Life In The Saddle

This review has been a long time in the pipeline, but then I feel (and have said before), that the best time to judge a pair of tyres is when you take them off the rim. Either you’ll be ripping them off cursing the quantity of punctures, poor grip and slow performance; or you’ll be taking them off ready to put a new pair of the exact same tyre back on there, because you’re impressed by them so much. I started testing the Hutchinson Tyres Squale and Toro earlier this season in the rather idyllic setting of a French farmhouse in Provence. At the Hutchinson Tyres press camp in late May, a group of other journalists and myself put the new Squale and Toro through their paces over two days of fast all-mountain riding. They proved an impressive set of rubber; hugging the gravel berms as we carved around them, holding steady on the rock gardens as we dropped down the side of the mountain, and proving that they are very much worthy of their usage with one of the best downhill race teams; ...

Last week I was in Provence testing the new Enduro range of tyres from French brand Hutchinson. The photographer at the camp was Dave Trumpore, these are a few of the fantastic shots he captured: Getting ready to ride The big drops... The French hospitality... The great company The stunning Provence Gite The dry trails The views! The rock gardens Sik Mik Hannah doing his stuff Hitting it fast! Awesome test bikes! The "Sand Pit" Tracey Hannah kicks up the dust! I need one of these bikes...

Enduro mountain biking... full suspension bikes hammering down dry and dusty trails, body armour on, handlebars vibrating like a jackhammer, gravel spraying out at the corners and a huge grin spreading across your face... It's good to do something different. This week I was in Provence with Hutchinson Tyres riding 'Enduro' on their new tyre range; it was a great laugh. I'm not going to lie, there were times when I was scared out of my skin, times when I lost it and crashed out (leaving me with a sprained wrist and some minor cuts), times when I really wasn't sure why I was doing it instead of riding XC or road back at home. There were those times, but most of the time I was loving the change, loving the dry trails, loving the gravel slides and the whooping berms, and generally loving the experience of staying with a team of enthusiastic bikers in a French Gite for a few days. It was great fun.  I can see why Enduro has been such a huge hit; it requires a...