Review: Hutchinson Atom Galactik

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to review the Hutchinson Atom tubeless tire. In that review, I noted that as a dedicated racing tire, the Atom " just isn't providing the  level comfort I am looking for."

Now the next generation of the Atom is here, the Atom Galactik. I was fortunate to receive a pair for review at Interbike, and I have since put hundreds of miles on them in Colorado and even in the hills of north Georgia. So far, I am impressed.

The Atom Galactik Road Tubeless tire sheds 25 grams a piece from the previous version that it supplants. And while I am a committed weight weenie, I am also a rational member of the reality based community. Therefore, I would be lying if I told you I could instantly feel the difference in weight between the old Atoms and the Galactiks; I can't. This is especially true since I had previously mounted the stunningly light IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light which claims to come in at 240 grams vs. the Galactik's 245. Unlike machined parts, tires are soft goods subject to greater manufacturing tolerances, so the difference here is negligible.

But in terms of riding characteristics, the Galactiks are very different from the IRC offering and even the previous Atom. The original Atoms felt so firm that they were almost rigid. It was as if they beefed up the casing while reducing the diameter of the Fusion 3s. In contrast, the Atom Galactiks feel somewhat more supple than the original Atoms. They accelerate well, grip nicely in corners, and tolerate road imperfections to a much greater degree than the old Atoms.

But at the same time, they still seem to retain the narrow profile, which appears much more like a 21c tire than the labeled 23c.  The IRC counterpart appears to be slightly wider and thinner, while offering an even more compliant ride, but the IRC it is a very thin tire and it appears to wear faster than the Galactiks.

The old Atoms were like a sports car that has bald tires and was lowered. It was great for racing, but not practical for luxury touring. The Atom Galactik is more like having a Porsche. It meets the needs of racers while being an acceptable tire for long distance riding.

With greater comfort and less weight, I have to say that I like the direction that Hutchinson is taking with their road tubeless line. Since the invention of road tubeless, Hutchinson has been the clear leader in the field. And as the peleton of road tubeless tires grows larger, the Galactik appears to be Hutchinson's statement that they intend to lead the pack and try to break away.

The Latest From Interbike

I was at Interbike in Las Vegas this week and got caught up on all the latest road tubeless developments. I will have lots more to write, but here is a quick summary:

Hutchinson - Had a nice long talk with the Hutchinson people to figure out where there tire line is at for this year. Basically, they went from three tires to five +. Last year they had the Intensive, Fusion 3, and Atom. This year they added an Intensive 28c and the new Atom Galactic. 

The Intensive 28c may or may not be called "Top Speed" or perhaps some other name. Basically it is the mass market version of a tire they developed for professional riders racing Paris-Roubaix. I have seen it, and it is definitely 28c. One of the criticisms that the Intensive received was that it was marked as a 25c tire but was really closer to 23c, not sufficiently wide enough for a commuter. Rest assured the new 28c version finally plugs the gap between racing tires and cyclocross.

The Atom Galactic also addresses a valid concern. Many felt that the standard Atom cost more than the fantastic Fusion 3, but was barely any lighter (260g vs 290g). The Atom Galactik at 240 solves this problem and is an actual candidate for pro-tour use. I actually rode a pair of Atom Galactiks yesterday on a 3 hour training ride, and came away very impressed. I will have a full review shortly.

Finally, the Fusion 3 is now also available in a white striped color. No actual change to the compound, just a different look.

Schwalbe - As I have noted, their Ultremo ZX is poised to enter the market. What was cool to see was how heavily they were promoting it at their booths with a billboard sized picture saying "Go Tubeless". Wonder where they got that slogan from?

Maxxis - They were showing their Padrone race tire and a prototype of a radial tire that will be for training.

IRC- IRC has four great road tubeless tires, but they are hard still to find in the United States.

Others - Others I heard that were looking to road tubeless tires include Kenda, WTB, Bontrager, and Specialized, although none had products on display this year.

Wheels - American Classic is getting into tubeless in a big way. They already have their road tubeless wheelset is coming in at under 1200 grams, and they just showed another, slightly heavier version. This is in addition to their conversion strips and valves. Stan's reinforced its Alpha 340 and came out with a stronger Alpha 400. They now sell both in several models of tubeless road and cyclocross wheelsets for both disc and rim brakes. I also came away impressed with the Velocity A23 rim that can be built up in a variety of colors. Throw in great models from Shimano, Campy/Fulcrum, DT Swiss, and others, and it is clear that the major wheel builders are all-in on road tubeless.

Other - A company called Orange Seal is selling a tubeless conversion kit and an innovative sealant that coats the tire.I also liked the American Classic valves, and Hutchinson sealant which I just installed and am testing. Look for a full review of the Galactik, Hutchinson sealant, and American Classic valves really soon.

Will 2013 Be The Year Of Road Tubeless?

