Michelin

Click here to see our Michelin Power range.

In 1891, an English cyclist suffered a puncture outside the factory run by the Michelin Brothers, who were then producing rubber brake pads. At that time, it was a three hour job, followed by overnight drying, to repair tyres which were glued directly to the rim. Edouard Michelin then thought about what the future of the tyre might be if it became easier to repair and lodged his first patents. The Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race won by Charles Terront on removable Michelin tyres brought them to the notice of the public at large. In 1892, the Michelin brothers organised a cycle race between Paris and Clermont-Ferrand. They took the opportunity to strew nails all over the road to demonstrate that a puncture was no longer an insurmountable problem with Michelin detachable tyres! Since then, Michelin have led the way in a whole series of innovations.