Hutchinson Fusion 2 Tubeless

Price Paid:  $85.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
Independent Fabricaton Ti Crown Jewel with SRAM Red.

Summary:
I was looking to get better ride quality, so I went with a tubeless setup about a year ago, with Shimano WH-7850 wheels and the Hutchinson Fusion 2 Tubeless tires. I weighed 210 pounds when I started on them (I am down to 185 now) and then and now I fill them to 100psi.

Ride quality is close to what I remember tubulars being, and handling is very predictable. They roll like what my old setup (Vittoria Open Tubulars) felt like at 110-115psi. So, basically, I get 10-15psi of softness without sacrificing rolling resistance (by feel, anyway), or I could pump them up harder. I prefer to have better cornering and comfort, though.

I don't seem to get more than 1,000 miles out of a tire before I collect too many cuts and need to replace it, but the tread is still good.

I use Stan's sealant, but have had 3 flats in the last year that were pretty large punctures and did not seal. From looking at the tires, I have had about a dozen potential flats that did seal.

My LBS was out of the Fusion 2 when I recently replaced a tire and so I have an Atom, their new lighter tubeless model, on the rear now. Seems to be the same so far in terms of ride and durability.

Strengths:
Ride quality, rolling resistance.

Weaknesses:
Price. Durability?

Similar Products Used:
Vittoria Open Tubular

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Cervelo RS, Dura-Ace, DT's on DT Hubs, Shimano Compact Crank

Summary:
I thought I'd jump in here...most everything has been said, but after reading everything, I just wanted to give my .02.

Install as advertised - no real hassle. I used just half a bottle of sealant in each tire - only time will tell if it's going to do the trick. 2oz. of stuff in my wheels just seems like too much. Ride quality is very much superior to Conti attack/force or Michelin Pro2's - corning, grip is especially my favorite part, with comfort a distance second. That said, from comments on lower rolling resistance, I expected a faster feel to the tires that just wasn't there - for me.

We'll see on durability - I'm not there yet.

Overall, I love 'em.

Strengths:
grip/corning
comfort
no flats

Weaknesses:
a little heavy - I calc'd my weight penalty at 75 grams from Conti Attack/Force and Michelin Lite Tubes, and Velox rim tape.

Price Paid:  $150.00 at notubes.com road kit

Favorite Ride:
anywhere cars can't go

Bike Setup:
Cannondale CAAD5 with full Ultegra. Wheels were handmade by Duke's in Toronto, with Dura-Ace hubs, Alex R390 rims, 32-spokes each. They've remained true since I got them, and I didn't want to replace them.

Summary:
So far, excellent. I read articles saying this will be the next major upgrade for road bikes, along the lines of clipless pedals, carbon frames, etc. I have limited use on these so far, but within the first 20ft of riding, I knew this is completely different. I agree with those articles. I'm no longer shopping for a carbon bike to replace my Cannondale CAAD5 (I cannot imagine a smoother ride than this). Excellent sense of control.

Strengths:
Smooth smooth ride, excellent handling, running 20lbs less pressure, less sag on rear tire (even with 20lbs less pressure) less overnight air loss, less wheel weight. Even rough roads I'm very familiar with are much much smoother. Exact same feeling I had upgrading from a hard tail to a full suspension MTB. Stan's system worked flawlessly (important to watch his videos, and follow all instructions). I am blown away at the improvement to my 7 year old aluminum bike.

Weaknesses:
Only saved 65g per wheel using Stan's setup. But I knew that going in. Saving weigtht was only a bonus. The tire is probably 80g heavier than GP4000. Time will tell how long these tires last, but even if I only get 1000km, I would be very happy. Looking forward to competitive pricing.

Similar Products Used:
Conti GP3000 at 110 lbs (nice tire), Conti Ultra Sport at 120 lbs (not as nice).

Price Paid:  $45.00 at YKK, Cebu, Philippin

Bike Setup:
-Colnago EPS, Super Record 11, Euros 2-way fit
-Specialized Tarmac SL, SRAM Red, Racing Zero 2-way fit
-Vellum Equilibrium, DA 7800, 7850-SL tubeless compatible

Summary:
At a lower pressure (95 psi for my 190lb), it provides me the best training (or long/epic rides) wheels -- responsive but very forgiving. Very high flat resistance. Pinch flats are non-existent; punctures easily mitigated by Stan's latex sealant.

Strengths:
Ride quality -- unmatched by any clincher. Bordering on the quality of US80++ tubulars. Flat resistance.

Weaknesses:
With Stan's latex sealant --- a heavier set-up than my race specs clinchers (Michelin Pro-2 with Panaracer ultralight tubes). Also does not carry cuts and nicks well -- it grows and usually lead to its demise. Thrown out a couple of pairs with less than 1K mileage due to cuts.

Similar Products Used:
no other tubeless tire available
waiting, however, for the Hutch Atom (lighter one) and the Intensive (heavier, for training).

Price Paid:  $55.00 at Cycleworks in Mt. Ai

Bike Setup:
Look 585 with Powertap Wireless SL, Sram Red.
Specialized E5 with Sram Force

Summary:
Great tires, I worn through 2 tires and currently have a set on each road bike. I've not had a single flat on the road.

Strengths:
No Flats!!! I have ridden with psi from 80-120. Roll great, work with any rim with the Stan's setup

Weaknesses:
Prob weigh a bit more. Sticky tubeless fluid gets all over your tires and valve stem if problem occurs. Hard to inflate from 0 pressure without a compressor