Great clincher tires remain popular, and for decades Michelin has had a strong following with their top competition and fast training version. Grip and feel have long driven the popularity, and there is no reason traditional Michelin riders won't love the Power Road TS Tire. One area has improved on with the Power series tires has been puncture protection- and without compromising the feel riders love. The rubber compound has also advanced, and now you get better longevity along with low rolling resistance, and comparable grip and cornering safety the previous generations have been known for.

Given Michelin's vast overall experience with tire design and compound development, the progress towards the Power Road TS has been steady. By working with a super supple 3ply, 120 TPI casing that allows the tire to deform while conforming to the road surfaces, especially at cornering angles, the feel is more than taken care of. The combined woven material offers some puncture resistance as well. Amplifying the minor protection of the casing and the rubber, the very flexible and highly effective Aramid Protek+ belt adds real puncture resistance. This high density reinforcement belt provides strength at the crown of the tire. Aramid is stronger than traditional materials, and is well known in its Kevlar formation, which provides the lightest effective body armor plates, and in this woven band is much more cut resistant than any other similar fiber-based option. The woven material provides the flexibility.

The tread rubber is rated in two ways- for Grip and Tread design. This is a Competition level tire, with a standard race grip, and a long directional inverted tread pattern that adds cornering hold and some water displacement. The compound itself, which has delivered the improved rolling resistance, grip and wear Michelin's X-Race Compound, which strikes the best balance of the desired characteristics making it a great option for the evolution from the Pro Race series tires to the Power Competition models. Michelin doesn't offer any other details on the compound itself, and it doesn't feel as soft to the touch as the rubber that graced the Pro Race 4, but also isn't as firm as used in the previous Power road clinchers. it offers an inherent stickiness and grip but has a great ride feel and gives most competitive riders a little more feedback without being harsh. This alchemy is what builds the confidence required for high speed corners with riders all around, or on long challenging descents where braking too much is actually a bad idea.

Finally, Michelin has also worked over the years to deliver accurate tire width/volume measurements, so within 5psi of the max recommended pressure, you should get a spot-on physical measurement to the tire size on appropriate width rims as set by the ETRTO standards organization.