While the Hutchinson Fusion 3 Road Tubeless Tire may look like a regular clincher, its secret is hidden inside the outer layers of the its special casing. What makes it different is a design that's intended to be used without a traditional inner tube. Like other folding clincher tires, the Fusion 3 forgoes a steel bead for something lighter and more flexible. However, the specific needs of Road Tubeless dictate that Hutchinson use a bundle of unidirectional carbon fiber instead of the normal Kevlar found in other folding clinchers. The carbon bead is required to give the Fusion 3 a more stable structure. It's more resistant to stretch, allowing the tires to stay seated on your rims in the absence of a tube.The Fusion 3 is a few grams heavier than their lightest Road Tubeless tire, the Atom, but it has one important property that make it a better tire for many folks. Namely, it has a higher puncture resistance due mostly to the triple rubber compound and the harder rubber in the center section of the tire. In addition to resisting cuts, this also allows it to have excellent rolling characteristics. The 127tpi sidewall is built intentionally to be a little resistant to flex. This gives the tire some structure of its own to help support you and your bike. It allows the Fusion 3 to be ridden at lower operating pressures than traditional clinchers -- typically 80 - 90psi. The lower tire pressure provides a better ride and conforms better to the road, actually absorbing and rebounding from irregularities in the road surface. The idea is that the rebound helps give back the energy that it cost you to run over each bump in the first place. Compare that to riding tube-type clinchers, with a rock hard 120psi "skipping" off the bumps and on a tiny scale, releasing that energy up and away from the road. It's an easy assumption that getting some energy payback is a good thing, and if you hit a million little bumps during your next race or long training ride, the Fusion 3 wi...
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