Vittoria has been making tyres for bicycles since 1953, and presently sponsors each the Girls’s and Males’s Jumbo Visma biking groups. Apart from a sequence of main wins, with the likes of Jonas Vingegard, the model is probably finest identified in recent times for its use of Graphene infused compounds.
The RideArmor TLR tyre is Vittoria’s hardest all-season highway tyre, developed with excessive puncture resistance for the worst highway situations. As such it’s not a light-weight racing tyre, however nonetheless, we’d count on it to have a good quantity of grip and present a great flip of pace.
Development
(Picture credit score: Andy Turner)
The Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyres can be found in sizes 26, 28, 30 and 32mm, with all however the 26mm being Hookless rim appropriate. The 28mm tyres on take a look at are marketed as 375g however got here in at 366g precise for every tyre.
The primary casing of the tyres is a 100 TPI nylon with the outer rubber tread made up of Vittoria’s mixture of Graphene and Silica 2C, which is designed to concurrently cut back rolling resistance, enhance cornering grip, and cut back the possibility of cuts. Throughout the nylon casing there’s a Kevlar belt operating from bead to bead, the identical materials utilized in bulletproof vests. There’s additionally the Bead Defend, a closing interior layer to additional cut back the possibility of punctures.
Vittoria’s sidewall safety system for this tyre is known as ArmorSkin. It’s a polyamide material with a copper colouring that protects the sidewalls from any impacts or abrasions. All in all, Vittoria designed this tyre to be their most resilient and sturdy highway tyre out there, but not sacrifice rolling resistance, grip and pace.
The journey
The very first thing I did, after unboxing, was to suit the tyres to Shimano’s WH-RS170 wheels (which have an inner width of 17mm) with some Lifeline interior tubes. This was carried out simply sufficient with out tyre levers, by making certain the bead sat within the central canal of the edges in order that I may ease the ultimate a part of the tyre on. Seating wasn’t fairly as straightforward, with about 120 psi required after which leaving them for a few hours earlier than they sat uniformly throughout the rim. Simply make sure you match them the proper means spherical, as they’re directional. Measuring the tyres, the 28mm really got here out at 26mm huge on these wheels, and regarded noticeably narrower than different 28mm tyres that I’ve used.
Out using, I normally discover it fairly straightforward to get a really feel for if a tyre is sluggish or quicker. Evaluating these tyres to Continental’s Gatorskin hardshell, a equally rugged tyre meant to be extremely puncture resistant, the RideArmor TLR does seem to roll quicker. Throughout a spread of rides with the identical bike and wheels, however totally different tyres, in several situations and evaluating the facility to the pace, usually the RideArmor TLR averages about 1.5-2 kph quicker than the Gatorskin. They’re additionally noticeably extra grippy within the corners, particularly in moist situations. The RideArmor TLR just isn’t fairly as quick as a few of the extra pace oriented 4 season tyres such because the Specialised Mondo 2Bliss or Continental GP5000 AS TR. Nonetheless, each of these lack the extent of puncture safety that the RideArmor TLR presents. The Pirelli Cinturato Velo are related tyres by way of providing excessive ranges of puncture safety, whereas rolling quicker than most rugged tyres. Nonetheless, I haven’t ridden these so can’t actually examine.
In relation to puncture safety, I did attempt to throw every part I may at these tyres. Discovering a few of the filthiest lanes potential with floods, and numerous shrapnel on the roads, in addition to using within the gutter in cities over patches of damaged glass, and even venturing onto some comfortable gravel using, I used to be impressed that there have been no punctures. I did expertise some cuts on the tyres, most definitely as a result of glass and a few sharp stones, however nothing that penetrated any of the varied puncture safety belts within the tyre. When it comes to put on life, it’s arduous to say, however after a great few hundred kilometres there isn’t any noticeable signal of wear and tear anyplace on the tread of the tyre.
Worth
(Picture credit score: Andy Turner)
Coming in at £59.99 a tyre, the RideArmor TLR are a good bit costlier than the likes of the Continental Gatorskin (£44.99) however cheaper than the equally designed Pirelli Cinturato Velo tyres (£71.00). If you need a tyre that gives very excessive ranges of puncture safety, whereas additionally offering higher ranges of grip and decrease rolling resistance than most all climate tyres, the Vittoria RideArmor TLR is an efficient worth choice.
Conclusion
The Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyres supply a few of the finest and most complete puncture safety out there in a highway tyre, it doesn’t matter what you throw at them. There are cheaper choices, however they aren’t as quick, likewise, there are quicker choices, however they don’t supply the identical degree of safety. For an all-season tyre, these carry out brilliantly. Nonetheless, they do come up a bit slender.
Specs
£59.99/$79.99
26, 28, 30 and 32mm choices
375g claimed weight for 28mm (366g precise)
TSS Hookless appropriate (besides the 26mm)
Tubeless-ready
100 TPI Nylon Casing
Graphene + Silica 2C Compound
Designed to be appropriate for all climate however stay grippy and comfy
ArmorSkin Sidewall Layer
Kevlar® Bead-to-Bead Safety Layer
Inside Defend Safety Layer
Bead Defend Safety Layer
