French tyre manufacturer Hutchinson presents the Caracal All Road, a new gravel tyre designed to close the gap between pure road and gravel tyres. The new model complements the existing Caracal series with a versatile option for gravel bikers who want to ride on both tarmac and unpaved roads - which is probably most people.
Hutchinson Caracal All Road: all-rounder for mixed terrain
According to Hutchinson, the Caracal All Road is designed as a "fit-and-forget" solution. With the new tyre, the French want to have designed a tyre that rolls quickly on the road as well as offering sufficient grip and safety off the beaten track. But how?
Technology from the racing sector
Hutchinson uses proven technologies for the construction of the Caracal All Road. The Swifteasy carcass, which is also used in the Caracal Race competition model, is designed to ensure high flexibility and reliability with 127 TPI. Compared to the Race model, however, the All Road version has an additional polyamide reinforcement under the tread, which helps to increase puncture protection and improve durability.
Tread design for road and off-road
The tread pattern of the new Hutchinson Caracal combines two characteristics: The smooth centre section is designed to reduce rolling resistance on tarmac, while pronounced side blocks provide traction in corners and on loose surfaces. For the rubber compound, Hutchinson relies on the Mach Tread 3.0 compound, which was originally developed for its road tyres.
Width is relative
The Caracal All Road is only available in 700 x 35 mm. This width is intended to offer a good compromise between comfort, traction and versatility. The designers have probably also considered pure road tyres. Road racing bikeswhich often do not offer much more tyre clearance. For gravel bikes, on the other hand, the trend is towards 45 mm or even wider tyres.
According to Hutchinson, the tyre effectively absorbs vibrations even in this dimension, reducing fatigue on long journeys while offering sufficient grip on various surfaces.
Expansion of the Hutchinson Caracal family
With the introduction of the all-road version of the Caracal, Hutchinson is completing its Caracal tyre series. In addition to the new all-rounder, the range includes the Caracal Race and the standard Caracal with traditional carcass construction and hard-skin puncture protection.
In addition, Hutchinson has announced that the standard Caracal will now also be available in a 45 mm width, while the Caracal Race will be available in this width from June 2025. Hutchinson has not yet specified the price of the new tyre. However, like its brothers and sisters in the Caracal family, it will presumably cost around 50 euros.
Technical specifications Hutchinson Caracal All Road bicycle tyres
- Dimension: 700 x 35 mm
- Carcass: Swifteasy with 127 TPI
- Additional reinforcement: Polyamide under the tread
- Rubber compound: Mach Tread 3.0
- Profile: Smooth centre section, pronounced side blocks
- Tubeless compatible: Yes
- Available colours: Black, Tanwall
- Price: No details yet
Marc Strucken
Editor
