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Submitted by
John
a
from Arlington VA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance, easy to get on and off the rim, I never got a flat with these tires that wasn't my fault. | | Weaknesses: | After fewer than 250 miles, the tread is separating from the casing and the casing itself is delaminating. The moldings appeared poorly put together, the silver stripes in the tread didn't line up at the seam. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Armadillo,Specialized All Condition (on the road bike). | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale CAAD 3 set up as a commuter. Rack, Panniers, etc. Otherwise, XT-LX. | | Bottom Line: | I am thoroughly dissatisfied with these tires. After only about 230 miles of loaded commuting (I'm a law student, the books are heavy), I pulled the valve stem out of a tube on the rear. While I was changing the tire, I noticed that the tread was separating from the casing and that the casing itself was beginning to delaminate at the bead. I thought that it might be a result of the high weights that I was putting on the tire combined with always running the tire at its maximum PSI, but it is also doing the same stuff on the front tire, which is run at a lower pressure and still has its molding waste on it (So otherwise unworn). This was the first time the tires were off the rims since I put them on, and the damage was pervasive, so I don't think it could be damage that I did with a tire lever.
I wouldn't buy these tires again, there are too many tires that work well... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil
a Racer
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere but Oxford Street | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Condor Cycles, London | | Strengths: | (TopSlick Gold 26x1.0 Version) Amazingly good looking, matches the livery on my Cannondale Martyn Ashton Rep perfectly. Folding verson can be removed and fitted with bare hands. Very very fast in the dry, and feel incredibly light in the corners.
Positive, confident braking in the dry... | | Weaknesses: | ...which turns into the scariest ride of your life when it begins to rain.
I didn't know you could 'drift' a bicycle until i bought these tyres.
Hitting the HS33s hard in the wet scares the hell outta ya, and as for cornering it's just plain dicey! Oh, and the weekly flat is a PITA to deal with. Gets expensive. | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Ultra Gators, Specialized All-Conditions/Turbo Pro 26x1.0 | | Bike Setup: | CAAD3 + XTR/Ultegra + Mavic X618/Hope + Magura HS33 Evos + Thomson + Selle SLR | | Bottom Line: | Soooo achingly cool, i feel i owe it to my bike to run them (it has a Hutchinson logo as part of the original paintwork) but FFS they flat too easily!
Very light too, even the Contis felt heavier in cornering.
It rains so much in winter here, and i value my life - Specialized All-Conditions Pro have them licked by a very long way.
If you're gonna get 'em, get the folding version. Even lighter.
And reserve them for summer and new tarmac! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric Henrickson
a Cross Country Rider
from Morgantown, WV USA
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | The road to work | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$22.00 | | Purchased At: | Universal Cycles | | Strengths: | High Pressure Urban slick. Excellent handling on pavement. Ultra low rolling resistance. All good traits for a commuter tire. | | Weaknesses: | Pinch flat after pinch flat after pinch flat after pinch flat. I have a soft, thick kevlar strip in the tire to prevent punctures, and I've not had any puncture flats. Did I mention that they are prone to pinch flats? | | Similar Products Used: | IRC, Kenda, Schwalbe slicks | | Bike Setup: | Mt. Bike converted to slicks for commuting to work | | Bottom Line: | I love the speed and the handling, but having to deal with flat tires on the way to work several times a week gets old. I maintain my tire pressures at the maximum end of the range, which is apparently not sufficient for preventing pinch flats.
There are very few good commuter tires available. Most run at low pressures equalling high rolling resistance, or are low volume. Unless you can commute on perfectly smooth pavement, a higher volume tire is necessary.
If these came in a 1.75" or 2.00" they would be unbeatable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jordan Allen
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, SA, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | it's a road tyre | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Mike Turtur Cycles | | Strengths: | -120Tpi gives this tyre execellent feel, foldable
-Plenty of grip
-Execellent ride quality (keeping in mind this is a 1"/25mm road slick
-Very fast
-I keep getting them for free (explaind later) | | Weaknesses: | Very fast wearing, (this tyre is very very soft and is similar in compound to Hutchinson's 700c race tyres)
I wore a brand new tyre out (was on the rear) in 220km from Hobart to Launceston in Tasmania. In total I've had over 10 tyres, and have only paid for 2, because they wear so fast nd Hutchinson Aus have replaced them all. | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey Tom slick, various other 1-1.2" slicks | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakota XC with complete Shimano XT group set including wheels and discs. Time pedals | | Bottom Line: | In less than 8 months I had worn through over 9 of these tyres, with each example being taken back by Southcots (the Aussie distributer of Hutchinson for examination.) I eventually got fed up and ordered a set of the foldable 1" ritchey tom slicks, while these tyres are nowhere near as good as the Hutchinson's (ride quality is chalk and cheese) they are much harder wearing, and the ride is just as fast, just not a supple.
