CX/Gravel Tire Test: Hutchinson Caracal Race TLR (black) 45

The Caracal Race from Hutchinson has become one of the most popular Gravel bike tires on our website, thanks to its extremely low rolling resistance that challenges the fastest road bike tires. We've tested the 40 mm versions of the Caracal Race in both the tan and black sidewall versions, with the tan sidewall version proving to be the fastest and lightest Caracal Race.

The Caracal Race is this fast because it borrowed the SwiftEasy casing and Mach Tread 3.0 compound from Hutchinson's latest road bike tires. The Caracal Race is also part of Hutchinson's "Racing Lab" range of tires, representing their latest tire technology.

This time, we're moving on to the larger 45 mm size of the Caracal Race, starting with the black sidewall version, as it remains the dominant color choice for most. From the specifications alone, the 40 and 45 mm versions of the Caracal Race should be close to each other, as we haven't been able to find any differences (on paper) except for the obvious higher weight of the larger size.

As usual, we're going to compare the 45 mm Caracal Race to the 40 mm Caracal Race (black) (read our review), 40 mm Caracal Race (tan) (read our review), and a selection of competing 44/45 mm gravel bike tires from other manufacturers.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Hutchinson
Model	Caracal Race TLR (black)
Year	2025
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	706924
EAN	324382098049
TPI	127
Compound	Mach Tread 3.0
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	45-622
Specified Weight	570 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	48
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c)

Hutchinson Caracal Race TLR (black) 45 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	570 grams
Measured Weight	566 grams
Measured Width Casing	45 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	46 mm
Measured Height	42 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.4 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2.80 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	45 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (46 psi / 3.2 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (31 psi / 2.1 bar)	16.3 Watts CRR: 0.00489
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (23 psi / 1.6 bar)	Pro Data
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	44 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2.80 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	76 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.4 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The black sidewalled 45 mm Hutchinson Caracal Race rolls slightly slower than the 40 mm size with the same black sidewall color (read our review), and substantially slower than the 40 mm size with tan sidewalls (read our review). Although it's slower than both 40 mm versions, the 45 mm Caracal Race is still the fastest 45-50 mm gravel bike tire we've tested to date.

The tread thickness is also slightly thicker on the 45 mm version, and we're unsure if it's part of the design of the larger size or simply a result of manufacturing tolerances. The thicker tread does result in slightly better puncture resistance, and we also expect the 45 mm version to be more durable as a result.

As already mentioned, even the black sidewall version of the Caracal Race is the fastest 45-50 mm gravel bike tire. However, if you want the fastest Caracal Race, we still recommend the tan sidewall versions for both the 40 mm and 45mm sizes.

Compare the 40 and 45 mm Hutchinson Caracal Race TLR on our comparison section.

RATING: 4.6 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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