I have been writing here for two years, and during this time we have seen some slow and steady growth in road tubeless tire acceptance.  But in the last few weeks between Eurobike and the run up to Interbike next week in Las Vegas, I have seen a dramatic uptic in the number of companies releasing tubeless specific wheelsets and those announcing tubeless road tires.

For example, Bike Rumor announced today that Reynolds is releasing multiple wheelsets with rims licensed by Stans.  Add to that the recent announcements by companies like HED, American Classic, and others, and the only conclusion reachable is that manufacturers are seeing a critical mass (finally) forming around this technology. In essence, we are seeing the same type of industry consensus around disc brakes for road bikes.

At the same time, highly respected cycling experts like Lennard Zinn are recognizing how great this technology really is. According to his column in VeloNews, he has "only had two flats with tubeless road tires in many years and tens of thousands of miles of riding them." Its hard to argue with that kind of testimonial from a journalist, mechanic, and industry icon of his stature.

Next Wednesday, I am going to visit Interbike myself and take a close look at the state of road tubeless technology. I also have a forthcoming feature article about road tubeless technology that is scheduled to appear in a nationally circulated magazine. So please keep coming back and allow me to show you where all of this is heading.

Disc Tubeless Wheels

A Go Tubeless Reader recently wrote me with this question:

So, I am a convert, but seriously high maintenance. Here's my dilemma:
 
I ride the Auger CX disc for work, off-road and three fast group rides a week. For work I have a set of x9 hubs laced to Velocity a23 rims (nmsw) with DT Competition spokes. these wheels are perfectly suited to be ridden hard and stand up to abuse, but I was curious about getting something more road-race specific. For 'cross I have a set of Industry Nine 29 wheels with Stan's Arch EX rims.What I need is a set of (in order of importance):

Disc
stiff
Light
Tubeless specific
Non-machined sidewall (high maintenance)
Road wheels.
 
I love the 23mm width of the a23, but they just don't feel stiff. I understand that, with the right tires (Hutchinson Fusion3 Tubeless) I can convert a standard clincher rim, but I'd rather start with a road tubeless rim.

Carbon clincher with carbon brake track would be okay, not a metal brake track, that would be ugly.
Oh, and black, black, black.
Any ideas?

Pat

My Response

Thanks for the question Pat. I am a big fan of road disc brakes and think that they are a perfect compliment to tubeless tires.  Heck, I am sure your car has both, so why not your much more technically advance bike?

The good news is that this is turning out to be an exciting year for Road Tubeless wheel offerings, especially those with disc brake compatibility. For example, check out these Specialized Roval tubeless disc offerings.  I also think that the Volagi Ignite SL carbon wheelset could work for you depending on your dropout spacing. Finally, Stan's new A340 Cross wheelset seems to fit your bill as well and it is even black. And don't forget this HED offering.

On the other hand, I don't understand why you are so insistent on tubeless specific rims. Even Stan's tubeless rims still use rim tape, the same as I have been using since road tubeless came out.

I hope that helps.

Jason

IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light

It is great to see more coverage of road tubeless penetrating the mainstream cycling media. For example, Bicycling Magazine, a publication I have been reading since the mid 80s, has recently featured an article about this technology. It is a fine piece, but one inaccuracy bothered me. They review several new road wheels and tires that are tubeless compatible. They introduce the Maxxis Padrone by saying "Hutchinson has had a monopoly on tubeless road tires."  That sound you hear in the background is all the folks at Specialized, Bontrager, and IRC loudly clearing their throats. (The Bontrager tire does not appear to be available any more.) 

But that is not all. Over at Bike Rumor, a new post heralds the introduction of the Hutchinson 700x28c Intensive tire as well as the new Atom Galactik, which they say "claims to be the first sub-250g tubeless tire". 


I have received a pair of IRC Fromula Pro Tubeless Light tires, that put both these claims to rest. First, this tire weights 240 grams, less than the standard Atom, and certainly less than 250 grams.

About the IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light

This is the top of the line IRC road tubeless tire. In fact, IRC now has four different tires in their line. They claim 20% less rolling resistance than their other tires. This 170 TPI casing is thin and supple, eschewing the reinforced casing that Hutchinson has gone with. Installation was no more of a challenge than any other road tubeless product, and it is a good looking, bald race tire.


The Ride

Let me cut to the chase: I love this tire. I never really took to the Hutchinson Atom tubeless tire because it was too narrow and had too harsh of a ride to justify the 20-30 gram weight savings over the Fusion 3, my favorite road tire. Now that I have spent a few hundred miles on the IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light, it just might be my new best friend. The 70 gram weight savings per tire is noticeable over the Fusion 3 as you are dropping nearly a third of a pound in rotational weight. Climbing is fun and there really is no degradation in ride quality. In fact, I find the claimed 23c width to be much closer to the Fusion than to the Atom. Cornering was excellent as I descended my favorite Colorado switchbacks with all the confidence I would expect from a professional quality racing tire.