When I do my next tour of Tassie in September I'll be odering another set, as the ride quality is so so good, and they ride so fast.
As a race tyre, they are no doubt the best 1"/25mm 26" tyre on the market, however as a day to day tyre they just wear too quick and they are rather expencive if you get the top model. It's this fact that will draw the score down. If you're looking for a good day to day 26x1" tyre look no further than the Ritchey folding 1" tomslick. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pipinghotpixels!
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Fast, fast, fast on asphalt and other paved surfaces! Via proper tire inflation, have yet to experience a flat on Chicago's sometimes glass-strewn streets. | | Weaknesses: | As expected, unforgiving on uneven or pebbly surfaces. If you're accustomed to knobbies, your first few rides will seem like punishment. Even with the right tools, extremely difficult to mount onto standard 26" rim. Need to check air pressure/inflation before every ride. My sidewalls already look sketchy. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Mt. Baldy (Semi-Slick), Maxxis Oriflamme (Semi-Slick) | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded GT Ricochet (These tires look exceptionally dorky on my fat-tubed bicycle!) | | Bottom Line: | If you're looking for roadie speed on predictable and paved surfaces, the Hutchinson Top Slick may be the right tire for your mountain bike. Good for urban asphalt in dry conditions, but not much else. (My favorite tires for urban conditions—and my favorite tires of all time—would be the Specialized Mt. Baldy. Boo hoo that they're discontinued!) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
landrover
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago,illinois,USA
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | nashbar | | Strengths: | Held up well for about 2 years.
I biked about 3 to 4 times a week in the spring and summer months.
The tires were strong,reliable and carried my 260 pound frame over smooth and bumpy asphalt.
I put em on a pair of DEEP V Velocity ATB Rims and they held their own.
I changed em out last week after finally noticing some wear on the side walls.
These tires never blew,buckled or pinched in the 2 years i had em.
I just replaced them with an identical pair. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | GT Karakoram with a pair of Velocity Deep V ATB Rims. | | Bottom Line: | Solid tire than was worth the purchase. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesper
a Racer
from Stockholm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light, quick | | Weaknesses: | Wears quickly, flats | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Sport Contact | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Bad Boy 2003 | | Bottom Line: | Not satisified. Wears too quickly. I've switched to a couple of Continental Sport Contact tires that are a bit wider but gives you a much nicer ride (without as many flats). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adrian Tritschler
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourn, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Mascott Cycles | | Strengths: | Very lightweight kevlar folding tyre. Fast and smooth. | | Weaknesses: | Soft, peeled apart after ten months, 6500km road use. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Metro, Tioga City Slicker | | Bike Setup: | Norco Java, SID SL forks, Mavic wheels -- light and fun to chase roadies up hills on. | | Bottom Line: | I found these to be great for riding on, mostly commuting and unladen touring, but they did wear out quickly.
Not impressed by the lifespan. Retail price of $80 Australian *each*, got a pair for $120. Less than a year of road use and the rear has fallen apart.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Tempe, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything with no cars | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | Light, fast, nimble, good grip and nice ride. | | Weaknesses: | With just a few hundred miles on them, none yet. | | Similar Products Used: | various | | Bike Setup: | Bridgestone MB-3 with modifications. | | Bottom Line: | I got these on sale at Nashbar and liked them so much I immediately ordered a second set. Mine are the gold series, whatever the differences may be. I use them on the road and on the extensive canal system in Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix (some of it paved, some of it hard packed dirt). So far they have been a delight on both. I have had no flats in several hundred miles and the wear is, to me, quite acceptable for the experience they provide. If you ride similar terrain and are not looking for maximum milage in a tire, the (the gold version at least) is a very sweet tire. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria Bicycle Outfitters | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance | | Weaknesses: | Extremely prone to flats | | Similar Products Used: | Continental Grand Prix | | Bike Setup: | Mountain bike with road tires, higher geared crankset. | | Bottom Line: | In exchange for the $20 I saved on this pair of tires over the sturdy, long-wearing kevlar-beaded Continental Grand Prix, they have cost me the same amount in punctured tubes that I have had to replace. That's just in the first few months -- over the life of the tire it will probably cost me considerably more, not to mention the nuisance of having to change tubes on my way to work.
