Named after the pavé and cobblestone sectors of the famed Paris Roubaix classic, the Sector tires have been a centerpiece of Hutchinson’s tubeless road tire selection. Optimized for challenging roads, Hutchinson offers them in both 700×28 and 700×32 size tubeless-ready variations that retail for $79.99. With a dual compound design and 127 tpi, the Sector tires are known for the smooth and supple ride quality over even the roughest roads. In this review, we’ll be specifically reviewing the Hutchinson Sector 28 tires on our Decathlon RC 520’s stock tubeless-ready wheels. The high grip and comfort of the Sector 28 tires make an excellent complement to the Triban RC 520 bike.
The Hutchinson Sector 28 tires are an excellent tubeless upgrade for anyone looking for comfort and speed.
Hutchinson makes tire shopping a little easier by providing detailed rating breakdowns for each of their models. This makes it easier to compare different products and match the tire to your riding style. According to Hutchinson, the Sector 28 tires are optimized for comfort, lightness, and puncture resistance. Not surprisingly Hutchinson rates the Sector 28 tires 5/5 for comfort, grip, and puncture resistance, 3/5 for lightness, and 4/5 for performance and durability. Compared to the 454g the Hutchinson Galactik (in 700×25) weigh, the Sector 28s are heavier but provide improved puncture resistance and comfort.
| Category | Bicycle Tires |
| Rating | Grip: A Durability: A Comfort: A Value: A- |
| Retail Price | $79.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 586 (pair of 700×28) |
| Likes | + Durability and puncture resistance + Smooth ride + Semi-slick tread design |
| Dislikes | – Premium price – Lacks wear indicator |
| Where to Buy (US) | Hutchinson |
UNBOXING
Hutchinson packages the Sector 28 tires in a simple cardboard holder with tire specs and installation instructions printed on it. As with most tires, they come with a “new tire smell” that takes a few days to air out.
FIT & FINISH
Despite being developed for more challenging roads such as pavé and cobblestones, the Sector 28s features a semi-slick tread design. The center of the tread is slick for low-resistance and faster riding conditions, while the shoulders of the tires have a textured design for extra grip when cornering. This results in a non-directional tire that offers an excellent compromise between comfort and grip. Despite the semi-slick tread design, Hutchinson even advertises the 700×32 variation of the Sector tire as a potential gravel tire thanks to the durable construction. The 127tpi construction also translates to a tire that soaks up road imperfections and is easy to install on a rim.
TIRE INSTALLATION
Tubeless tire installation can be something of a hit or miss depending on the combination of wheels and tires used. As installing tubeless tires requires a few additional steps than traditional clincher tires, there are more opportunities for things to go wrong. In our case, we installed the Sector 28 tires on the Decathlon Triban RC 520’s stock Triban tubeless-ready wheels. Our first challenge was removing the stock Triban Protect Light 700×28 tires, which appear to have been glued to the rim from the factory (we’ve seen complaints about this before). Once we had the stock tires off, and the rims prepped with rim tape, it was surprisingly easy to place the Sector 28 tires onto the rim.
Without resorting to tools, we were able to coerce the tires onto the Triban wheels. Because this was our first tubeless tire installation, getting the bead to sit on the rim proved to be challenging. We made the novice mistake of not using the right removable valve, which led us to have to inflate our Topeak Tubibooster multiple times only to have to have the air escape from the valve hole. Once that was sorted and with the help of some soapy water we were able to get the distinctive ‘pop pop’ sound as the beads seat against the rim with the Sector 28s. We were impressed with the tires tenacious grip to the rims even with the tires fully inflated. Note that these are tubeless-ready tires and require the use of sealant to ensure the tires remain air tight.
THE RIDE
One of the biggest selling points of the Sector 28 tires is the ride quality even over challenging roads. While cobblestones aren’t common where we live, we do often ride on pothole filled and cracked roads. We found that the Sector 28 tires soaked up even the worst roads and provided a smooth and supple ride. The slick center tread made it easy to accelerate and maintain speeds on flats, while the textured side walls provided grip through fast corners. Whether we were riding local bike trails during a commute, or climbing mountains, the Sector 28s provided a smooth yet responsive ride. We haven’t experienced any punctures so far and hope it stays that way with the hardskin reinforcements.
COMPARISON – STOCK vs. SECTOR
Often one of the more cost effective improvements for a stock road bike is to upgrade the tires. Replacing the tires with a more performance oriented tire can result in improved grip and responsiveness of a bike. Swapping from the stock Triban Protect Light tires that came on the Decathlon Triban RC 520 to the Sector 28 significantly improved the performance of the bike. The Sector 28’s semi-slick tread design and 127tpi construction resulted in a more supple ride and really improved the cornering and grip of the RC 520. We were quite impressed with how much more responsive the bike felt with the simple tire change. Although the tubeless conversion does require some work (rim tape, valves, and a way to quickly inflate it), for us it was well worth it as the bike feels faster all around.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found that the Hutchinson Sector 28 tires are a fast yet supple tubeless ready tire. While we did not have the pleasure to ride on the cobblestone sectors the tires are named after, they provided a grippy and smooth ride over our local poorly maintained roads. The 700×28 size soaks up imperfections and provides enough feedback to provide confidence when cornering. We were also impressed that the affordable Decathlon RC520’s stock tubeless-ready wheels were relatively easy (as long as you take your time) to convert over to tubeless with the Hutchinson tires. While the Sector 28s are a pricey upgrade, the benefits of tubeless and the durability of the tires make them an excellent upgrade for anyone looking for comfort and speed.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Hutchinson. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
Hi, just reading this. Any tips for getting the tyres off in the first place? This ‘glued on’ thing is causing me issues!
Not probably the best suggestion but we resorted to clamping the tire (with a C clamp) and rotating it to get the bead to pop off. Try not to nick the wheels like we did.
Hi, could you please share which size of rim band did you use ?
Thanks