It is too early to talk about wear resistance, but I have noticed something unusual. The rear tire lost its excess rubber strips after the first ride, but the front still retains it. I suppose that with all the climbing I do, I put much more weight on the rear wheel than the front for the majority of my rides. All the more reason to inflate the rear higher than front. My rule of thumb is that I want to see approximately the same sidewall deflection from both tires when I am riding up a hill. For me, that equates to 105 psi in back, and 95 psi in front. But what this tells me about the tire is that it is more subject to deformation under load than the more rigid Hutchinson products.

Conclusions

IRC has been out of the US market for some time, but they are looking to make a comeback. This tire meets or exceeds the performance of a tubular, and if they can get it in the hands of enough riders, they will certainly succeed in this market. My only concern is that this tire has affected me like a drug, and I am not sure when I'll be able to get my next fix.

Schwalbe Announces Ultremo ZX Tubeless

Schwalbe is a German tire company with a fantastic array of products - everything from high zoot tubulars to studded snow tires. Therefore, it shouldn't be a surprise that they have finally joined the road tubeless party, but it was still good to read it at Bike Radar. Today, I had a chance to talk to a representative at Schwalbe who was able to give me some more details about the new Ultremo ZX Tubeless.

The tire is base don their flagship clincher the Ultermo ZX and Schwalbe, unlike some other road tubeless vendors, condones and recommends the use of sealant, such as their Doc Blue product.  At this time, Schwalbe expects the tire will be available for sale in September of this year as a 2013 model.As soon as this tire becomes available, I hope to try it out and post a full review. While there may be a few other tubeless tire versions in the future, tubeless city and commuter products are not currently in the pipeline. Nevertheless, the representative I spoke with said that the prospect for additional road tubeless offerings is not so bleak as many of their tubeless city and commuter tires are based on the same casing as their off-road tubeless products, but with a different bead.

Now, as for the picture above from Bike Radar, I don't recommend or condone the needless destruction of a fine tire.

Different Tapes

Hi Jason,

Nice blog, and thanks. I've been a tubeless road rider for a few years now, and honestly, don't understand why it's not more popular.

My question, for you; have you looked at different tapes that can be used for conversions? What is an easy/quick/local source that can be used with confidence?

I have used the Stan's system, with success. My front wheel, a SRAM s30al, had to be dismantled to deal with a spoke and I now need to rebuild it and am looking for an alternative source for the tape. Part of my question is do you know the details on the type of tape is best. I'd guess that Stan's is buying the tape from someone directly.

Thanks!

Gaston

Thanks for note Gaston! I don't know why tubeless hasn't taken over, but I am doing everything I can to promote it.

I have heard of different tapes and systems out there, but I have only had experience with Stan's. The quality works and the price, while a little high, is not terrible. My first tubeless conversion was with Stan's and I still ride on those wheels all the time. I suppose someone might uncover the source of their tape, or a viable alternative where they save a dollar or two. But until then, I will stay loyal to Stans.

If you have a question or problem with road tubeless tires, let me know, and I will try to answer it the best I can.

Tubeless In Moab

So a few weeks ago, I went to the Moab Skinny Tire Festival to get some fabulous road riding in. As always, I inspected my tires before leaving, and I did notice a few significant nicks and cuts in them. Nevertheless, they were still holding air, so I decided to keep using them.

I pumped the tires up the night before and left my bike in my hotel room. About an hour later, I heard a loud hissing sound and saw a pool of white liquid below my rear tire. My tire had spontaneously deflated!  This is not the first time this had ever happened, but it was amazing to be sitting next to a motionless bicycle that forms a leak.

Fortunately, I had brought with me an brand new pair of Hutchinson Fusion 3 Tubeless tires. The challenge was finding a compressor to install them with at 7am - before my ride to Dead Horse Point that starts at 8!  My first instinct was to find a gas station with a compressor, and take care of it there.

Nevertheless, I was thrilled to find Uranium Bicycles open at that hour on the way to my ride. Marshall Hannum, the owner of the shop was renting road bikes and supporting the riders at that event. Better yet, he was gracious enough to allow me to use his shop's compressor to quickly swap out my tires. Even with someone as experienced with tubeless tires as myself, I was still surprised to complete the swap, on two wheels, in about 15 minutes! That gave me plenty of time to get to know Marshall. From what I can tell Uranium appears to be the road bike shop in a town of mountain bike fanatics. He is very familiar with both road tubeless and road disc brake technology, two of my pet passions. Finally, he has a fantastic stable of road bikes for rent, which is a real rarity in most places.

So first, always check your tires before a big ride and change them if they have lots of damage. Secondly, the next time your travel plans take you to Moab, say hi to Marshall at Uranium Bicycles. You will be glad you did!