DOS

I was in the market for some tires for commuting that offer durability and some pucture protection. I had heard good things about Michelin Krylion so I bought some off ebay today. 700x25. I happened to be in REI this afternoon and noticed they had 25mm Krylion in stock so I took a look to see what I had purchased. I picked up two tires, while both were maked Krylion, it was like I had two different tires in my hands. Both were black with gray stripe and marked 700x25; but one had shiny/waxy quality to the surface and was marked max PSI of 102. The other had a flatter non-waxy surface and was marked max psi of 109. No clue which I'll get from ebay purchase, and I'll likely ride with 110 psi irrespective of what the sidewall says (I weigh in 195-200). but am curious about the difference in the tires. Was I looking at tires from different years, implying that Michelin changed slightly the design of Krylion at some point? FWIW, Michelin web site currently lists Krylion 25mm max PSI as 102.

10 Wheels

Tires seem to change all the time.

I buy mine ahead of time on sale when I fine some that I like.

The size and psi marking are often in error.

Jed19

A few years ago, Michelin moved production of the Krylion from France to Thailand (or somewhere in the Far East), and what you are seeing might be the different source of the tires. I am not certain though.

MudPie

It be interesting to compare the product's SKU code. Jed is correct, Michelin did move the production of Krylion Carbons from France to Thailand in late 2009 (IIRC). The "Made in France" used to be proudly displayed on their tires, now I could hardly find the "Made in Thailand" stamp on the sidewall (it is there, just have to look under good light and a magnifying glass and make sure you wash to tire so the marking isn't obscured by a thin layer of dust.). I would guess the Made in France stock is gone after a couple of years. Roadbikereview.com documents some poor reviews of the early transition tires, and I would attribute product dissatisfaction to the steep learning curve when manufacturing in a foreign country. I guess you just don't plug the tire making machine into the wall and hit start (think new suppliers, quality of raw materials, language barriers, formulation and even effects of weather/humidity on chemical reactions.

I was just on Michelin's site and noticed they no longer offer the Krylion Carbon (which I've used for almost 12,000 miles exclusively). Now it's just the Krylion.

HillRider

I wouldn't be surprised if the "carbon" just refers to carbon black which is by far the most common filler in every type of tire from bikes to cars and trucks. For a few years several makers were playing around with silica fillers and making all sorts of miraculous claims for them but they seem to have quietly gone away and the need to advertise which filler is used no longer exists.

BTW, once the Thai workers get the hang of it, they do produce very good tires. I've been using Thailand sourced Vittoria Rubino Pros and Rubino Pro slicks for the past couple of years and they have been excellent tires with great ride, handling, durability and flat resistance.

DOS

Curious about the carbon. I am guessing they haven't changed tire materials, just marketing.

Didin't I hear/read somewhere that next year they are losing the name Krylion all together (being changed to Pro4 Endurance apparently)? In any event, the tires in REI and the ones I just bought off Ebay are both marked Krylion Carbon. I also was on website and I noticed something else. On USA site the psi range for 700x25 is 73-102 (= 5-7 Bar). But on UK site, which you can link to from the US site, the range is listed as 5-7.5 Bar , which equals 73-109psi (slighty rounding up). So perhaps REI got a few tires intended for UK market. Just goes to show that markings on side of tire don't necessarily reflect what tire can be safely ridden at (I assume tires in UK and US likely come out of same Thai factory and laws of physics governing Michelin tires are more or less the same in UK as they are in US.

MudPie

I looked at the latest Krylion specs and I believe same tpi count and max inflation (I used the 23s). But did notice they bumped up the expected mileage a bit. IIRC they used to claim 5,000 km (3,100 miles). Now the claim is 3,700 miles (6,000 km). Regardless, I've never gotten 3,100 miles from a Krylion Carbon on the rear. I've worn them to cord a few times, but mostly, debris damage gouged out material or sliced up the rubber.

Chris_W

I doubt either tire in REI was from before they moved production to Thailand. There was about a 6-12 month gap in production when they moved location, and the old stock dried up pretty quickly and for quite a while it was impossible to find any Krylion tires anywhere.

I also read abot the Pro4 Endurance, but did not know that it was going to be replacing the Krylion. Does anyone know if it is going to just be the same tire re-named, or did they make some changes?

DOS

I saw a couple of references to Endurance being a replacement. This one seems to indicate some minor tweaks. https://reviews.roadbikereview.com/de...er-tire-lineup

"For 2012 the Krylion tire is being discontinued, or rather it’s being renamed and brought into the Pro 4 family as the Pro 4 Endurance. It’ll feature the same durability that riders have come to know of the Krylion, but Michelin have improved weight and grip a bit."

As for current differences, I am seeing, I have no clue. Some sites that carry 700x25 say 102 max psi, some say 109. I assume all are made in Thailand but perhaps some are 2010 vintage, some 2011 or some other year.

DOS

Just found this on the Pro4 line

https://www.michelin.com/corporate/co...IN-PRO4-EN.pdf

I also am just now realizing that they are available for sale. I didn't think they had hit market yet. Saw some at glorycycles.com (available November 2011). I wish I'd known that two days ago, I might have gotten the pro4 endurance instead of the Krylion (but maybe not worth the extra 30 bucks)

DOS

Tires came today. They are the less shiney 109 (7.5 bar) max psi version of the 25mm tires I saw at REI rather than the waxier 102 max PSI version. Why there are two versions of 700x25 Krylions available on the market, I still have no idea. As for where they were made, the packaging says "Manufacture Francais des Pneumatiques Michelin" and gives a French address. But that, I gather just indicates that Michelin is a French manufacturer of tires. The tires themselves are not marked so I assume they were made in Thailand otherwise they'd say Made in France.

MudPie

They are marked. IIRC, the "Made in Thailand" might be below the beadline - in other words, when mounted, the country of origin is hidden. I had a hard time finding it. I thnk I ran finger around and felt it. It was lightly marked.

Jed19

Michelin would be proud to put "made in France" on its tires if they are. No "made in" stamp makes me think they are hiding something. As in "made in Thailand". Just my view.

And by the way, I had bought some Krylion Carbons when I heard a few years ago that they were gonna be discontinued (turns out they came back with them and moved production to Thailand), and still have six tires in storage. I went back to check on them when this post came out on November 5, and those tires have "made in France" stamped on very prominently.

DOS

Indeed they are marked. Overcome with curiosity (thanks MudPie) , I took one of the tires off the rim and hunted for it. "Made in Thailand" is in fact just below the beadline -- in the channel at intersection between bead and sidewall. Very faint, took me several minutes to find it. A side benefit, I now know for sure I can unmount and remount tire easily and without use of lever. A friend of mine had warned against Michelin because his Pro3s are a bear to get on and off, and I a hand read a critique or two of Krylions where people had same problem with them. That's probably more a function of his rims; I generally have no issues getting tires on and off my open pros.