# Hutchinson Atom or Fusion 3 Tubeless?



## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

I'm about to do some experimenting with tubeless tires? Has anyone had a chance to compare the Hutchinson Atom and Fusion 3 tubeless tires? Looks like the Atom is about 35 grams lighter, but was wondering about feel and durability between the two. thanks.


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## b-rad2 (Dec 8, 2006)

*fusion 3's*

Can't tell you, but just ordered some F-3s today. I have to think that 35g makes it more racing and less durable, don't you think?


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## GJSPINELLA (Apr 27, 2009)

I have been thinking about using the Atom on the front and Fusion on the rear. The reason is the Fusion is longer wearing and the Atom is more of a race tire and thus the softer compound for the front. Thoughts?


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## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

Atom on the front and Intensive on the rear.

Right now I have a Fusion on the front and Intensive on the rear and loving them.


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## Brazos (Jun 20, 2009)

I had some Fusion 3's on order but they were back ordered and the expected ship date got moved back to August. I found some Atom's readily available yesterday and ordered them ($57/ea and free shipping from Wiggle). I have new Ultegra 6700 tubeless wheels arriving one day this week. I am hoping this will be a nice improvement over my stock RS-10 wheels and tires. According to the Hutchinson website they should have the same wear resistants as the Fusion 3 tires. The only downside I saw on their website is they are slightly less puncture resistant than the Fusion 3.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

Brazos said:


> I According to the Hutchinson website they should have the same wear resistants as the Fusion 3 tires. The only downside I saw on their website is they are slightly less puncture resistant than the Fusion 3.


that's exactly what I was thinking. The increased puncture resistant material is towards the innermost layer, the outer part of the tire wears the same as atom. My idea is to use the atom plus sealant, then you have the lighter tire but are covered against punctures by the sealant.


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## mtbiker4ever (Mar 17, 2009)

I have both tires, the fusion 3 and Atom... main differences.... Atom is lighter and feel faster and a softer ride, but the fusion 3 feel stronger and also is has a better puncture resistance.... I cant tell you about the wear on the Atom since I only have around 1000K on them.... but for the Fusion 3 my last set last me close to 6K miles


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## Brazos (Jun 20, 2009)

mtbiker4ever, if money were no object (or let's say Hutchinson sent you free tires for the asking) would you choose the Atoms or the Fusion 3? I have Atoms on order but tires wear out and one day they will be replaced. Just curious for future knowledge.


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## mtbiker4ever (Mar 17, 2009)

Brazos said:


> mtbiker4ever, if money were no object (or let's say Hutchinson sent you free tires for the asking) would you choose the Atoms or the Fusion 3? I have Atoms on order but tires wear out and one day they will be replaced. Just curious for future knowledge.


Do you want to use them for daily ride and training or racing?

If is for racing Atom is the way to go...

If is to train and ride in group, etc.. Fusion would be a better option....

Both tires are great tires.... 
Also remember, the idea of tubeless is to run lower pressures and to forget about flats.... I use 80-85 and I weight 165..... That will also make a difference in the ride quality and how long will they last......:thumbsup:


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## Weav (Jun 21, 2009)

Hmm, atom in front and fusion in back, that's an interesting thought. Kind of reminds me of the whole Conti Attack/Force setup, without the width differential. Don't know if you can get a fusion 3 in 25mm. How does that Intensive Rear/Atom Front setup work for you Don?


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## fallzboater (Feb 16, 2003)

mtbiker4ever said:


> I have both tires, the fusion 3 and Atom... main differences.... Atom is lighter and feel faster and a softer ride, but the fusion 3 feel stronger and also is has a better puncture resistance.... I cant tell you about the wear on the Atom since I only have around 1000K on them.... but for the Fusion 3 my last set last me close to 6K miles


That mileage surprises me. I had cords showing on my rear Intensive in less than 3K miles (zero flats with sealant, though). I weigh about 190 and run 90 psi in the rear, but I do a ton of climbing, so that may be part of it. I should get about twice that number of miles out of the Fusion 2 I have up front. I did buy two more Intensives for the rear, and a Fusion 3 for the front, great tires.


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## natrab (Jun 19, 2010)

Just ordered a couple of Fusion 3s from TotalCycling at $51 a piece. Had to order some campy stuff already so the shipping was justified. Very interested at how these will run on my new Campy Eurus 2-way fits that are in route.


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## dukeduck (Feb 27, 2007)

Atom is designed for dry condition while the F3 is for all weather, that's the main difference.


