Road Bike Tire Test: Michelin Power Cup 25

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  • Michelin Power Cup 25
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)
Pro Members get 11-point radar charts



Michelin Power Cup 25 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

The latest addition to the Michelin Power range of road bike tires is the Power Cup, available in both a TLR (tubeless-ready) and a traditional tube-type (clincher) version. We tested the Power Cup TLR (read our review) a couple of months back, and it turned out to be nearly perfect, although we found some shortcomings when using the TLR version on modern wide rims.


Ad Buy Michelin Power Cup at Amazon.com


The Power Cup can be considered a versatile "all-round" road bike tire that can be used for racing, training, and everything in between. The main competitor in the all-round category is the well-known Continental Grand Prix 5000 (read our review), that's been around since 2018. When looking at Michelin's road bike tire lineup, the Power Cup replaces both the Power Competition and the Power Road as the Power Cup is quite a step up and outperforms both the Power Competition and Power Road.


When compared to the Power Cup TLR, which comes with a 4x120 TPI casing and a "Tubeless Shield" layer that runs from bead to bead, the tube-type Power Cup comes with a more traditional 3x120 TPI casing with an extra layer of "Aramid Shield" anti-puncture material under the center of the tread. The thing both tires have in common is the compound as they both use Michelin's latest "Gum-X" compound that shows very strong performance in our tests.


When looking at the available sizes, Michelin seems quite conservative as the tube-type version of the Power Cup is available only in the 23-622, 25-622, and 28-622 sizes. With many road bikers moving up to 28, 30, and 32 mm tires, we would have loved to see some bigger versions as well.


As usual, we've tested the 25-622 version of the Power Cup and compared it to the leading competitors from the most popular brands.

Manufacturer Specifications


Manufacturer Specifications
Brand Michelin
Model Power Cup
Year 2022
Tire Type Tubetype (clincher)
Supplied By Bought in store
New or Used New
Mileage 0 km
Price Range High
Buy At Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number 016392
EAN3528700163926
TPI 3x120
Compound Gum-X
Bead Folding
ETRTO 25-622
Size Inch 28"
Specified Width (mm) 25
Specified Weight 215 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi) 116
Made In Members Only
Available Sizes 23-622 (700x23c)
25-622 (700x25c)
28-622 (700x28c)

Michelin Power Cup 25 Test Results

Michelin Power Cup 25 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements


Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight 215 grams
Measured Weight 218 grams
System Adjusted Weight
(tire + inner tube (100 gr)
318 grams
Measured Width 27 mm (un-round)
Measured Height 24 mm (un-round)
Total Tire Thickness Center 2.5 mm
Total Tire Thickness Sidewall Members Only
Unmounted Casing Width 66 mm
Unmounted Tread Width Members Only
Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results


Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube Conti Race28 (100gr butyl)
Measured Width 27 mm (un-round)
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
22-24 = 132 psi/9.1 bar
25-27 = 120 psi/8.3 bar
28-29 = 108 psi/7.4 bar
Ultra High Air Pressure

(120 psi / 8.3 bar)
10.6 Watts
CRR: 0.00318
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
22-24 = 110 psi/7.6bar
25-27 = 100 psi/6.9 bar
28-29 = 90 psi/6.2 bar
Extra High Air Pressure

(100 psi / 6.9 bar)
11.4 Watts
CRR: 0.00342
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
22-24 = 88 psi/6.1 bar
25-27 = 80 psi/5.5 bar
28-29 = 72 psi/5.0 bar
High Air Pressure

(80 psi / 5.5 bar)
Members Only
Rolling Resistance
Real tire width in mm:
22-24 = 66 psi/4.6 bar
25-27 = 60 psi/4.1 bar
28-29 = 54 psi/3.7 bar
Medium Air Pressure

(60 psi / 4.1 bar)
Members Only
The Road Bike 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

Michelin Power Cup 25 road bike tire on a rolling resistance test machine
Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread 50 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness 2.5 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness Members Only

Static Grip Test Results

Michelin Power Cup road bike tire on a grip test machine
Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average 74 Points
Wet Grip Center Members Only
Wet Grip Edge Members Only
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100
Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm

Conclusion


  • Michelin Power Cup 25
Performance compared to all other road bike tires
(100% is best)

Pro Members get 11-point radar charts

Our tests show that the Michelin Power Cup is one of the strongest performing tires when it comes to the traditional tube-type (clincher) tires. We put it on equal footing with the Continental Grand Prix 5000 (read our review) as it's a little bit slower rolling but shows nearly perfect performance in our wet grip test. When deciding between the Power Cup or Grand Prix 5000, it will be up to the individual to decide if they prefer the slightly lower rolling resistance or the better wet grip.


Like most other Michelin road bike tires we've tested over the years, the actual size of the Power Cup doesn't come close to the advertised size. The 25 mm Power Cup measured width came in at 27.1 mm, which is quite large but a bit more true to size than the TLR version (27.7 mm) (read our review). The good news is that the tread width and tread cover are a bit better on the tube-type Power Cup, and the risk of sidewall damage will be limited when sticking to the recommended rim widths.

Ad Buy Michelin Power Cup at Amazon.com


RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended


Comments



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Excludes previous models/discontinued tires
Visit the road bike overview to view all
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TufoGravel Speedero 3618.2 W
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Rene HerseHurricane Ridge TC 4224.4 W
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