Clément have a storied history in road cycling, having supplied the rubber on which Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx earned their greatest triumphs.
The brand dropped under the radar under the stewardship of the Pirelli Group towards the end of the last century, but – now under new ownership – Clément are back in business and thriving.
Innovation, speed, comfort and performance were stamped on Clément’s calling card and the LCV, launched last year, certainly live up to the marque’s previous identity.
In its current iteration, Clément’s core market is the cyclo-cross and gravel riding arena, but the LCV is the second road-specific tyre in the current range, four years after the LGG became the first.
Clément have experimented with the LCV’s thread count – varying it around the tyre in order to change the tyre’s characteristics, in a manner they are keeping close to their chest. At a basic level, the suppleness of the tyre is provided by a 240tpi outer shell, with a lightweight construction and grippy compound for a confidence-inducing ride.
The LCV (named, apparently, after the Tuscan town of Lucca) tips the scales at just 205g in this 25mm size, which puts it right up among the big-name race tyres.
It’s not just about super-low weight; you get plenty of grip, too. These feel grippy out of the box and are reassuringly grippy once you get riding. Clément won’t reveal the exact make-up of the rubber compound but it’s sufficient to cater for attacking cornering and grin-inducing descending.