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## Wheelman55 (Jul 10, 2009)

The Atom has better cut resistance than the Fusion 2 - I have not used the Fusion 3's yet. Atom - Exceptionally responsive nimble handling feel. Sacrificed wet grip for good durabilty with improved cut resistance. Atom has a more flexible casing. Can't seat beads using floor pump - require air compressor! Also require 10 psi more tire pressure than Fusion 2. The Atom and Itensive have narrow pointed profiles more similar to Conti - completely different than Fusion2's extra wide profile which was designed not to slip between wet cobbles.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Wheelman55 said:


> The Atom has better cut resistance than the Fusion 2 - I have not used the Fusion 3's yet. Atom - Exceptionally responsive nimble handling feel. Sacrificed wet grip for good durabilty with improved cut resistance. Atom has a more flexible casing. Can't seat beads using floor pump - require air compressor! Also require 10 psi more tire pressure than Fusion 2. The Atom and Itensive have narrow pointed profiles more similar to Conti - completely different than Fusion2's extra wide profile which was designed not to slip between wet cobbles.


Wheelman55, at what pressure do you run your Atoms?

I just started using tubeless with Fusion 3, I'm interested in trying Atoms out when the current tires wear out.

Thanks.


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## Wheelman55 (Jul 10, 2009)

orange_julius said:


> Wheelman55, at what pressure do you run your Atoms?
> 
> I just started using tubeless with Fusion 3, I'm interested in trying Atoms out when the current tires wear out.
> 
> Thanks.


OJ...I run the Fusion2's at 85-90 front and 90-95 rear. I add 10 pounds with the Atoms. Experiment when you get yours mounted...you'll find the right pressure.


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## Weav (Jun 21, 2009)

I run my fusion 3's at 90-95 rear. It's been nice and comfortable and they roll well. I weigh 145, I could probably go down a bit in pressure if I want, but this seems to work out well.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Wheelman55 said:


> OJ...I run the Fusion2's at 85-90 front and 90-95 rear. I add 10 pounds with the Atoms. Experiment when you get yours mounted...you'll find the right pressure.


Thanks for the info.

Currently I run Fusion 3s at the same pressures that you do your Fusion 2s. I'll give the Atoms a try when the current tires wear out.


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## peabody (Oct 17, 2005)

the atom is about 20mm wide and the fusion 3 is about 23mm wide, even they are both labeled 23's. i think the atom is too small so i got rid of them.


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## Wheelman55 (Jul 10, 2009)

OJ...I forgot to mention that I weigh 190 pounds. A lighter weight friend (150 -160 pounds) runs his Fusion's at 85 front, 90 rear. I loaned my wheels with the Fusions to a much larger rider (210-220 or so) for a week and he said that he preferred 80 pounds. So it's somewhat subjective. I do know that if you run the normal high pressures like 110+ that the tires wear out much faster. Remember that the Fusion is a wider shape and the Atom is a pointy shape.

The other very important part of the puzzle is...the width of the wheels that you run...as this will make a significant difference in how the tires perform as well as how much air pressure that you'll run. 

I use Shimano DA 7850 C24 TL which are 21mm wide. Shimano's 21mm width maximizes the shape of a 23c tire resulting in more of a flatter shape...think "omega" shape. A narrower wheel (many are 19mm) will "pinch" the width of a 23c tire...think "light bulb" shape. The wider width of the 21mm rims results in a wider, more supportive column of air...meaning that the tires can be run at lower pressures.

I hope this helps to clear the air a bit...and remember...this is one man's view of the issue.


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## Weav (Jun 21, 2009)

Good points makes sense.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Wheelman55 said:


> OJ...I forgot to mention that I weigh 190 pounds. A lighter weight friend (150 -160 pounds) runs his Fusion's at 85 front, 90 rear. I loaned my wheels with the Fusions to a much larger rider (210-220 or so) for a week and he said that he preferred 80 pounds. So it's somewhat subjective. I do know that if you run the normal high pressures like 110+ that the tires wear out much faster. Remember that the Fusion is a wider shape and the Atom is a pointy shape.
> 
> The other very important part of the puzzle is...the width of the wheels that you run...as this will make a significant difference in how the tires perform as well as how much air pressure that you'll run.
> 
> ...


Just an update: I wore my Fusion 3's after about 3000 miles. Not bad, it's pricey for sure but for the ride quality I don't mind. I had zero flats for the first 2500 miles or so, then had one bad cut in the rear. Fast'Air won't seal it but Protect'Air max did. 

So I switched the tires front-back (not the best idea, I know, but I was waiting for my Atoms to arrive) and got another 500 miles out of the pair until I noticed both front and rear started *cracking*, along the rotation length. Will post a photo soon. Is this common? 

I had one flat on the rear again (the slightly less worn tire overall), due to a deep and wide cut, and decided to retire both tires. Mounted Atoms this morning, will try riding them and report on impressions.


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## GR68 (Feb 4, 2008)

Brazos said:


> I had some Fusion 3's on order but they were back ordered and the expected ship date got moved back to August. I found some Atom's readily available yesterday and ordered them ($57/ea and free shipping from Wiggle). I have new Ultegra 6700 tubeless wheels arriving one day this week. I am hoping this will be a nice improvement over my stock RS-10 wheels and tires. According to the Hutchinson website they should have the same wear resistants as the Fusion 3 tires. The only downside I saw on their website is they are slightly less puncture resistant than the Fusion 3.


