Product Placement

“A shot of the ole rot-gut only gets me to normal, but it keeps the demon voices at bay. An Ediacara biota I carpooled with showed me the recipe. I’m so old… so very very old.”

What uses a new Silica compound on its tread to increase tire-life by 30 to 50 percent compared to the Michelin Pro 3? What has a new “peaked” profile that gives you 16 percent more grip than a Michelin Pro 3? What is encased in high density puncture protection? What weighs 200 grams? What is circular in shape and made with love and care? If you said the new Michelin Pro 4 road tire (TIRE7170), then you’re correct, although we would’ve accepted “Jose’s collapsible bento lunchbox” which is also just as awesome as the Pro 4. Charles (Michelin product manager, former Nascar wrencher, devoted family man) gave me a sample pair to try out on the Pake. I’ve only ridden them four times but they feel smooth, quick and I haven’t flatted yet even though I’ve been trying. Looking forward to seeing how the Pro 4 stacks up against the now-discontinued but much-loved Schwalbe Stelvio which is still my favorite 700 x 23 lightweight-yet-durable-for-commuting road tire of all time.