I have had more flats in the first few months of using these tires than I had in six years of using the Grand Prix. The lower price provides a false economy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Emu Plains, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | Blackmans | | Strengths: | Rolling resistance, light | | Weaknesses: | Wears quickly, price (AU$49.00 - wire bead) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Fat Boy | | Bike Setup: | Diamondback Axis Pro (set up for road) | | Bottom Line: | I've used the wire bead 1.2's for the past 6 months and although the rolling resistance is good and they are light, the wear is disappointing. I commute to work 4-5 days a week (25km each way) and after the first month of use, I found numerous nicks and cuts in the tread. I've also recently found a hole in the tread large enough for the tyre-liner to be visible. The price was a little steep compared to the wear of the tyre.
I wouldn't recommend this tyre for heavy road use, ie. commuting everyday, but if you needed a tyre for occasional use instead of using knobbies, then they might work for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Concord, MA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Light, grippy, skinny | | Weaknesses: | Wears fast. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | '01 specialized Stumpie pro, Hayes hfx-9's, xt/mavic317/(14/15). | | Bottom Line: | I got these tires pretty dirt cheap, and they have been ok to me. Unquestionably relativly fast on road. I've had one flat while using them, and that was not the tires fault. Tube ripped at the vavle stem. Got these tires last year when I tweaked my wrist and was order'd off mtbing (I choose not to bring up road riding to the doc;) ) by doc. Put a considerable amount of milage on them before being clear'd by my doc. 45 miles 2 times a week, with some 20 and 30's thrown in. Probalby 120 or so miles a week. Just got back from a 48 mile ride on them tonight where I averaged 18mph. They R pitted pretty badly currently, and really too quickly for the amount of milage on them, but considering the price and preformance, I'm ok with it. If you ride like a roadie (no curb hopping, staying a bit out from the shoulder, saying off dirt) I think they're just fine. You can get 3 for the price of one of the more expensive slicks, so it evens out. Overall, I've been happy with them. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Ainsworth
a Weekend Warrior
from London
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Smooth, fast, low profile, light | | Weaknesses: | splits appear after less than 4months use | | Bike Setup: | Came as standard on Cannondale Bad Boy 2003 | | Bottom Line: | Disappointed.. switching to specialized. Expect better on a bike of this standard | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Schnittman
a Cross Country Rider
from Cambridge, MA USA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | www.nashbar.com | | Strengths: | Nice yellow trim. Good traction. Light weight. | | Weaknesses: | The tires get ripped to shreads on fairly well paved roads almost immediately. Any piece of glass will go straight through and many "road pebbles" will do the same. I average a flat every 100 miles with these tires. | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Metro 26X2.0 Kevlar slicks. I don't think I had a single flat with these tires. Will try the Specialized Turbo Pros 26X1.0 next. | | Bike Setup: | 93 Jamis Durango, cro-mo, no suspension | | Bottom Line: | As a former reviewer noted, it is a crime that Hutchinson sells these tires, no matter what the price. They are complete junk. You'll spend more money buying new inner tubes than you would if you just bought a good set of tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tuomo Kuivamaki
a
from Helsinki, Finland
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | inner city | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Strengths: | Fast on Asphalt | | Weaknesses: | suffers from pinch flats | | Similar Products Used: | Various City tires | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Bad Boy 02 with Mavic X618 36 hole rims on XT hubs, road gear stack, Magura HS33's, 14" inverted stem for 0 dg rise - my messenger work bike for daily use | | Bottom Line: | These came with the bike. Seem to wear easiy, and gravel shreds 'em. Still - very fast but far from ideal city tyre. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Belgian Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from Oxford, UK
