Hutchinson Caracal Gravel Range

Hutchinson Caracal Gravel Range Launch – Including “The Fastest Gravel Tyre On The Market”

French tyre manufacturer has launched two new tyres for those racers looking for fast rubber. They claim they have made the Fastest Gravel Tyre On The Market! If you’re looking for a robust, bike-packing, round-the-world tyre, the Caracal is not for you!

These two new tyres, the Caracal Race and Caracal, take Hutchinson’s gravel range from three to five tyres. The Overide, Touareg and Tundra covered most conditions from dry hardpack to wet and muddy; so what is the Hutchinson Caracal gravel range aimed at?

Looking through Hutchinson’s press release, the answer is speed. Hutchinson says the Caracal and Caracal Race have been “engineered for the demands of elite racing and high speed gravel riding.” While the two tyres have the same tread, they differ in the their carcass lay-up and tread compound.

Hutchinson Caracal Race

The Caracal Race is part of Hutchinson’s premium ‘Racing Lab‘ range, which are handmade in France. They have been designed with input from Hutchinson’s sponsored riders and teams, such as ultra-distance gravel specialist Ulrich Bartholmoes. 

Hutchinson spent a lot of time researching the Caracal Race to produce a tyre that they say outperforms “similar race tyres from competitors by up to 35% in independent tests commissioned by Hutchinson“. This is done via features like SwiftEasy casing and Mach Tread 3.0 compound, both of which come from the Blackbird road tyre.

SwiftEasy Casing

The SwiftEasy casing differs from standard casings by not overlapping under the the tread. The tread is bonded to a separate layer that sits over it. This means that the tyre has 2×127 TPI in the centre of the tyre and 3×127 TPI on the sides. Hutchinson says this reduces rolling resistance by 40%, over similar semi-slick tyres in their range.

Mach Tread 3.0 Compound

Sitting on top of the SwiftEasy carcass is Hutchinson’s Mach Tread 3.0 compound. This compound was initially developed for its performance road tyres. The new formulation has 25% more rebound, which means more energy can be returned in the form of forward motion. The tread is also 10% harder and more resistant to tearing, without compromising grip.

The central tread pattern is designed for dry, fast race days with a smooth central section. Away from the centre there’s a double row of small square knobs. These are bordered by pairs of larger, taller knobs to give you some grip in loose corners.

Rolling resistance and weight are improved thanks to the SwiftEasy carcass, but this does mean a reduction in puncture protection. Hutchinson say that the Caracal Race is best reserved for hard-packed gravel or all-road surfaces. The Caracal race is hookless compatible, available exclusively in a 700x40mm size, only in Tan Wall colour, weighs 475g and costs £54.99/€59.99

Hutchinson Caracal

The Hutchinson Caracal uses the same tread pattern as the Caracal Race, but replaces the SwiftEasy carcass and Mach Tread 3.0 compound for a more robust tyre. Instead you’ll find Hutchinson’s Hardskin bead-to-bead puncture protection layer replacing SwiftEasy. Meanwhile Bi-Compund replaces Mach Tread 3.0, the same material as used by their Touareg tyre.

This produces a tyre that is almost as fast as its Race sibling, but with added protection. The Caracal is available in 700x40mm, in both Tan Wall and Black. The tyre weighs 475g and costs £49.99/€54.99

As you can see the Caracal Race and Caracal are fast tyres for fast days. You’ll have to balance the speed and light weight of the Caracal Race against the demands of the course. Will you choose speed over puncture protection? On a course that features a lot of hard-pack and tarmac, the Caracal Race could be a real advantage. Add in a course that features thorns and flints and you would probably prefer the more robust Caracal. We’ll try out these new tyres and let you know how they perform.

If you want to see some of Hutchinson’s road tyres, see our preview of the Challenger TLR. Click here for more information on Hutchinson tyres.