Michelin Power All Season review

For the Michelin Power All Season the French tyre giant claims 15 per cent more grip, 20 per cent more puncture protection and a saving of five watts at 45kph, or 20 seconds over 40km, compared to its predecessor the Michelin Pro4 Grip.

The extra grip comes via a new generation ‘Hi Grip’ tread pattern and a new compound called ‘Grip Compound’, while the amped up puncture resistance is down to a new Amamid Protek+ belt.

Michelin doesn’t say how the increase in rolling speed was achieved, and if it’s necessary to ride at 45kph before a measurable difference emerges, it must be very marginal.

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The claimed weight of 270g per tyre for the 25c version (our samples actually weighed slightly less) is on the high side for a tyre that’s supposedly aimed all-year-round riding and not just winter. Its rivals the Continental GP 4 Season and the Pirelli P Zero Velo 4S are 40-50g lighter while the Vittoria Corsa Control undercuts it by a claimed 5g.

The ‘summer’ version, the Michelin Power Competition, is 55g lighter per tyre and it’s worth saying that I’ve been riding a set of these for over year without a puncture, even in some nasty conditions. I could have had an incredible run of good luck (now jinxed) but it suggests Michelin had already developed a pretty good casing and a compound that doesn’t cut without needing to add such large chunk of weight in extra reinforcement.

Four-season tyres generally work by using a stickier, softer compound that supplies better grip, especially in the wet, and you can feel how soft the tread of the Power All Seasons is, despite the carcass itself being fairly stiff with the aramid belt.

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The tread pattern is direction specific, with indicators to ensure you fit them the right way round. Although a tread pattern will not make any difference when cornering on wet tarmac, it can supply extra traction at low speeds on mud or wet leaves. I’m not convinced the Michelins’ tread pattern does much more than give riders more confidence than a slick tyre would – but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Fitting the Michelins to tubeless-ready Venn carbon rims was easy – with tubeless it can go either way, as we all know – but with standards still all over the place I can’t guarantee it will be as easy on every rim.

Incidentally, there’s no tubeless option for the Power All-Season and I think Michelin is missing a trick here.

The ride

The grip is what the Michelin Power All Seasons are all about and I was really impressed. I felt confident on fast descents in the wet and on slow, muddy corners with adverse cambers where I definitely would have backed off had I been on summer tyres.

Certainly, they don’t feel as fast as summer tyres – they lose suppleness due to the extra puncture protection, they’re heavier and they have a soft tread compound, so it’s to be expected. In addition, I ran them at a slightly lower pressure than I would dry-weather tyres just to maximise grip.

I rode the Michelin Power All Season tyres from the end of last winter through the spring and didn’t puncture once (there, that’s another set of tyres jinxed).

Value

At their full RRP of £47.99 the Michelin Power All Season tyres are cheaper than the Conti GP 4 Seasons, which have a list price of £54.95, and the Vittoria Corsa Control G2.0 is also priced at £54.99. The Pirelli P Zero Velo 4S is also more expensive at £49.99.

Four-season tyres should wear more quickly due to the softer compound, but I can’t say I’ve noticed this, and there’s a generous amount of rubber in its construction anyway.

Priced a bit lower than its four-season rivals, the Michelin Power All-Season is a good choice for a reliable, durable training tyre.