Michelin Power Competition Tire – Clincher Black, 700c x 23mm Review

A few years after the introduction of its Pro4 tire line, Michelin is attracting attention for the arrival of Pro4’s successor, the Power Competition Tire. Power took its time getting here, evolving from Michelin’s moto GP tires of the same name, but it looks to have been worth the wait. The entire Power line boasts quantifiable gains compared to its aging predecessor — delivering improvements in rolling resistance, puncture protection, and grip — and each different model is built using a slightly different formula to suit it best to its specific discipline. In the case of the Competition, this entails a focus on lower rolling resistance, dependable puncture protection, supple grip for hard cornering, and — of course — competition-grade speed. After extensive testing against the Pro4 Service Course tires, Michelin’s everyday training tire, the Competition was found to provide a 10-watt improvement in performance, equating to significant time gains at speed. (We’d be remiss if we didn’t note that the comparison was between a racing-specific tire and an everyday training tire.) Michelin doesn’t give detailed information about the Competition’s composition, but we do know that it uses resin-reinforced rubber known as Race Compound to construct the Competition, giving it rolling resistance improvements and improved durability that justify a slightly heavier weight.