Hutchinson Fusion 2

French manufacturer Hutchinson has been making bike tyres since 1890 and has a well-earned reputation for dependability (not to mention an impressive list of race honours). The Fusion 2 is a race tyre that holds up well in a market packed with stiff competition.

We tested a pair on rough, pot-holed and grit-strewn Devon lanes for a month – an environment they weren’t designed to cope with at all, yet they came through unscathed. Their smooth surface was fast and grippy in all but the very wettest of conditions. Even then it was only the stuff that gets washed off the fields that was a problem, and nothing, not even a shovel, sticks to that.

At 220g these tyres are light, supple and the sometimes-draggy Kevlar puncture protection was undetectable. They’re easy to clean, resist cuts and come in five colour combinations – perfect for matching with all but the most garish bikes.

Contact : Extra UK 01933 67217 www.extrauk.co.uk