Vittoria has been making tyres for bicycles since 1953, and presently sponsors each the Girls’s and Males’s Jumbo Visma biking groups. Aside from a sequence of main wins, with the likes of Jonas Vingegard, the model is probably greatest 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 circumstances. 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 superb flip of velocity.
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 suitable. The 28mm tyres on check are marketed as 375g however got here in at 366g precise for every tyre.
The principle 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. Inside the nylon casing there’s a Kevlar belt working from bead to bead, the identical materials utilized in bulletproof vests. There’s additionally the Bead Protect, a closing interior layer to additional cut back the possibility of punctures.
Vittoria’s sidewall safety system for this tyre is called ArmorSkin. It’s a polyamide cloth 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 accessible, but not sacrifice rolling resistance, grip and velocity.
The experience
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 performed simply sufficient with out tyre levers, by guaranteeing 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 simple, with about 120 psi required after which leaving them for a few hours earlier than they sat uniformly throughout the rim. Simply you should definitely match them the right method spherical, as they’re directional. Measuring the tyres, the 28mm truly got here out at 26mm large on these wheels, and seemed noticeably narrower than different 28mm tyres that I’ve used.
Out using, I normally discover it fairly simple 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 numerous circumstances and evaluating the facility to the velocity, typically 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 circumstances. The RideArmor TLR just isn’t fairly as quick as a number of the extra velocity oriented 4 season tyres such because the Specialised Mondo 2Bliss or Continental GP5000 AS TR. Nevertheless, each of these lack the extent of puncture safety that the RideArmor TLR affords. The Pirelli Cinturato Velo are related tyres by way of providing excessive ranges of puncture safety, whereas rolling quicker than most rugged tyres. Nevertheless, I haven’t ridden these so can’t actually evaluate.
In relation to puncture safety, I did try to throw the whole lot I may at these tyres. Discovering a number of the filthiest lanes doable 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 smooth gravel using, I used to be impressed that there have been no punctures. I did expertise some cuts on the tyres, probably as a consequence of glass and a few sharp stones, however nothing that penetrated any of the assorted puncture safety belts within the tyre. By way of put on life, it’s onerous to say, however after a superb 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 dearer than the likes of the Continental Gatorskin (£44.99) however cheaper than the equally designed Pirelli Cinturato Velo tyres (£71.00). In order for you a tyre that gives very excessive ranges of puncture safety, whereas additionally offering larger ranges of grip and decrease rolling resistance than most all climate tyres, the Vittoria RideArmor TLR is an effective worth choice.
Conclusion
The Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyres provide a number of the greatest and most complete puncture safety accessible in a highway tyre, it doesn’t matter what you throw at them. There are cheaper choices, however they don’t seem to be as quick, likewise, there are quicker choices, however they don’t provide the identical stage of safety. For an all-season tyre, these carry out brilliantly. Nevertheless, 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 suitable (besides the 26mm)
Tubeless-ready
100 TPI Nylon Casing
Graphene + Silica 2C Compound
Designed to be appropriate for all climate however stay grippy and cozy
ArmorSkin Sidewall Layer
Kevlar® Bead-to-Bead Safety Layer
Internal Protect Safety Layer
Bead Protect Safety Layer
