# First impressions on the Michelin Pro3



## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

I did not get a lot of miles on it due to being sick. But I did manage 24 miles.

Here are my thoughts:

The weight cam in below advertised and this was nice. Weight was comparable to the Schwalbe Ultremo clinchers.

Getting them on a 24mm Niobium rims was a bit tough, but nothing crazy. It's nie to have a secure fit for clinchers.

I am comparing these to the following tires. The rims are bascially the same, all using latex tubes on the same bike with me at the same weight.

The Michelin Pro 3 feels as fast or faster than the Veloflex 190g BLACK with a more supple ride and better traction. The weights wre basiclly the same in the mid-to-high 190 grams.
The Pro 3 is slighty more supple than the Schwalbe Ultremo, but the Scwalbe just seems to roll ever so slighty better. The Pro 3 just seems a bit slower. The pro 3 was a bit more supple feeling and overall better ride IMO for comfort. Traction felt the same. The Ultremo is a prone to cuts so we will see how the Pro 3 does.
The Pro 3 was as Good as my Vittoria Open Corsa CX tires in comport and felt faster in RR. I was shocked on this one. The Ultremo is after than the Open CX, but not as compliant.
Comparing the Pro 3 to my Vittoria CX tubulars was the real test. The Pro 3 did roll better than the Evo CX tubualr in overall RR and the ride was VERY close to the tubualr in comfort. I ride my CX Tubbies at 105psi and went with 116 psi on Michelins charts. I dropped the Mich to 110psi and the ride a bit better.
The real test will be in late March as I will run these on a Century ride.

So far I am very impressed with the Pro 3. The ride was bascially as good as the Open Corsa CX, better than the Veloflex clincher but just slightly behind the Tubulars in overall feel. 

The Pro 3 was as fast as the Ultremos, corners the same and seems a bit more complaint overall. if the Pro 3 is not so easily cut up as the Schwalbe can be at times, I would pick the Pro 3.

If you were decieding between the top clinchers for racing and tranining I would say the Open Corsa CX and pro 3 is a toss up. The decieding fator would be the small tread of the CX vs the smoothness of the Pro 3.

Now racing with the Ultremo vs the Pro 3. The Ultremo does have a nice anit-punture belt but can sustain minor cuts in the rubber over time. If the Pro 3 is just as good the the Ultremo in flat protection, I would lean it's was due to a slighty better ride. Even though the Ultremo are pretty sweet with thier thi sidewalls. The Pro 3 seems to be sturider here with a slighty better ride.

Now I am not going to say the Pro 3 over the Tubulars because it's apples to oranges. But it's the closest clincher I has used so far in terms of comfort to a nice tubualr tire.

Downside to the Pro 3:

No All black tire.
It's not Italian .
Rims:
24mm Niobium 24/28 Clincher
25mm Noibium 20/24 Tubular​


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## RoyIII (Feb 24, 2007)

How about flat protection? any?


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## collinsc (Feb 3, 2004)

RoyIII said:


> How about flat protection? any?


He rode them for 24 miles. What do you think?


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

RoyIII said:


> How about flat protection? any?


I think they have some type of belting if I recall.


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

RoyIII said:


> How about flat protection? any?


The Pro3 Race as the same puncture protector that the Pro2 Race did. It is a nylon based woven material that is located just under the tread.


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## roadboy (Apr 1, 2003)

I burned through a good half dozen sets of pro 2's and loved them I went back to vittoria open corsa cx's last year, mainly because they rolled faster and rode a lot better IMO. but I think i will order a set of pro 3's and give them a shot, they seem much nicer than the pro 2's will a more supple casing, I wish they were all black, but black and grey is doable. and i might get more milage than with the open corsa's


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## sokudo (Dec 22, 2007)

Those comparison results are from the blind tests, right?


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

sokudo said:


> Those comparison results are from the blind tests, right?


YES! Double Blind Placebo!

I had a 10 mile strech of road closed of for me. I wore a a bandanna around my eyes so I could not see. I rented a seeing eye dog as well to guide me so I would not crash.

The tires were switched so I was not aware which one I was riding. 

  

Sorry, but I can make judgements without it being a "blind" test. It's not that hard. Same bike, same rims, same roads, same speeds, same rider weight, etc....


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## sokudo (Dec 22, 2007)

Sorry if the question appeared to be formulated too harsh.

Anyway, can you quantify the differences you mention? Say, starting with a given speed at a given spot of the road, a bike with those tires will go that many meters longer without pedaling than the same bike with that other tires.

I'm just trying to figure out how subjective is your report, and, in addition, what actuall differences are discernable by a rider. Can we feel 5% difference? 1% difference?



DIRT BOY said:


> YES! Double Blind Placebo!
> 
> I had a 10 mile strech of road closed of for me. I wore a a bandanna around my eyes so I could not see. I rented a seeing eye dog as well to guide me so I would not crash.
> 
> ...


