Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab tyre review

The Wyrm is Hutchinson’s new downcountry or lightweight trail tyre. It’s designed for loose, rocky and wet conditions, and is offered as part of the Racing Lab series of tyres.

The new tyre is handmade in France, with testing conducted by Hutchinson's elite athletes including Isabeau Courdurier and Julien Absalon.

Only one 2.4in width is offered, however there are two versions – this Racing Lab tyre, with triple-compound rubber, and a cheaper non-Racing Lab iteration with a dual-compound rubber and less overall protection (£42.95/€45.99).

The Racing Lab tyres are available in tan (as tested) or black sidewall versions.

Hutchinson says the tyre can be used on the front with a faster-rolling Kraken at the rear for a speedy setup, as a pair, or with a more aggressive Griffus up front.

Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab details and specifications

I’ve been testing the 29x2.4in version of the tyre, which on my scales comes in at 899g.

The Wyrm Racing Lab is built around a 66 TPI (threads per inch) carcass, which features Hutchinson's Hardskin protection. This protective layer is said to offer bead-to-bead protection from pinch punctures, as well as slashes from sharp trail debris.

The tread is built from a triple-rubber compound. The tread pattern features two mid-depth central chevron styles. A narrower set has a chamfered leading edge to reduce rolling resistance, and a second, wider chevron sports a blockier shape. This has been done to boost braking and accelerating grip.

The shoulder treads are deeper. They’re stepped in nature, with the outer blocks featuring a little extra support.

The stepped nature is said to improve the transition from central to shoulder treads when you lean the bike over on its side.

Wide sipes on each shoulder and some inner blocks are there to add grip. They don’t extend through the whole tread block, with Hutchinson claiming this aids tread-block durability.

There are relatively broad gaps between the blocks to aid mud shedding.

Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab performance

I fitted the tyres to a pair of Reynolds Blacklabel 309/289 wheels on a Pivot Mach 4 SL in its longer-travel guise, set up more like a downcountry bike.

I settled on 20psi in the front tyre and 21psi in the rear for my 78kg weight and the dry conditions the tyres were tested in.

On the 30m internal-width front rim, the 2.4in tyre blew up to 66mm across the shoulder blocks and 61mm at the widest point of the carcass. The 61mm width equates to 2.4in, and so these blow up true to form.

I rode the tyres on a range of surfaces, from tarmac and hardpack dirt to scrabbly trail-centre loose stones and plenty of blown-out dry mud. Rocks and roots were a frequent feature of my test loops.

During testing, the UK was experiencing some very dry weather, so I didn’t have a chance to test the tyre in mud. If I do so down the line, I will update this review.

The stop and go

On smooth surfaces, the tyres performed well. While they won’t compete with the best cross-country tyres, the fairly low-profile central blocks don’t buzz on tarmac too much, and there’s little drag to hold you back.

It’s the same story on off-road surfaces too, where the tyres roll easily. On loose climbs, the rear can break traction if you really push on the pedals, but they have more grunt than finer treads.

On the climbs, at least, the tyre's downcountry intentions hold true, sitting somewhere between an XC tyre and a chunkier trail tyre.

On flatter, flowing trails, the Wyrm holds speed well. The tread pattern helps you get up to speed, and it doesn’t feel sluggish under power.

Despite these easy-rolling attributes, braking traction seems good. The triple-compound rubber grips on rocky slabs and polished roots well, and on dusty hardpack and through loamy mud, braking control is very good.

When the tyre does let go of its traction, it does so with warning, rather than snapping into a skid.

Through the corners

The relatively rounded profile makes leaning your bike over easy, with the tyre transitioning well from the central to shoulder blocks.

There’s no obvious gap between the sets of blocks, so there’s no awkward no-man's-land in terms of feel.

Push the tyres through corners hard and the blocks don’t seem to squirm.

They aren’t as pronounced as a more aggressive trail tyre’s shoulder blocks, so you do need to get the bike leant over to really benefit from them.

If you’re looking for a lighter front tyre for your trail bike, I’d recommend opting for a more pronounced shoulder tread, though.

In the dry, buff conditions I tested the Wyrm Racing Lab in, I had no issues trusting it to be able to really lean the bike over.

Stay safe

In terms of weight, the Racing Lab sits between the two regular genres of mountain bike tyres.

During testing, I didn’t get any punctures, but it would be fair to assume it isn’t going to offer the same rugged protection as a 1kg tyre.

That said, the sidewalls don’t feel flimsy when you roll them between your fingers, and on the bike the tyres don’t fold when you’re loading them up through corners.

Over rocks, the tyre feels nicely damped. Barrel through rock gardens and it doen’t ping you off line, while it feels capable holding a line over matted roots.

On finer chatter, the Wyrm Racing Lab doesn’t have the supple nature of a tyre with a high-TPI count (say from Maxxis’ excellent 120 TPI XC carcasses), but Hutchinson has avoided it feeling harsh or nervous.

Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab bottom line

Hutchinson has pitched the Wyrm at a range of lighter-weight applications, and in doing so has built a versatile tyre.

You could happily stick one on the front in winter on your cross-country bike, or as I did, pair them up on a more ‘downcountry’ build.

I’d wager that as long as you’re not too heavy on your rubber, this tyre would work well on a longer-travel bike at the back. However, its more rounded shape misses out on truly confident performance for a front tyre.