With the rising trend of downcountry bikes, there has been a renewed interest in producing lightweight trail tires which balance rolling speed and grips. Hutchinson has now added to the growing choice with its new Wyrm tires.
This is the French tire manufacturer's second downcountry mountain bike tire, and joins their Kraken tire released just last April. While the new Wyrm is available in the same 2.4in size and 66 TPI carcass as the Kraken, it's positioned in between the more aggressive Hutchinson Griffus and the faster rolling Kraken.
Hutchinson says that the tread is aimed at all-weather conditions as a front and rear setup or paired with a Kraken for a faster rolling summer option. They also suggest that it could be used on the rear with a front Griffus to boost rolling speed on mellower enduro trails.
There are two options, a standard Wyrm and the Wym Racing Lab – which is handmade in France. The construction uses Hutchinson’s signature XC Race Riposte tri-compound and Hardskin bead-to-bead reinforcement, which it claims offers an optimal balance between efficiency, responsiveness, and puncture protection.
The tread pattern is inspired by Hutchinson's XC tire range and centers on a dual chevron design that interchanges between blocks designed for traction and to enhance rolling speed. These blocks are connected by small bridges which is said to create a mechanical linkage, allowing each chevron to function as a solid block.
Spacing has been considered for mud-shedding properties and alternating tread patterns transition to sipped shoulder knobs for cornering grip.
The Hutchinson Wyrm Racing Lab is available in tanwall and black editions, weighing in at 950g and costing £69.95 / €75.99. While the standard version is available in black only, costs £42.95 / €45.99, and weighs 1000g.
