The perfect road training tire will withstand thousands of miles without puncturing or wearing out, yet provide a good ride feel and cornering performance that isn’t too much different from your race tire.
Good news – this tire exists and it’s called the Michelin Krylion Carbon. I would call it a race-worthy training tire.
By that I mean it’s a very durable tire that is fairly lightweight and surprisingly grippy, so you can train on it every day and then race it on the weekend without it holding you back.
A 700x23c Michelin Krylion weighs 235g, and retails for about $35. So you get:
- Light weight. High-end racing clinchers weigh in at 180-220g. The Krylion is just outside this range.
- Puncture resistance. I’ve had a grand total of zero flats while riding these tires.
- Durability. The center tread is reinforced with carbon, and Michelin claims you can get 5,000km (or 3,100 miles) on these tires. I actually got about 5,000 miles on mine before the rear tire’s tread wore off! And at that point, I switched the front tire to the rear and got another 1,000+ miles from it.
- Performance. While not quite as grippy as the Pro3 Race tire, the Krylions perform amazingly well for the price. Cornering ability is much better than the average $25-35 tire.
Most of my riding is on decent roads without piles of glass, but I encounter my fair share of broken pavement. Plus, I ride at least a small section of dirt/gravel road each day.
These tires got a few tiny cuts on the tread, but nothing to worry about. The sidewalls were undamaged. (I’ve had other tires that nearly disintegrated in those conditions, so I’m very impressed with these.)
And how often does actual tread life surpass the company’s estimate? I got nearly double the tread life that Michelin claimed!
Complaints? I have none whatsoever. I don’t know if you could even make a better training tire.
2014 update: The Krylion Carbon tires disappeared for a while but now they are back! Thanks Michelin! The only difference is I remember the tires being only $35 back in 2009, but now they retail at $60 each. They are still a good value, but try to find them on sale for $30-35.
My final verdict is…
I highly recommend this tire. Use the Krylion for training and use the Pro3 Race tires for racing if you want the ultimate setup.
But outside of Cat 1 and Pro, these tires make a great dual purpose tire. Just get the Krylions and leave them on your bike for both training and racing. Or, you could compromise and run a Krylion on the back and a Pro3 Race up front. You would probably still get 3,000-5,000 miles before both tires wear out.
Official website: www.MichelinMan.com
Buy online: www.PerformanceBike.com or www.Nashbar.com
Company: Michelin
Product: Michelin Krylion Carbon Road Tire
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: out of 5
Date last updated: 2017-07-30
Obtained Product: Purchased at retailer.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.
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Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
A good tire for commuters, too.
@Alexis
Yep, tough and reliable, they’d make a good choice! Especially if you’re frequently late for work and need to ride fast!
I get way way more than 3000 miles on these things! Love em!
@Brett
Yeah, this is a situation where the tire seems to exceed expectations. A welcome change that’s for sure!
What happened? Were these replaced by the Pro4 Endurance? How do they compare?
@Chuck
I believe so, yes. The Michelin Pro4 Endurance is supposed to be an improved version of this tire. (Everything got moved into the “Pro4” group.) Most people are saying it is indeed as good as or better than the Krylion Carbon, but a few are disappointed. I haven’t ridden them so I can’t say for sure.
Wait since when are these back? I don’t see them on the Michelin site… ??
@Steven
I heard about a resurgence in the fall of last year. I’m not sure if the tires are being produced again (which would seem weird since the Pro4 Endurance is still around) or they are part of some previously unaccounted for NOS.
You’ll only see them at Performance Bicycle and Nashbar.