Michelin is a renowned brand when it comes to tires. They understand rubber technology very well and they take the time to develop tires for the specific application where it will be used.
They gave us a glimpse in to their process and it's just not a matter of banging out tires to pursue trends and see what sticks out there in the marketplace. It is indeed a much more involved process. Michelin goes through a series of design iterations and objective testing. They take the time to make sure a tire is designed for a particular purpose and all the science and metrics are there to back it up.
Michelin was set up with a pit tent and shuttle vehicles in Squamish, BC. (click to enlarge) Photo by Jeremie Reuiller
But are they done after that? Apparently not. They allowed us to experience their collaborative efforts with their race team and test teams to get some real-world feedback on their tires. This is where the theoretical calculations take a back seat and the the tires are tested by real riders in diverse conditions.
Adjustments and modifications are then made until the right blend of tire is created.
Michelin employs five types of tests that includes laboratory, machine, subjective and objective, competition and customer tests (click to enlarge).
Market demands are measured and a design is set in to motion. Many computer and math calculations are performed and design iterations are started. Once a design has been chosen in the virtual world of calculations, then comes real-life testing. This phase is vital in order to sign off the chosen technologies. Michelin employs five types of test:
- Laboratory tests on the materials and semi-finished rubber compounds and textile or metallic materials that make up the tire
- Machine tests
- Tire testing on rigs (static and dynamic) subjective and objective tests
- Competition
- Customer tests
To keep the testers fresh and for the sake of efficiency, shuttle vehicles were used (click to enlarge). Photo by Jeremie Reuiller
Continue to page 2 for the test rides in Squamish, BC. »
A strict and rigorous methodology is implemented to ensure the reliability and consistency of the information collected:
- The same bike
- Identical wheels (to avoid the influence of different wheels)
- The same track
- Regular evaluation of the benchmark tire in order to assess changing track conditions
- Tires are tested 'blind' so as not to influence riders' feedback
- Tire pressures are monitored before and after every test run (to guarantee consistency of this parameter which has the greatest effect on the performance of a mountain bike tire)
Jerome Clementz' riding style can be described as precise (click to enlarge). Photo by Jeremie Reuiller
As mountain-biking is not a discipline in which any given route is necessarily representative of tire use, Michelin repeats the same tests in several different places and even several different regions.
Continue to page 3 for the tires, criteria and full photo gallery »
What did we find out? Well tire testing is serious business and protection, patience and a keen eye for the subtle details is required. We kept our front tire static as we focused on switching the rear tire.
All this time, we thought that the rear tire was inconsequential and the best strategy was to minimize drag or rolling resistance. But through repetitive testing, we quickly found out how important it was for braking in technical terrain. Rear braking was key to balance and control in the loosest descents. And cornering subtleties were discovered too as using a rear tire that would keep the line of the front tire and drift slightly was a huge aid to cornering swiftly.
Lunch and debrief by the river in Squamish, BC put a close to a good day (click to enlarge). Photo by Jeremie Reuiller
Jerome Clementz has the rare combination of riding skill and the ability to break down and articulate al the factors affecting the ride (click to enlarge). Photo by Jeremie Reuiller
In the end, we learned that Michelin is indeed a serious tire company. And despite the temptation to react quickly to all trends and churn out tire design after tire design, Michelin stays the course and follows their process to create purpose-built tires.
For more information about Michelin tires, visit bike.michelinman.com.