CX/Gravel Tire Test: Michelin Power Adventure TLR 48

The Michelin Power Adventure is Michelin's second gravel bike tire, and it complements the Power Gravel (read our review) they introduced a couple of years ago. The Power Adventure is a gravel bike tire that fits the "slick center with edge knobs" category, and while the Power Gravel also doesn't have a lot of tread, the Power Adventure is much more a road-oriented tire.

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According to Michelin's website, the Power Adventure is a tire designed for cyclists who spend 80% of their time on roads and 20% on trails, thanks to its unique hybrid tread design. To us, it looks like a touring bike tire at first glance, but after testing it, we found that it is more of a mixture between a touring bike tire and a lighter gravel bike tire.

The Power Adventure comes with a 3x100 TPI casing, which differs from the Power Gravel's thinner 3x120 TPI casing. The two tires also have different compounds, with the Power Adventure having the Gum-X compound and the Power Gravel having the X-Miles compound. Both tires come with "Bead 2 Bead" technology that helps seal the tires and increases durability when used in a tubeless set up.

Michelin offers a good range of sizes for the Power Adventure, with 6 mm increments: 30-622, 36-622, 42-622, and 48-622. The smallest sizes are available in black or classic brown sidewalls, while the 48-622 is only available with brown sidewalls. We tested the 48-622 version, and this is our review.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Michelin
Model	Power Adventure TLR
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	322477
EAN	3528703224778
TPI	3x100
Compound	Gum-X
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	48-622
Specified Weight	510 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	73
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	30-622 (700x30c) 36-622 (700x36c) 42-622 (700x42c) 48-622 (700x48c)

Michelin Power Adventure TLR 48 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	510 grams
Measured Weight	523 grams
Measured Width Casing	46 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	45 mm
Measured Height	44 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	3.00 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	46 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (46 psi / 3.2 bar)	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (38 psi / 2.6 bar)	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (31 psi / 2.1 bar)	22.9 Watts CRR: 0.00686
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (23 psi / 1.6 bar)	26.7 Watts CRR: 0.00800
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	60 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	3.00 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	84 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.8 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Michelin Power Adventure is a mixture of a gravel bike and a touring bike tire. Its main strengths are the puncture protection of the tread and sidewalls, which are very good when compared to gravel bike tires but on the low side when judging it against real touring bike tires. Another strength is its wet grip in our hard surface wet grip tests, where it tops nearly all other gravel AND touring bike tires.

The weakest links are its rolling resistance, which is not spectacularly low, and the tread pattern, which is just not as gravel-worthy as most other tires that fit this category.

The Power Adventure is a unique tire, and if it fits your requirements, we definitely recommend it based on our test results.

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RATING: 4.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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