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New Hutchinson Caracal Race gravel tyres borrow tech from the road for a faster ride
Hutchinson has increased its gravel tyre range with the introduction of the Caracal Race, which it claims is the fastest gravel tyre available. The tyre has a slick central band, with low profile side knobs for grip and is aimed at gravel racers and allroad riders.
The Caracal Race tyre uses the same tech as in the Blackbird road tyre, with Hutchinson’s SwiftEasy casing and Mach Tread 3.0 rubber compound. It’s available in 40mm width only, with a claimed weight of 475g, priced at £54.99 / €59.99.
Alongside the premium Caracal Race, Hutchinson has also introduced a standard Caracal tyre, also in 40mm width, with a more conventional casing structure and rubber compound and bead-to-bead puncture protection. Its claimed weight is also 475g and it’s priced at £49.99 / €54.99.
Reduced rolling resistance
The Caracal Race uses the same SwiftEasy casing structure as Hutchinson’s recently launched Blackbird tyre. This reduces the number of layers under the tread to two by bonding the central 127tpi casing to the sidewall casings, rather than having these overlap as is usually the case.
Hutchinson says that this makes the Caracal Race tyre significantly more flexible and results in a 40% reduction in rolling resistance relative to Hutchinson’s other semi-slick gravel bike tyres. It claims that in head-to-head tests which it commissioned in an independent lab, the rolling resistance was best in class and up to 35% lower than competitors.
Alongside the SwiftEasy casing, Hutchinson uses its latest Mach Tread 3.0 rubber compound – the same as in the Blackbird road tyre, the brand’s successor to the Fusion 5.
When it launched the Blackbird tyre, Hutchinson claimed that its compound had increased tear resistance and that its high rebound and low rolling resistance result in a 25% increase in energy return from its contact with the road.
Hutchinson says that the Caracal Race is aimed at the gravel racer, willing to sacrifice some puncture protection for extra speed on hard-packed gravel. It’s compatible with hookless rims and also designed for all-road riders, who want to be able to progress fast on tarmac but still take on dry, hardpacked unmade trails.
Standard Caracal tyre with added puncture protection
If you’re more concerned about puncture resistance than out-and-out speed, Hutchinson has also launched a standard Caracal tyre. This uses a different bi-compound rubber and a more conventional casing with three layers under the tread and a bead-to-bead puncture protection layer.
Hutchinson says that the tyre’s beefed-up casing will allow you to head onto rockier terrain than the Caracal Race.
While the Caracal Race is available with tan sidewalls only, the Caracal is also available in all-black. Both tyres are only made in 40mm width.
The standard Caracal is priced at £49.99 / €54.99, while the Caracal Race costs £54.99 / €59.99. Surprisingly, Hutchinson claims the same 475g weight for both tyres, but it points out that it’s the more supple casing that gives the Caracal Race its extra turn of speed rather than a reduced weight.
The Caracal and Caracal Race sit alongside the existing Tundra, Touareg and Overide tyres in Hutchinson’s gravel tyre range, with Hutchinson claiming that it now covers the full spectrum of gravel conditions.
Want more tyre tech? Read Opinion: Your road bike tyres are wrong.
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