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Hutchinson Scorpion Tires
By Jon Sharp
Here I am, struggling up a long climb. My thighs are burning and my knees feel like they are going to explode. I want to stop, to admit the hill has won, but my pride won't let me stop before my buddies do. If only I had some excuse to halt my effort. Thanks to these Scorpion tires by Hutchinson, I can't use spinning out as an excuse. Hutchinson has put a lot of effort into this tire, and they aim to make it your favorite all-around mountain bike tire.
What's helping me gain such a good foothold? For starters, I'm riding a lower pressure than the standard tire because I'm riding tubeless. Not only does this afford me a little extra comfort, but it also gives me a lot more grip. New this year, Hutchinson has given a softer compound to their entire tubeless line of tires. The softer compound translates into more grip in a variety of situations. And, as far as 2.0 inch tires go, the Scorpion is a big one. The wider the tire, the larger the contact patch the tire makes with the ground.
The Scorpion has a tread pattern made up of medium-sized knobs spaced far apart, with a few underlying low ridges. The knobs aren't very tall, so as not to hinder rolling resistance too much, but afford more traction than a semi-slick. Being spread out so far, the knobs on this tire don't pack up with mud as quickly as some other tires. The knobs are closer together along the outside of the tire. As a consequence, corner grip is good with the Scorpion.
This tire is good in wet and muddy conditions, and also does pretty well in drier conditions. Because of the compound and the short knobs, they hook up fairly well in hardpack, though they don't provide the smoothness of other tires--most notably of which is their Python. When the dirt gets really loose, other tires, with taller knobs spaced closer together, don't get bogged down as quickly. I find that on rocky terrain, though, these tires work very well.
Summary: The new compound provides plenty of grip, but at a price: these tires wear out more quickly than tires with a more standard (harder) rubber. For some people, spending $45 on a tire that won't last them through the summer might be a bit much to ask. I found that on many dry and hardpack trails, I preferred the Pythons (also by Hutchinson, also available in tubeless). If you're looking for an all around tire that will do very well in almost all conditions, and great in others, this is a tire worth looking into. It's important to note that Hutchinson provides the same tire in a standard compound, non-tubeless version. The tread is the same, so besides the air-pressure difference, it should have the same characteristics as the tubeless version (except it will cost less and last longer). Well, I'm dying . . . looks like I'd better swallow my pride and walk.
Jon Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.
For more information, contact:
Hutchinson USA
(888) 664-8824
http://tires.hutchinson.fr/english/index2.html
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