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## crumjack (Sep 11, 2005)

sokudo said:


> Sorry if the question appeared to be formulated too harsh.
> 
> Anyway, can you quantify the differences you mention? Say, starting with a given speed at a given spot of the road, a bike with those tires will go that many meters longer without pedaling than the same bike with that other tires.
> 
> I'm just trying to figure out how subjective is your report, and, in addition, what actuall differences are discernable by a rider. Can we feel 5% difference? 1% difference?


He's giving his subjective opinion of the tires in comparison to others. I appreciate this info. Take this info, weigh it against opinions of others, your experiences, and whatever objective info is available (see rolling resistance test on the biketechreview boards) to formulate your opinion and ride what you like.


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

Any comparisons vs. the Pro2? I imagine many possible Pro3 riders are coming off of or have ridden the previous model.


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

MaestroXC said:


> Any comparisons vs. the Pro2? I imagine many possible Pro3 riders are coming off of or have ridden the previous model.


I can saw a few things that have been reported to us at Michelin. According to our studies, we have found that there is up to a 27% more grip on cornering in wet conditions. We have also found that on a 25 meter radius circle there has been exit speeds of up to a 3 mph increase. 

For personal use, I found them to be "noticeably faster". I felt that when I really started going, they simply were faster than the Pro2's that I have been using for years. Also, I found myself being much more confident on sweeping downhill corners here in the sloppy New England winterized roads.


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## foz (Sep 30, 2004)

I bought a set of pro3 last night. I'll be trying them on sunday - a nice hilly loop with lots of fast, twisty descents on good tarmac that should be a good test. I'll have to get them worn in a bit before really pushing them, but I'm looking forward to trying them. I haven't mounted them yet, but they do seem a lot more flexible than the pro2, and they're also thinner. I guess they'll wear out faster than the pro2. Any ideas how much faster?

foz


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

I've ridden my Pro3 tires for about 250 miles thus far. Here's my take...

They are noticeably faster than the Pro2 tires. They feel pretty similar to Vitt OC CX rubber, even though the TPI count is lower on the Michelins.
The ride quality is way better than the Pro2. Ride quality of the Vitts is better, but marginally.
They seem to turn into a corner and hold a line in a corner pretty well. I haven't raced them yet, so we'll see. I can tell you that the Vitts and Deda RS Open Corsa tires are the best cornering tires I've been on. Pro2s don't even compare...
Don't worry about the black/gray. After one ride, the center of the tire is black anyway. The gray is dark when they are new. It won't foul up anyone's color schemes...
The actually feel very similar to the new-ish Conti 4000S tires. The Pro3s seem to roll quicker though...

The top five...(that I've actually spent time on...)
1) Deda RS Open Corsa
2) Vitt Open Corsa CX
3) Michelin Pro3
4) Conti GP4000S
5) Michelin Pro2

I'm not including Vitt All-Weather or Open Roubaix tires, as they are completely different animals.


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

foz said:


> I guess they'll wear out faster than the pro2. Any ideas how much faster?


From all of the tests that we have run with them, we expect you to get the same amount of mileage from them as you did your Pro2s.


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## rkb (Apr 4, 2007)

Hey Michelin Man-

Like many I am very impressed with the durability of the Pro 2s and look forward to giving the Pro 3s a shot. Currently I am running the Ultremos for their light weight and on my latest build I wanted an all black tire. I know I'm not the only vain rider out there, in fact a couple on this thread have mentioned the all black issue. Do you think you guys will go ahead and make an all black tire?


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

rkb said:


> Do you think you guys will go ahead and make an all black tire?


Actually, we will be making an all black tire this year and it will be the Pro3 Grip which is due out later this year.


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## Kestreljr (Jan 10, 2007)

Michelin Man said:


> Actually, we will be making an all black tire this year and it will be the Pro3 Grip which is due out later this year.


Thanks for the info. You have always done an excellent job of giving technical answers without leaving me feeling like I was just given a sales pitch. I wish all businesses that posted on these forums had your class! Cough <BD> Cough.... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

rkb said:


> Hey Michelin Man-
> 
> Like many I am very impressed with the durability of the Pro 2s and look forward to giving the Pro 3s a shot. Currently I am running the Ultremos for their light weight and on my latest build I wanted an all black tire. I know I'm not the only vain rider out there, in fact a couple on this thread have mentioned the all black issue. Do you think you guys will go ahead and make an all black tire?


If you like the Ultremo you will love the Pro 3. Both feel and hanlde the same and are the fastest tires I have tried. But I think the pro3 will have an advantage if it does not sustians minor cracks and cuts like the Ultremo.


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## rkb (Apr 4, 2007)

DIRT BOY said:


> If you like the Ultremo you will love the Pro 3. Both feel and hanlde the same and are the fastest tires I have tried. But I think the pro3 will have an advantage if it does not sustians minor cracks and cuts like the Ultremo.


I love the way the Ultremos roll, but you are very right, they seem to cut easily. I was talking to a shop guy the other day and he said that his Schwalbe guy rides the Ultremos on dirt roads! He must either be fat with free tires or weigh about 90lbs.


