CX/Gravel Tire Test: Hutchinson Touareg Race TLR 40

The Hutchinson Touareg has been around for some time, and we tested the HardSkin version in 2024 (read our review), but it didn't gain much traction among our website visitors. Hutchinson recently released new versions of the Touareg, and it's now available with the same casing and compound as the Caracal Race, which is the fastest semi-slick currently available and is well-received by our website visitors.

There's a huge difference between Hutchinson's "HardSkin" tires with the Bi-compound and their "Race" tires with SwiftEasy casing and Mach Tread 3.0 compound. If you've been around our website for some time, you might have compared the Caracal Race TLR and Caracal HardSkin TLR and already seen what a difference those changes make. This is why we find the new Touareg Race an exciting new tire, as it should be an instant upgrade over the HardSkin version.

The Touareg is a much more versatile gravel tire than the Caracal, and it competes with some of the most popular gravel bike tires: Schwalbe G-One R Pro (read our review), Continental Terra Speed (read our review), Tufo Thundero (read our review), etc. That makes the Touareg Race TLR extra exciting, as these are the bread-and-butter gravel bike tires with a tread pattern that's a good trade-off between on- and off-road grip and speed.

The Touareg Race TLR is available in 40-622, 45-622, and 50-622 sizes, with either black or tan sidewalls. We start with our test of the 40-622 version with black sidewalls, but we expect the tan sidewall to be slightly faster at the cost of some sidewall strength (see Caracal Race test results). We've compared it to the old Touareg HardSkin TLR (read our review), the Caracal Race TLR (read our review), and the most important gravel bike tires with a similar tread pattern.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Hutchinson
Model	Touareg Race TLR
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	PV533521
EAN	3248382098872
TPI	127
Compound	Mach Tread 3.0
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	470 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	51
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c) 50-622 (700x50c)

Hutchinson Touareg Race TLR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	470 grams
Measured Weight	471 grams
Measured Width Casing	40 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	41 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	1.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.80 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	40 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 (50 psi / 3.4 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 (42 psi / 2.9 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 (33 psi / 2.3 bar)	16.0 Watts CRR: 0.00480
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 (25 psi / 1.7 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	29 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	1.80 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	69 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	1.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	2.0 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 Hutchinson Touareg Race with SwiftEasy casing and Mach Tread 3.0 compound is a huge upgrade over the Touareg HardSkin. Rolling resistance sees the biggest improvement, with the casing and compound upgrade almost halving rolling resistance. We also see slightly more wet grip in our hard-surface test, less weight, and slightly more knob height. The tread's puncture resistance has decreased a bit, but overall, the reduced rolling resistance doesn't come with any significant penalties.

When we compare the Touareg Race to its main competitors, which are the Schwalbe G-One R Pro (read our review), Tufo Thundero (read our review), and Continental Terra Speed (read our review), we see the Touareg actually rolls faster than those tires. It's now the fastest gravel bike tire with a full off-road tread pattern. The biggest drawback is the puncture resistance of both the tread and sidewalls, which is the lowest among its main competitors, and it's something to keep in mind if you value protection.

Although it's a different kind of tire, the Touareg Race is as good as the Caracal Race, and it's a strong indication that tires with Hutchinson's SwiftEasy casing combined with their Mach Tread 3.0 compound are a safe buy.

Compare the Hutchinson Touareg Race TLR and Touareg HardSkin TLR on our comparison section.

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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