Hutchinson has given their gravel tire line-up a high-volume boost, ballooning their Overide, Touareg & Tundra up to 50mm. Developed to transform your modern gravel bike to take on ever-tougher terrain – the bigger treads mean more grip, more control, more comfort, the ability to run lower tire pressures, and ultimately… just more options.
It’s a pretty minor update to add just one more width option to their already wide tubeless gravel bike tire range (the mostly-slick Overide already went down to 35mm and up to 45mm). But with more gravel bikes getting bigger tire clearance, more gravel riders heading further off-road, and a boom in bikepacking & adventure riding – a 50mm option with scaled-up treads for these three tires is a welcome update, especially for unpredictable winter conditions.
In Hutchinson’s own words:
“Whether reaching for the Tundra for slick, rocky, technical trails, calling on the ever-reliable Touareg workhorse, or rolling on tarmac and trail alike with the Overide – all bases are covered with this new offering. There’s even room for MTB-inspired mix and matching for dialed performance. Hutchinson champion the grippy Tundra front and all-rounder Touareg rear pairing, or a Touareg front and Overide rear combination for a surefooted front end and fast-rolling speed at the rear.”
Actual widths & weights
Hutchinson calls all three a 50mm tire, so we popped the knobbiest Tundras onto a 24mm internal gravel wheelset to see how they measured up. Comparing all three widths on the same rim – at the outside of the lugs, the new 50 clocked in at 53.2, the 45 at 46.5mm, and the 40 measured 42mm. That’s a pleasantly broad range from fast-gravel to mountain bike territory.
Weighing in those same three Tundra tires gave an equally wide range on the scale – 707g for the 50mm, 575g for the 45mm & 510g for the 40mm.
I also happened to have the three different widths of the less-aggressive Touareg too, but in three different sidewall variations. The 40mm Touareg in the rarer & lighter no-label Gridskin edition weighed 456g. Our pre-production 45mm all-black Hardskin Touareg weighed 624g. And the new 5omm tanwall Hardskin Touareg weighs 647g.
Riding Impressions
These tires now really blur the lines of what is a mountain bike tire – 700c x 50mm after all is effectively a 29″ x1.97″ tire. And even on my 24mm internal wide-for-gravel but narrow-for-MTB Fulcrum Rapid Red 3 alloy wheels, the Tundra 50s measure out more than 53mm wide, or 2.1″ for the fellow mountain bikes among us. Sure, most of even Hutchinson’s XC mountain bike tires have gone wider to 2.25″ or 2.3″ and beyond… But these 50mm+ Tundras feel essentially like a mountain bike tire at this point.
Of course, I already was quite happy with the original & versatile Touareg. And the Tundra even earned my praises in our Editor’s Choice Awards earlier this winter for its ability to transform a modern gravel bike for more aggressive terrain.
But, I think the real benefit of these three gravel tire treads now gaining a 50mm versions, is that you can mix or match to boost comfort, grip & control. A lot of modern gravel bikes top out at 45mm clearance, but maybe their fork has room for a 50mm front tire. Or even, older cross & gravel bikes that may be limited to 40mm in the back, but can run a 45mm up front. All three of the Overide, Touareg & Tundra treads are solid depending on your riding conditions, and likely a lot of gravel riders could benefit from fitting the biggest tire combo that will fit their individual bike setup.
Hutchinson Gravel 50mm – Pricing, options & availability
Hutchinson Overide, Touareg & Tundra (l-r) 50mm gravel tires
The new 700c x 50mm gravel bike tires are all exclusively available in Hutchinson’s top tubeless-ready 127tpi construction with Hardskin puncture protection & dual-compound rubber, and only with natural tanwalls. The 50mm gravel tires are made-in-France and sell for 50€ for the smoother Overide, or 53€ for the more knobby Touareg & Tundra.
photo by The Service Course, c. Hutchinson
They are all available now, and can be mixed-and-matched amongst themselves as 50mm setups for a balance of fast-rolling & grip – like an Overide rear with a Touareg front for dry conditions, or a Touareg rear with Tundra front tire for more mud. Or you can find these three reads also in matching 40mm, 45mm & 50mm versions (+35 & 38mm for the Override) to squeeze the most volume you can fit into your gravel frame & fork.
