Hutchinson’s new Blackbird Racing Lab TLR road tire replaces the Fusion 5 Performance, which was a decent all-rounder but I rarely saw one out on the road compared with the performance models from Continental, Vittoria or Pirelli. The Blackbird, presumably named after the exceedingly rapid Lockheed SR-71 plane rather than the familiar garden bird, is an all-new design that is claimed to be much quicker than the old tire yet offers excellent longevity at up to 4,000km.
