The Michelin Power Cup tyre has held the crown as the best budget road tyre for almost two years, but for performance vs price point, it could easily challenge for the best road bike tyre overall title. For anyone looking to upgrade their tyres, at full RRP, the Michelin Power Cup is half the price of the Continental GP5000 S TR, but with stats and real-world performance to match, which makes the Power Cup one of the best value upgrades you could make.
Right now, that incredible value is even better as you can pick up the Michelin Power Cup for just $55.12 at Merlin Cycles US, reduced from $78.74, or for UK shoppers at Merlin Cycles UK, it's down to a bargain £49 from £69.99.
However, for the price and what it delivers on the road, the Power Cup is a brilliant wallet-friendly purchase. It's worth noting that Merlin also has our best tubeless road tyre – the Continental GP5000 S TR with 41% off, down to just $56.24 from the RRP of $95.57, not quite the cheapest we've ever seen, but a decent reduction all the same, but only in 28mm sizing.
Michelin Power Cup TLR US deal
Michelin Power Cup TLR UK deal
We've tested nearly every road bike tyre on the market, and the Power Cup featured in our testing at the Silverstone sports engineering pedalling efficiency lab. Up against Grand Tour winning rubber like the Continental GP5000 S TR and the Vittoria Corsa, the Michelin, for a budget offering, performed consistently and held its own against most of its rivals.
Michelin says the Power Cup TLR is inspired by Michelin MotoGP technology; it's fast, durable and sticks to the road with ease in both wet and dry conditions. It may not have the same pro-level profile as some of its more costly rivals, but they have been used in the Tour de France a year or two ago rolling under Team Cofidis.
The Michelin Power Cup TLR scored an impressive 4 out of 5-star review. Our expert tester, Will Jones, was happy to report that the Power Cup was an amazing value road bike tyre with rolling resistance to almost match the GP5000. Will added by saying, "I love these tyres, and if I wasn’t in a position where I am constantly swapping tyres for testing, these are where I’d be spending my own money."
The Power Cup features Michelin's Tubeless Shield technology and 4x120 tpi casing, which they say makes them durable and puncture-resistant. Will was impressed with his own real-world puncture resistance testing, saying, "I’ve had three different sets of the Power Cup, some set up tubeless, some with tubes, and I've only had one puncture."
Elsewhere, review highlights included the Power Cups grip, even though they are a totally slick tyre, free of tread or sipes (the technical term for tread). Will was happy with the performance here, saying, "I can assure you that (the slick aesthetic) doesn’t make them less grippy." However, Will did add, If you're an aggressive crit racer, cornering hard, then perhaps you’d want to consider a more well-wrapped tread option, but for most of us, I’m pretty confident in saying they’re just fine."
For tubeless users, set up here was relatively pain-free too, and Will said, "They didn’t prove overly difficult to get onto the rim, nor did they present much of a challenge to seat, either with or without sealant in."
If you've never tried a Michelin Power Cup tyre, then at this price, and with 30% off, now may well be the time to try them for yourself.
Below, you'll also find Michelin Power Cup deals from other retailers, which show the best prices in your territory.
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