Despite being most associated with high-performance tires at the slippery end of the rolling-resistance scale, Vittoria’s latest addition to its range has a much more utilitarian bent.
The new RideArmor model line prioritizes puncture resistance, durability and performance in the harshest weather conditions. But although low weight and low rolling resistance aren’t central to the brief here, design elements from Vittoria’s most performance-oriented tires have been ported across.
Most prominent is the Graphene + Silica compound, first developed for Vittoira’s range-topping Corsa Pro and Corsa Next tires. This helps to boost the grip - in both wet and dry conditions - as well as the durability and comfort.
It’s worth highlighting here that there are two ways in which a tire can provide grip: the first by the compound of the rubber (chemical grip) , the second is by the tread pattern of the tire (mechanical grip). Mechanical grip is only effective when the surface you’re riding on is actually soft enough to dig into (mud or fine shingle) - when riding on paved or tarmacked roads, the grip you’re relying on is purely chemical.
With that in mind, Vittoria has kept the tread slick to minimize the rolling resistance and boost the speed, going some way to offsetting the increase in weight from the additional layers of protection - of which there are many.
After the tread, we get to the multiple layers of 100 TPI Nylon, then the ‘ArmorSkin’ sidewall protection to guard against cuts. Going deeper still, there’s a bead-to-bead protection layer, providing another line of defence against punctures. The bead of the tyre (the bit which locks against the rim) even has its own Bead Shield Reinforcing Guard, providing an extra level of protection for the Aramid Bead - which is a feature of Vittoria’s range-topping tubeless ready tires in its performance lines.
But you don’t have to run it tubeless - the RideArmor tires can be run with inner tubes, should you wish, and in widths ranging from 26mm right up to 38mm and coming in at $79.99 / £59.99 / €59.95. It’s worth noting that only the 26 - 32mm widths are available from today, and the 34 - 38mm will be available later in the spring. For more information, visit Vittoria.com.
