A grippier, more protective Pro4
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By Robin Wilmott
Published:
Michelin’s Pro4 family of tyres has been around for a while, and this Endurance version is designed to give riders even more versatile performance, increasing the tyre’s lifespan and puncture protection.
Key to this is a tougher carcass and a grippy, swift-rolling dual-rubber compound.
Overall, the Michelin Pro4 Endurance impresses with its strong all-round performance for a winter road tyre without compromising puncture resistance.
The Michelin Pro4 Endurance folding clincher tyre comes in 700 x 23c, 700 x 25c and 700 x 28c sizes.
While the 28c version is available only in black, there are coloured shoulder options for the two smaller sizes.
Claimed weights are 225g, 245g and 285g for the 23c, 25c and 28c sizes respectively. I weighed the tested 28c tyres at 295g, 10g heavier than claimed, but well within Michelin’s stated +/- 7 per cent variation tolerance.
With Michelin’s HD Protection puncture-resistant breaker running from bead to bead beneath the 3×110 TPI casing, there’s a strong defence, on paper, against flats.
The tyre is topped with a dual-rubber compound tread.
Michelin recommends running the 28c tyres within a range of 58 to 87psi, which is lower than many competing clincher winter training tyres.
The Pro4 Endurance tyres feel flexible in hand, and are satisfyingly simple to fit. I didn’t have to strain my thumbs unduly to get them over the rim.
On my test wheels, with a 20mm internal rim width, they inflate to 30mm wide and 27mm tall.
The Bi-Compound rubber tread has a seamless finish, and in all-black, the different sections are almost impossible to discern.
Its surface is evenly covered in a fine micro texture, which along with the rubber’s natural properties, creates a surprising amount of friction when rubbing a fingertip across it.
There are no grooves, cuts or raised elements to clear water or add grip – the tyre relies upon its compound to hold the road.
As tested, the semi-circular tyre profile is quite tall, but has a consistent shape that enabled smooth transitions in and out of corners.
The central, harder rubber compound is designed to be more durable, yet reduce rolling resistance. Although it’s impossible to measure accurately on the road, the Pro4 Endurance tyre felt very efficient throughout testing.
At the same tyre pressure, the Michelins gave great confidence in both wet and dry conditions. I was especially impressed when riding challenging, slimy bends, or when the need arose to brake hard.
Overall, traction is equally good. The grippy, slick tread and the ability to run the tyres at even lower pressures – depending on your weight, riding style, local conditions and confidence – result in almost crampon-like grip on steep and filthy winter roads.
With the high volume, as a 74kg rider I found dropping the pressure to 60psi brought great security, while also improving comfort.
The Pro4 Endurance’s robust carcass is also very capable of resisting small impacts. It has proven to be a great all-rounder, delivering satisfying speed that doesn’t come at the expense of reassuring protection.
Throughout testing, nothing managed to so much as nick the Michelins. There are no cuts or damage evident, despite covering many miles on rural roads, grit, loose gravel and hedge cuttings.
I could argue that, at £49.99, the Pro4 Endurance is expensive for a winter road tyre. That said, it’s comparable with the likes of Continental’s strong-performing Gatorskin and Schwalbe’s sturdy Durano Plus.
The Michelin Pro4 Endurance tyre proves the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage, having been in existence in some form for the better part of a decade.
It provides decent speed, a sturdy but supple carcass, decent puncture protection, generous air volume and a useful ability to be run at lower pressures than many rivals.
This is all topped with an effectively grippy, dual-compound rubber, which makes it a very easy tyre to commend to winter riders wanting to preserve some speed.
Contributor
Robin Wilmott is a freelance writer and bike tester. He began road cycling in 1988 and, with mountain bikes in their infancy, mixed experimental off-road adventures with club time trials and road races. Cyclocross soon became a winter staple and has remained Robin's favourite form of competition. Robin has always loved the technical aspect of building and maintaining bikes, and several years working in a bike shop only amplified that. Robin was a technical writer for BikeRadar for nearly a decade, and has tested hundreds of bikes and products for the site. He has also written extensively for Cycling Plus, Velonews and Cyclingnews.
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