tyre too, though it's noticeably less sturdy.

Conclusion

In the world of all-round high-performance tubeless tyres, Schwalbe historically ruled the roost with its Pro Ones. Then Continental finally produced a tubeless tyre, the GP5000TL, which is seen by many as the new standard bearer. Is it Michelin’s turn to upset the form book? No – at least, not definitively. But is the Power Road Tubeless a genuine and highly impressive alternative at a really attractive price? Categorically, yes.

Verdict

Fast, grippy and great wet or dry – up there with the very best tubeless rubber