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## Cheers! (Aug 20, 2006)

Dirtboy can you comment on how these ride compared to Conti GP4000? 
I liked the original ProRace1 a lot. Then I rode the ProRace2 and I thought they were awesome except that I ran over a piece of metal and slashed both tires. Always wanting to try new things I tried the new Conti GP4000S (S for schwarz ie the black ones, not the supersonic ones) and I thought they rode very harsh and cornering grip seemed lower. Would you say the Pro3 are way better than the Pro2?


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

Cheers! said:


> Dirtboy can you comment on how these ride compared to Conti GP4000?
> I liked the original ProRace1 a lot. Then I rode the ProRace2 and I thought they were awesome except that I ran over a piece of metal and slashed both tires. Always wanting to try new things I tried the new Conti GP4000S (S for schwarz ie the black ones, not the supersonic ones) and I thought they rode very harsh and cornering grip seemed lower. Would you say the Pro3 are way better than the Pro2?


I cannot comment on the Gp4000's as I have never had a pair on a bike I have ridden. I can comment on the Pro3s over the Pro2s. When I rode them, I thought they felt noticeably faster and also felt much more confident at higher speeds on downhill turns.


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## mh3 (Mar 8, 2006)

Question, for those that found the ride of the conti's harsh in comparison, what pressure were you running in your tires? Not questioning your observations, just having the numbers aids in the overall comparison. Thanks.


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Cheers! said:


> Dirtboy can you comment on how these ride compared to Conti GP4000?
> I liked the original ProRace1 a lot. Then I rode the ProRace2 and I thought they were awesome except that I ran over a piece of metal and slashed both tires. Always wanting to try new things I tried the new Conti GP4000S (S for schwarz ie the black ones, not the supersonic ones) and I thought they rode very harsh and cornering grip seemed lower. Would you say the Pro3 are way better than the Pro2?


Well I use the GP4000 on my back-up bike, but they are also 25mm size. They are very nice tires. Handle well and and very plush as I run them @ 95/100psi without any pich falts. they handle well in the wet and with gravel. The Pro 3 is a much faster tire and smoother rolling. Put I can't compare past that. The Conti are bigger, on heavier wheels and a heavy aluminum frame.

But overall I like them. These are the NON-S versions. Zero flats in a year as well.


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## Cheers! (Aug 20, 2006)

I run all my tires at 110 psi +/- whatever comes out of the tube when I pull the pump off the stem.


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## mh3 (Mar 8, 2006)

Thanks for the tire pressure additions, that adds some needed perspective.


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## prschatt (Aug 19, 2007)

Where are you guys getting them?. I've just found some on evil bay in gray/black, others showing availability next month. Anyone else have them in different colors?


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## Cheers! (Aug 20, 2006)

http://probikekit.com/display.php?code=Y1059

Probikekit.com the greatest internet store ever! Free shipping. They alone are making me slowly going broke. 

$45.70 USD or $38.28 CDN. 

eek: I still remember the days when 1 CDN bought only .68 USD)

:thumbsup:


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

prschatt said:


> Where are you guys getting them?. I've just found some on evil bay in gray/black, others showing availability next month. Anyone else have them in different colors?


They only come in that color. Black and dark gray match everything...get over it.


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## prschatt (Aug 19, 2007)

backinthesaddle said:


> They only come in that color. Black and dark gray match everything...get over it.


Get over what?, useless, unhelpful, sarcastic remarks?


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## foz (Sep 30, 2004)

Michelin Man said:


> From all of the tests that we have run with them, we expect you to get the same amount of mileage from them as you did your Pro2s.


That's good to know, thanks! I didn't get them mounted yet in the end, so i didn't try them today, and it'll be another 3 weeks till i can. I'll just have to wait...


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## Fitmiss (Feb 16, 2005)

What is the maximum psi on these tires?

I've been riding with the Vittoria Diamante Pros but truth be told, I like the tire but get a fair amount of flats. I need to buy a new set of tires so thought about trying the Pro Race 3's. I'm wondering howMichelin Pro 3s compare to teh Diamante Pros? 

Any thoughts?

Also -- The Diamante pros will take up to 140 PSI whereas the Pro Race 3s maximum is much lower. Does that make a difference? Generally I ride with about 120-130 PSI.




DIRT BOY said:


> I did not get a lot of miles on it due to being sick. But I did manage 24 miles.
> 
> Here are my thoughts:
> 
> ...


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## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

Fitmiss said:


> What is the maximum psi on these tires?
> 
> I've been riding with the Vittoria Diamante Pros and am wondering how they compare with the Michelin Pro 3s? I need to buy a new set of tires so need to make a decision soon.
> 
> Any thoughts?


116psi.

Can't comment on the Vitts. But this MIGHT be the best clincher I have tired. Every bit as good as the Utremo but sems to be more durable.

Just about as nice riding as the Vittoira Open Corsa-CX, but rolls faster.


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

Edit: I see you've got the Diamantes already and don't need my opinion. If anyone cares, I like them.

Does anyone have experience with the light blue Pro 2 Race Limited Edition from '06? Any comparisons to the Pro3?


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