Hutchinson Announces Three 650B Tires
Hutchinson gets serious about 650B with a range of tires that mirrors its most successful XC/trail and all-mountain tread designs. The addition of Hutchinson's tubeless ready treads in the mid-sized format adds further momentum to the accelerating category, which was originally hampered by fears from potential subscribers that they may not have ready access to their chosen tires if they bought into 650B.
![Hutchinson Cougar Cobra and Toro tires]()
Hutchinson will launch three 27.5 treads, including two tires for XC and two for enduro and
All-Mountain: XC - Cougar 2.2 and Cobra 2.25. Enduro AM - Toro 2.35 and Cougar 2.4.
The four tires chosen to lead Hutchinson's plunge into 650B are the XC/trail-specfic Cougar 2.2-inch and the Cobra 2.25 inch models, and the enduro/AM-specific Toro 2.35-inch and Cougar 2.4-inch designs. Additionally, the Hutchinson UR DH team is assisting in the development of a 650B DH tire range. All those models are produced in France at the Montargis factory. They are tubeless ready and include Hutchinson's 'Hardskin' bead-to-bead reinforcement and 'Race Riposte' triple-compound tread and knob-reinforcement strategy.
About Hutchinson and 650B:
"The origins of the 27.5" or 650B wheel size originated in France alongside the Hutchinson brand. Originally this tire size was primarily used for tandem and touring bicycles but has been adopted by the mountain bike industry as the new "optimum" wheel size. The industry chatter circulating confirms that this will be the next big MTB trend."
Visit Hutchinson
All-Mountain: XC - Cougar 2.2 and Cobra 2.25. Enduro AM - Toro 2.35 and Cougar 2.4.
The four tires chosen to lead Hutchinson's plunge into 650B are the XC/trail-specfic Cougar 2.2-inch and the Cobra 2.25 inch models, and the enduro/AM-specific Toro 2.35-inch and Cougar 2.4-inch designs. Additionally, the Hutchinson UR DH team is assisting in the development of a 650B DH tire range. All those models are produced in France at the Montargis factory. They are tubeless ready and include Hutchinson's 'Hardskin' bead-to-bead reinforcement and 'Race Riposte' triple-compound tread and knob-reinforcement strategy.
About Hutchinson and 650B:
"The origins of the 27.5" or 650B wheel size originated in France alongside the Hutchinson brand. Originally this tire size was primarily used for tandem and touring bicycles but has been adopted by the mountain bike industry as the new "optimum" wheel size. The industry chatter circulating confirms that this will be the next big MTB trend."
Visit Hutchinson
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www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11569
Man I wish they did these in 26"
they said , its faster then.... LOL
This year only a handful of World Cup DH guys will be on them, though it might increase by the end of the season. I would expect at least 10% of racers to have them next year, then by 2015 the majority of racers will be on 650b and it will much be RIP for 26 within a few years of that, except for short guys and some gals.
TANDEM cycles, thats possibly the most stupid thing ever.
You have a point, it might be challenging in leaning and balance front. Only question, why? If you want to make cycling unnecessary hard, tie one leg to 50 pound concrete block, clip in SPDs and pedal just with that leg while trying to draw triangle shapes with other leg in the air. Use your arms to play accordion, while looking backwards. That is challenging as well, but no one does it.
When married couple does tandem bike, I would bet my money it's the wife's idea, that alone gives a sign that there is something wrong in the marriage. No cycling enthusiast and self respecting male would agree on tandem cycling with a women. Just add some long, knitted scarfs, beret and chit-chatting and you're in the worst man's nightmare.
In TdF, it might give some edge over single riders, but so would 1000cc superbike. I believe that cycling is about individual effort. It's sharing the same characters with sports like motocross, F1 (NASCAR for US), martial arts, running and pretty much every other track athletics, where individuals effort is compared to the field. It makes cycling as sport so much more dynamic then team sports. Thats the problem in TdF, the team works so close together that it's often just all about tactics in leading and passing then individual effort as in Enduro, XC, DH, Slopestyle etc.
