Hutchinson introduces new road tubeless innovation

Hutchinson, the French pioneer of tubeless cycling tyre technology has today announced the Challenger Tubeless, which the brand is positioning as the ultimate all-season, ultra endurance and training tyre.

Designed to offer safe, confidence-inspiring handling in all conditions, the Challenger Tubeless is said to offer a level of puncture resistance not previously achieved in a performance road tyre, along with a stated 10,000km lifespan.

Two new Road Tubeless innovations. One new tyre.

As an originator of the road tubeless standard, created in 2006, Hutchinson has a long history of developing new tubeless technologies – the Challenger Tubeless seeks to continue that legacy. Representing the culmination of years of research and development from Hutchinson’s team in France, two new technologies are being introduced on the tyre.

Headshield – an entirely new puncture protection technology, formed of two separate protective layers working in tandem, to deliver puncture resistance at a level Hutchinson says is previously unseen in a performance road tyre, whilst retaining superior flexibility and comfort.

• One protective layer is formed of a flexible wide polyamide reinforcement that covers the width of the tread
• The second is a slightly narrower strip of super strong Aramid threads, concentrating protection at the ground contact patch.

To gauge the tyres ability to resist punctures Hutchinson subjected it, and a range of competitors tyres, to a testing regime, finding that, of the tyres it tested, punctures typically occurred at a force rating of 80 to 120 Newtons. The Challenger Tubeless resisted punctures up to a force of 170 Newtons, an over 100% increase in some cases.

Headshield has also been subjected to real world tests at the world’s toughest Ultra-Endurance road race, the Transcontinental Race. Over the past two editions the tyre has been tested by three top athletes with a combined total of over 9,000 puncture free kilometres, even delivering Ulrich Bartholmös to a top five result in 2022.

Airshield – represents the second ground breaking advancement in tyre technology, developed specifically for the Challenger Tubeless. Here, Hutchinson points to what it calls a pioneering new construction technique which it claims represents a paradigm shift in tubeless setups: Completely eliminating the common issues of air loss.

By integrating two high performance sealing compounds that coat the inside of the tyre and the bead, Airshield ensures an entirely airtight environment. At the core of this innovation lies a flexible butyl layer that extends seamlessly to the rim line, distinguishing it from conventional textile reinforcements. This unique attribute allows it to deform and flex in sync with the tyre’s movement, effectively maintaining an impenetrable seal against air leakage.

In addition to this, a robust, abrasion-resistant coating encircles the tyre’s bead guaranteeing a seamless connection between the tyre and the rim. This fortified layer is said to be able to withstand the friction generated by the rim, ensuring a sustained airtight seal over time. This new construction is also said to eliminate the necessity for traditional bead fabric reinforcements, preserving the flexibility of the sidewall and, consequently, elevating ride comfort to unprecedented levels.

The Challenger Tubeless is available in 25, 28 and 32mm versions, weighing in at 385g, 400g and 450g respectively. In the UK Hutchinson tyres are distributed by Windwave.