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all/ any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | wiggle | | Strengths: | Light, faster than a speeding bullet, give maximum power transmission ( I can actually see the bike pick up pace with every pedal stroke, lust like my old TT machine), reasonable traction, even in the rain. | | Weaknesses: | Too early to tell for certain, but I imagine that they won't be bomb-proof like my Hutchinson Alligator/ Specialised 'gloop' tube combination. But what else would you expect? They're road tyres, for performance, not durability. Which means you need to ride your bike like a roadie, not a freestyle/hucker/downhill machine! Duh! Have not found any defects in them so far, and I inspected them v. carefully before and after installation. Hutchinson quality control, despite what some reviewers have said, is actually very good. That's why I use their tyres, and have done for years! However, I imagine they'll puncture easily and get shredded if I lock up my wheels and skid. Time will tell... | | Similar Products Used: | IRC Notos, metro (slow and dull ride, heavy and prone to punctures), Vredestein S-Lick (fast and sticky, but with a SLIGHT edge in the wet), Many off road tyres. | | Bike Setup: | marin hardtail, mostly LX and Deore, mavic x517's strung by Merlin, the uk's best/cheapest wheelbuilders! | | Bottom Line: | If you fancy extra speed while riding on the hard stuff, but still want comfort, durability, off road behaviour and insane wet weather grip, these are not for you. If you want to ride like a roadie, and that means AVOIDING broken glass, potholes and wheelie-ing off kerbs, and accept that speed and cornering have their price, then these could well be it. I remember what it feels like to ride road time-trials, and this comes close in terms of feel and performance. I keep the older wheels with Alligators on them for playbiking and longer xc hacks, these are just for getting me to work 10 minutes quicker, and the deliver! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Oakland, CA
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$17.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar | | Strengths: | high pressure, low profile | | Weaknesses: | poor quality | | Similar Products Used: | Ritchey Tom Slicks | | Bottom Line: | I agree with previous reviewers: these tires are rubbish. I've only had them about a month, but I've had 4 flats, all from a small rock or piece of glass. Unfortunately, there aren't many 1" slicks out there, but stay away from these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christa Barn
a Cross Country Rider
from Nelson NZ
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Fireball Rd | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$22.00 | | Purchased At: | Stewerts | | Strengths: | Low rolling resistance, looks kinda cool. | | Weaknesses: | None really | | Similar Products Used: | Kenda 1.0 | | Bike Setup: | A real mix; best descibed as a pretty quick dispatch bike - its my ride to work; blast round town bike. | | Bottom Line: | I've had a couple of punctures, no more than usual for this kind of tire. You gotta remember that its a light, low profile slick and will not last as well as a fatter urban tyre. Just don't go jumping kerbs and avoid deep potholes like you would on any road-bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a
from Portland, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$17.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Grippy surface. Price. | | Weaknesses: | Worst tire I have ever used in my life. Tread surface had several chunks taken out of it after just a couple rides. Every thorn or shard of glass comes right through. On my normal commute route, I pick up one flat every 6 months or so. With these crappy tires I got 5 punctures in the first week!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Performance and Specialized mtn. slicks | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar turned urban commuting machine. | | Bottom Line: | This tire is so bad it is a crime to sell it. Piece of crap. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Seeker
a
from SC
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | The 26x1.0 slicks are very light (~200g)and fast, grip well.
The 26x1.2 "2001 yellow specials" are heavy (~400g)for their size, but offer a little more response time on sudden flats and more cushion than the 1.0s. | | Weaknesses: | Poor longetivity.
The 1.0s rear lasted only 1100 miles before wearing thru.
The 1.2s began to form multiple bulges after only 400 miles with hardly any apparent wear. | | Similar Products Used: | many. Kenda Kwest 1.5s will go over 3000 miles and still have more tread left than the above Hutchinsons when new! | | Bike Setup: | Hardtail setup for pavement fitness/distance training. | | Bottom Line: | Poor value in tires overall. Then quality control in these tires is below average. Gross molding defects are evident in a high percent of their tires (at least in the six i have seen), the fancy-schmancy colored stripes are always wavy.
I bought these things because there is a very limited number of tires offered in the 26x1.00-1.25 sizing range.
The 1.0s are very light for 26 MTB tires, the rest are boat anchors for their size. Going back to the lowly Kendas. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
OO
a Cross Country Rider
from Belgium
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Second Hand | | Strengths: | They're slicks, light, cheap | | Weaknesses: | I have tried different wheels, but it is very hard to get these on a rim. | | Bike Setup: | C'dale F2000 | | Bottom Line: | I use these tires to train on my Tacx rollers, since knobbies make too much noise. Usually tires wear fast on trainers, but these seem to last long. I have only used them on the road for a few times and they were very fast, but provided a harsh ride. They would probably flat easily with low air pressure, but I didn't try...
They are good tires for riding on trainers... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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