I am sure anything will be better than the RS-10s......


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## Zachariah (Jan 29, 2009)

What's everybody's sealant change schedule like, in warmer weather(+ 80 deg F)?


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## IndyFabCJ (Apr 1, 2006)

With Slime Pro, no need to change the sealant.


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## a_avery007 (Jul 1, 2008)

don't even run sealant...


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## IndyFabCJ (Apr 1, 2006)

a_avery007 said:


> don't even run sealant...


Slime pro does not work for me as well as Orange Seal. Every few months for OS. I wonder why I carry a tube sometimes.


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## ToffieBoi (May 1, 2011)

I am riding on Fusion 2's now. I had a small cut on my front tyre, which is like less than 1mm inside the tyre.
First, my Joe's Road Bike Sealant fixed it and it was good for one month. One month without riding because I moved to Krakow / Poland from Istanbul / Turkey.
And then on my first ride here, everything was cool. But I was riding on lower pressure.

On my second ride, I pumped up my tires up to 90PSI and after a bump it started to leak from the old puncture. After 10 minutes of slow ride and getting covered with latex everywhere on my bike and face (it was fixing and in 10 seconds leaking again), I decided to stop and put an inner tube. And trust me, it is not funny to clean all that latex from the bike and glasses.

After I came home I fixed the puncture with a tubeless patch and now tyre is standing without any sealant in it, for more than a week and I even didn't lose 5PSI 

Long story short, I don't trust sealants anymore. Maybe Joe's is not a good brand or something but still... 
Now, I have some more in my rear tyre but I will just get rid of this and I will run without sealants. I think high pressure in road bike is too much for sealant, I don't know. 
And in case of puncture, I will just carry a spare tube, like we always do with regular clinchers.


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## IndyFabCJ (Apr 1, 2006)

ToffieBoi said:


> I am riding on Fusion 2's now. I had a small cut on my front tyre, which is like less than 1mm inside the tyre.
> First, my Joe's Road Bike Sealant fixed it and it was good for one month. One month without riding because I moved to Krakow / Poland from Istanbul / Turkey.
> And then on my first ride here, everything was cool. But I was riding on lower pressure.
> 
> ...


Try Orange Seal. That is less likely to happen.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

ToffieBoi - I understand being frustrated after an experience like that. When I have had cuts they have always been a bit bigger than what you experienced and I just let the air out and installed a tube right away (after pointing the cut away from me and the bike to avoid the latex spray you got). I've had a few punctures that I've noticed anyways, including one with a pretty good sized thumb tack that I had to pull from the tire and those always sealed up just fine. I use Stan's on all my bikes. 

The take away from all this to me so far is that with a cut it's best to install a tube and if necessary something to boot it. I think even a small cut may continue to open up bigger as you ride, so even if it seems to seal at the first sign of it leaking it's probably best to pop in a tube and be done with it until you can get it home and patch or replace the tire.


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## IndyFabCJ (Apr 1, 2006)

Kristatos said:


> ToffieBoi - I understand being frustrated after an experience like that. When I have had cuts they have always been a bit bigger than what you experienced and I just let the air out and installed a tube right away (after pointing the cut away from me and the bike to avoid the latex spray you got). I've had a few punctures that I've noticed anyways, including one with a pretty good sized thumb tack that I had to pull from the tire and those always sealed up just fine. I use Stan's on all my bikes.
> 
> The take away from all this to me so far is that with a cut it's best to install a tube and if necessary something to boot it. I think even a small cut may continue to open up bigger as you ride, so even if it seems to seal at the first sign of it leaking it's probably best to pop in a tube and be done with it until you can get it home and patch or replace the tire.


That is the problem with Stans. The cut cannot be clogged completely in a short time. Orange Seal almost sealed a 1/3" cut in one of my tires from a screw. The stuff is amazing. It did not do it at higher pressures, but it behaved just like Stans does with much smaller cuts. Stans simply blows from my experience. Literally. The particles in the Orange Seal enable dealing of good size cuts with efficency.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

All three tubeless tire cuts I've had wouldn't have sealed with anything so the brand of sealant was never an issue for me. Stan's has however sealed every puncture I've had, and since I stopped using Hutchinson tires I haven't had another cut. So I guess I don't share your low opinion of Stan's, but I am not a fan of Hutchinson tires which seem to be a recurring variable in tubeless tire blowout stories.


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## IndyFabCJ (Apr 1, 2006)

Kristatos said:


> All three tubeless tire cuts I've had wouldn't have sealed with anything so the brand of sealant was never an issue for me. Stan's has however sealed every puncture I've had, and since I stopped using Hutchinson tires I haven't had another cut. So I guess I don't share your low opinion of Stan's, but I am not a fan of Hutchinson tires which seem to be a recurring variable in tubeless tire blowout stories.


Have you tried other sealants?


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