News

Michelin Man Goes "Wild" at Interbike

September 23, 2009

Las Vegas, Nev. – Announced today, the introduction of its new bicycle tire lineup for 2010 with the all-new MICHELIN® Wild range for mountain bikes, the new MICHELIN Lithion®2 range of road bike tires and the new MICHELIN® Pro Optimum tires for long distance trips.

“No matter where your ride takes you, Michelin bicycle tires perform at the highest levels,” said Gary Midkiff, vice president of two wheel, Michelin North America. “Because the demands of trail and pavement riding are so different, the three tire lines we’re showing at Interbike represent a tremendous range in tire making capability.”

MICHELIN is very excited about its bicycle tire offering for 2010,” said Gary Midkiff, vice president of two wheel North America. “Biking is a way for people to escape from it all, discover the outdoors and stretch their limits and Michelin has the perfect tire for every need.”

The new MICHELIN® Wild range features five tires for five distinct terrains and incorporates two unique technologies:

MICHELIN® WildRace’R™ - For Hardpack Terrain: Features an effective tread block sequence that helps deliver performance and puncture-resistance. The shoulder tread blocks are also optimally spaced to help maintain grip on sidehill slopes. The unique pattern and alignment of the intermediate and lateral blocks serve a triple purpose: enabling the cyclist to climb out of ruts more easily; improving the lean angle; and increasing grip.

MICHELIN® WildGrip’R™ - For Mixed Terrain: The tire’s tread blocks are specifically spaced across the tire width to allow for a smoother ride and progressive cornering response. The tire’s well-supported knobs help an effective lean angle, allowing the cyclist to corner with confidence on almost any terrain. The thicker center tread blocks are spaced close enough together to help provide impressive rolling efficiency yet far enough apart to help shed mud easily.

MICHELIN® WildRock’R™ - For Extreme Terrain: Incorporates a central groove to aid with steering precision. Thick tread blocks spanning the width of the tire help it withstand the violent shocks of rocky and muddy surfaces. The aggressive claw-like shoulder tread is designed to add grip on sidehill slopes and curves and helps make climbing out of ruts easier.

MICHELIN® WildDig’R™ - For Muddy Downhill Terrain: Lateral tread blocks help with grip on curves and side slopes. Comprised of four longitudinal grooves, the center blocks deliver impressive grip for powerful braking and improved stability. The block spacing facilitates mud evacuation. The height of the knobs has been designed to ensure excellent traction in mud and sensational grip on harder terrain.

MICHELIN® WildRun’R™ - For Paved Terrain: Employs the same rubber compounds as in Michelin’s on-road tire range to help provide the grip needed for pavement riding. The larger volume 1.40” size helps ensure maximum comfort. The 1.10” features a special high density puncture-resistance layer under the tread and weighs only 200 grams, the same as the MICHELIN® Pro3 Race roadracing tire.

The MICHELIN® Wild tire range features the innovative MICHELIN® Advanced Technology in its new 127 TPI tubeless tires, the first time a technology has combined Michelin’s expertise in three distinct areas of the tire making process:

Architecture which comprises the bead and casing (carcass) ply, tread design, materials, and more specifically, rubber compounds.

MICHELIN® Descent Technology is used for downhill cycling and can be found in the MICHELIN® WildGrip’R™, WildRock’R™ and WildDig’R™ downhill tires. A special rubber compound is used to protect the sidewalls from scrapes and cuts. The tire’s anti-roll bead wire design helps provide safety in extreme conditions.

Also being introduced is the MICHELIN® Pro Optimum front and rear tires that boasts an incredible combination of grip and comfort for long-distance trips and the MICHELIN® Lithion®2 tire weighing 10 grams less than its predecessor – one of the lightest tires in its category.

For cyclists who want to add a splash of color to their tires, the new MICHELIN® Pro3 Race will be available in pink beginning early 2010. The new pink color adds to the existing colorful lineup making it a total of 10 colors that will allow riders to define their style.

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