Road Bike Tire Test: Hutchinson BlackBird TLR 28

Hutchinson has been manufacturing bicycle tires for a very long time in their factory in France, and they are now introducing a completely new road bike tire to once again compete with the competition. The Hutchinson Blackbird is an entirely new tire that can be seen as the successor to the Fusion 5, which was introduced in 2016 and received an update with Hutchinson's 11Storm compound in 2019.

Developments in the world of tires have been rapid in recent years, and when we tested it in 2021, the Fusion 5 with 11Storm compound (read review) could no longer keep up with the competition. However, with the Blackbird, Hutchinson is taking a big step forward, as the most important aspects of the tire have been updated with a new casing and a new compound.

The 'SwiftEasy' casing is newly developed, and Hutchinson claims lower rolling resistance and more grip due to higher flexibility. The Blackbird also has an extra anti-puncture strip under the tread, neatly wrapped between the casing layers for the best puncture resistance. We expect to see a faster variant of the Blackbird that does not have this extra layer for riders looking for the ultimate rolling performance.

The compound is also new and is called 'Mach Tread 3.0'. This compound is the successor to Hutchinson's 11Storm compound and should provide improvements such as a lower rolling resistance, more grip, and longer lifespan. We have seen significant improvements in compounds recently, including compounds that combine a low rolling resistance with a lot of (wet) grip. Our test results also show this compound is a significant improvement, and we can quickly forget the 11Storm compound.

With the Blackbird, Hutchinson is also saying goodbye to the 25mm size, as the smallest size now available is the 26-622 size. We are not too concerned about losing the 25mm size since, with tubeless tires, you generally want a bit more volume to keep the tire pressure lower. In addition to the 26mm size, the Blackbird is also available in 28mm and 30mm sizes. It's worth noting that the Blackbird is available as both a TLR (tubeless) and a traditional tube-type version.

We tested the 28-622 Blackbird in the TLR version, and you will find the test results below.

Hutchinson is making a solid comeback with the Blackbird, as we see a tire that can once again compete with the competition. It wasn't entirely clear to us what type of tire the Blackbird is, but our tests clearly indicate that the Blackbird is a true all-round road bike tire and not an ultra-thin time-trial tire. As a result, the rolling resistance is slightly higher, but we see a tire with excellent puncture resistance and very good grip in our wet grip test.

We also see a better balance between the central part of the tire and the sidewalls, as the previous generation of Hutchinson tires had very thick sidewalls. Also interesting is that the tread has been made wider compared to the previous generation, making the tire better suited for the wider rims we see today.

We are excited about the overall performance of the Blackbird TLR. Hutchinson can compete again, and perhaps we will see a lighter version without the anti-puncture strip and a slightly thinner tread for those passionate about low rolling resistance,