Vittoria will rename its gravel tyres from July to make choosing the ideal tyre easier. The company has also announced its mixed-terrain T50 tyre is now available in more sizes.
Previously, Vittoria’s gravel bike tyres were called the Terreno Zero, Terreno Dry, Mezcal and Terreno Wet.
But its tyres will be named based on the brand’s new Gravel Terrain Score, or T-Score. Vittoria says the T-Score ranks surfaces on a scale from 0 (smooth like tarmac) to 100 (almost impossible to ride on a gravel bike).
The T-Score breaks gravel riding into five main terrains: hardpack; fine loose; mixed; coarse loose; and mud.
How does the T-Score work?
With the new T-Score system, all you’ll need to do to find the right gravel tyre is assess which surface you're riding on and choose a tyre accordingly.
Stijn Vriends, chairman and CEO of Vittoria, says: “When riders follow the chart and start by identifying the type or types of terrain they intend to ride, and by simply tracing their way down, a rider can quickly identify the perfect tyre for their situation.”
The tyres in Vittoria’s endurance gravel tyre range will feature new labelling, which will correspond to the Terrain Score scale. It will adopt the new naming convention across its sport and performance gravel tyre ranges later in the year.
For example, this means the Terreno Zero, suitable for riding on hardpack, will now be called the T10.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Terreno Wet, suitable for riding in mud, will be called the T90.
“In all the choices we make, we always strive to put ourselves in the cyclist's perspective, and this Gravel Terrain Score is precisely an effort to simplify every rider's decision, as each of them knows what bike they own and what type of terrain they will ride on the most,” says Vanessa ten Hoff, Vittoria’s chief marketing and innovation officer.
Some of Vittoria’s previous gravel tyre names highlighted whether they were suitable for dry or wet riding. But ten Hoff says this was “sort of misleading” because the dry tyres also work well in the wet. “It’s more important to focus on the terrain,” she says.
Vittoria’s new gravel tyre names at a glance
| New tyre name | Ideal surface | Previous name |
| T10 | Hardpack | Terreno Zero |
| T30 | Fine loose | Terreno Dry |
| T50 | Mixed | N/A |
| T70 | Coarse loose | Mezcal |
| T80 | Coarse loose | Terreno Mix |
| T90 | Mud | Terreno Wet |
A confusing golden age?
In a white paper, Vittoria explains that we are in a “golden age” of gravel riding. There is an evolution in the bikes and equipment people use as well as riders “enjoying a fresh perspective”.
But the momentum in innovation has led to confusion over equipment and application. This is an issue BikeRadar’s senior technical editor Warren Rossiter addressed, arguing that we need to change the way we categorise gravel bikes.
Vittoria says this issue is particularly true with tyres, and that it should be simpler to pick the right ones.
Instead, consumers are faced with complex naming conventions and product categories.
In the white paper, Vittoria says the category of ‘gravel tyres’ does little to guide a consumer towards the correct product for their riding, be it gravel racing or bikepacking, for example.
It says a consumer stating they are interested in gravel riding to a shop assistant is the ‘beginning of a battle’.
“[T]hey must pour [sic] through seemingly endless tread designs, widths, casing and worst of all model names are devoid of any clear contextual application,” it says.
Vittoria says the T-Score will bring some clarity to these interactions: “When that same gravel consumer enters the shop, the dealer can ask, ‘what percentage of the time do you ride off-road?’, and the consumer answer will automatically link their needs to the correct product.”
Vittoria adds that if a consumer has tried one of the products before but wants more off-road capability, knowing which tyre to choose becomes easier. Likewise, if they want a faster tread, they can choose a tyre with a lower T-Score.
Vittoria T50 gravel tyre
The T50 gravel tyre has no previous equivalent in Vittoria’s range. The tyre is the first from Vittoria to follow the new T-Score naming convention and it's now available in three sizes.
Designed for mixed terrains, Vittoria says the T50 ensures you can find the “perfect” tyre for your riding in its new categorisation.
Vittoria says the tyre provides “unparalleled speed and capability across various terrains, from hardpack to mixed conditions”.
Ten Hoff explains that the new V-shaped tread plays an integral role in this performance.
“If you’re going in the riding direction, when the V shape comes down it has the smallest area that grips. But if you’re breaking or cornering, this is where the bigger part of the area is gripping,” she says.
The new directional siping texture on the tyre aids the T50’s performance across the surface.
Sitting wide of the V, there are two lines of lugs on the tread. Ten Hoff says these lugs provide “progressive feedback” when you are leaning and that the lugs on the edge of the tyre are different sizes to help free debris.
“This is what makes the T50 a really, really fast tyre,” she says, adding that the T50 doesn’t feel like a mixed-terrain tyre.
Elsewhere, the tyre uses Vittoria’s endurance casing for adaptability and strength. It features reinforced nylon sidewalls for puncture resistance and stability. The tyre also features an anti-puncture belt.
The T50 uses Vittoria’s Endurance Formulation tyre compound with graphene, making it suitable for long-distance gravel riding.
The tyre will be available in three sizes, from 40m to 50mm, costing €58.95.
It will also be available with black or brown sidewalls, which will soon be available for all Vittoria’s gravel tyres.