But lets take it from practical aspect. What are the benefits of riding tandem?
Despite Kris Holms massive skills, it is still not needed as sport and it is not in any shape or form practical as well. You can't ride with unicycle 200km, as you can do with road bike. Unicycles and tandem cycles are activities with an end in themselves. It's just like Fingerboarding. It might be fun for some, but in the end of the day, it useless.
Look at 3rd development countries. Cycling there is without any umf and bling and 12k carbon bikes. It's plain simple transport, that is the essence of cycling, that grew out in sport. If you google such a image, you won't see any unicycles and tandem cycles there, because it's not practical and it's not evolutionary nor revolutionary for cycling, it's just self oriented effort to switch things up just because "it can be done".
For speed, triathlon bike and glass smooth tarmac rocks. Why not then tricycle currier, you want to "attach something to lots of points on frame"? You can put there hundreds of kg in cargo. Something like this: lightfootcycles.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/courier_recumbent_tricycle1.jpg
@gustofwind. Man it's still cold over here, but all my bikes are cleaned like 5 times already
But it's not a big surprise that you haven't got any facts, and by reading your replies to other people comments, I can see that you're an ignorant man, who thinks that because you have been on this earth for longer, you know more about cycling then others. More then two times younger kids ride faster, better and stronger then you ever will. The fact that you can't back up your statement why unicycle is practical way of going around, shows that you're lucking the only thing you might have gained over the years: logical judgment, knowledge and wisdom.
So who's the troll now!
Fact, you can ride further and faster on a unicycle for less energy used than walking.
Fact, you can take a unicycle places that are not available to other cyclists. Like inside buses and trains/subways. Great things for commuters in inner-city environments. Off-road unicycles can tackle terrain that regular mountain bikes struggle with.
Fact, I may not know more about cycling than everyone, but I do know more about it than a troll like you.
2nd your fact. That is what collapsible bicycles are made for. I would like to see you with grocery bags in hand while answering call with other hand on unicycle. What are the off-road terrain that can't be done with mountain bike, but can be done with unicycle?
3rd even isn't a fact related to unicycling, but ok..
P.S. You don't have a place where to put a bag on unicycle do you? So that is why I asked how would you for example shop? And there is nothing wrong in talking at the phone while peddling down the road at 5 miles per hour. If you can walk and talk, you can ride slow and talk. Please use at least some logic, if you have any left.
3.bp.blogspot.com/-9oX99xQnsIg/TpZCHNKGcMI/AAAAAAAACFM/R8fdaP9EbO4/s640/Bicycle+beret+baguette.jpg
That comes to mind when I read about this marque.
650B tires were what had a supply problem when mountain bikes were moving from handbuilt custom bikes to production bikes. 26" tires were chosen simply because they were the last option available. The pioneers of the sport were cyclocross racers and long distance tour riders. They knew what they wanted was 650B or 700C off-road tires and they knew they existed because they'd already built bikes with them. But the only tire manufacturers offering them were in Europe, and couldn't meet the demands of a small time operation in California. The next closest thing was what post-war Schwinn beach cruiser type bikes had, 26" diameter balloon bicycle tire.
COMMON SENSE was already that larger diameter tires and wheels rolled better over roots, rocks, ruts and other things you find on trails and dirt roads better than smaller diameters. This had been known and understood for a century with bicycles. Yet suddenly now in the past few years, its become this foreign concepts to mountain bikers like yourself who refuse to accept the fact that your common sense...is rooted in myth and make believe fantasy land where 26ers are the best.
As to KHS being an "underdog"... they've been making mountain bikes again, longer than you've been alive, and have been at the forefront of the 650B movement for four years now. Its everyone else playing catchup with them, not them playing catchup with the industry.
You don't want to listen to a trail rider... fine... whatever. I dirtjumped when I was younger, and I've done riding on stuff that is considered "freeriding" but sure, you know everything already.
\sarcasm