Tucked away in one of the corners of one of the massive hangars at this year's Eurobike trade show was the Hutchinson Tyres stand with their new puncture-proof Serenity inner tubes, Cougar mountain bike tyres and Equinox road rubber.
There’s nothing that’ll attract you to a display faster than a dart embedded in a non-deflated tyre, and that’s how Hutchinson were demonstrating their new, solid Serenity tube. It’s made from a composite rubber that doesn’t need pumping up, and is said to shrug off glass, nails, screws and anything with a point.
Available for 20in, 24in, 26in and 700c wheels, the Serenity will cost €59 for one tube and one tyre, which on the face of it seems expensive but bear in mind that you should save money on replacement tubes, pump, patches and other tools.
We had a short ride using the Serenity tubes and were surprised at how air-tube-like they were. We reckon they could be perfect for city bikes and for those who can’t be bothered with the hassle of changing tubes. We wonder if they’ll be adopted by the many hire bike fleets being set up in cities around the globe.
Cougar mountain bike tyre
This is Hutchinson’s new tyre called the Cougar. It’s lighter and has a lower profile than the company’s well-regarded Barracuda, and is designed to be used both on the front and rear.
Lapierre rider Nico Vouilloz helped to develop the tyre, which uses a new Race Riposte compound, which Hutchinson product manager Alexandre Lemoine told us lasts longer and offers great grip in all conditions. It'll be available in 2.0, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6in versions, and will cost €39-59.
Road tubulars
Hutchinson are now selling the same tubular road tyres used by the likes of Armstrong, Contador, Le Mével and Leipheimer. A set of two tubulars and two glues will set you back €300 in France.