Hutchinson Barracuda MRC Medium Tubeless Tire
By Jon Sharp

There are many times when, as a mountain biker, you might want the lightest, smoothest running tire around. For instance, you might be riding on a trail you know to be smooth hard-pack or simply a well-kept dirt road. Those times, however, aren't what the Hutchinson BarracudaMRC Medium Tubeless tire is made for.

The heart of this particular version of Hutchinson's Barracuda tire is the MRC Medium. This is a low-rebound rubber that is stickier than standard tires, but not so soft as to wear out quickly. As Hutchinson puts it, "MRC MEDIUM rubbers feature 25% rebound which brings you an excellent balance of grip, output and wear resistance." The tread design of the Barracuda comes from Hutchinson's downhill tire, the Octopus. Indeed, one look at this tire and you can see its downhill roots. The Barracuda is very meaty with large, tall knobs. TheMRC Medium Tubeless is a 2.3--and Hutchinson tires always seem to err on the wide side of things. Weighing in at 875g, the Barracuda is quite typical for this type of tire.

As with all Hutchinson Tubeless tires--and for that matter, their standard tires as well--mounting the Barracuda was simple and took nothing more than a standard floor pump. The first thing I noticed as I headed up a familiar trail was how slow these tires are. (Make no mistake, they aren't for fast XC racing.) However, any slowness I felt at first was forgotten once I felt just how well these tires grip. I felt increased confidence as I tackled a variety of loose conditions--from gravel to sand and loose dirt. The Barracudas really dig in. On hard pack , I was reminded of the tall knobs when I was treated to a bumpy ride. However, the nice thing about a low-rebound rubber is just howgrippy it is on all surfaces. Even pavement feels a bit like glue with this tire.

Summary: Who would buy Hutchinson's Barracuda MRC Medium Tubeless? Someone who would rather have grip in any condition, than a faster rolling tire in more favorable conditions. Though during our tests we didn't notice excessive wear, any time you use a low-rebound rubber, you run the risk of compromising longevity. If this concerns you, take a look at one of the other Barracudas--some of which are also lighter. The Barracuda is a great all-around "enduro" tire. It excels in most conditions. Hutchinson makes the Barracuda in the following models--listed with size (weights):

Air Light:
2.1 (550g)
2.3 (690g)

Tubeless Light:
2.1 (695g)

MRC High Tubeless:
2.1 (790g)
2.3 (950g)


MRC Medium
2.3 (675g)

MRC Medium Tubeless (tested)
2.3 (875g)

MRC Medium MX Casing
2.3 (1150g)
2.5 (1350g)

MRC Low MX Casing
2.3 (1150g)
2.5 (1350g)

Jon Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com. Read his blog.

For more information, contact:
Hutchinson Tires