Vittoria Syerra 4C tyre review

This tyre from Italian brand Vittoria is so downcountry, it even has the word written on the side in big letters.

Vittoria is known for packing technology into its rubber compounds and, sure enough, this tyre launched late in 2021 uses four different types of rubber in the tread to balance long wear life, rolling speed and grip.

Vittoria Syerra 4C tyre specifications and details

The only tyre brand to use Graphene in its construction, Vittoria’s 4C blend uses the ‘wonder’ material in the softer outer layers that coat respectively firmer (rolling-speed enhancing) central lugs and (grip-enhancing) softer corner lugs.

Think of it therefore as cross-country-type rubber in the middle and trail-type rubber on the edges.

The tread pattern itself is considerably spikier than most XC-derived designs, with very open-spaced, sharp little blocks similar to the Maxxis Forekaster or an old-school XC mud tyre such as the Specialized Storm.

Also, rather than leading-edge ramps used on many competitor tyres, the tread uses directional ‘arrow’ shapes pointing forwards to increase rolling speed.

Fear not though, this doesn’t mean turnover here is slow in any way. I also like how this tread pattern has lots of little multi-directional sharp edges that really rip into the earth to deliver tons of traction.

There’s only one size, but 29x2.4in is exactly the size you’d want for a tyre such as this. It blows up quite round compared to rival mountain bike tyres, so the fact you roll along on a thinner strip of the crown ensures the pointier tread doesn’t hamper rolling speed.

The rounded crown also makes it easier to tip the tyre from side to side when manoeuvring the bike around.

Vittoria’s tyre casing uses a thicker 60 TPI weave with coarser fibres that should be harder to penetrate (the more XC-slanted Barzo uses a 120 TPI casing).

The sidewall also packs an APF (Anti Pinch Flat) insert to stiffen and bolster the sides to help resist tearing the sidewall if an impact bottoms it against the rim.

Vittoria Syerra 4C tyre performance

The Syerra feels pretty robust for an 850g tyre. You can really lean it over and slam the bike round corners without the sides bending excessively or burping sealant as some downcountry tyres do.

There’s a slightly buzzy, bouncy, lively feel, rather than the supple dull smoothness you get from the Teravail Ehline Light and Supple and the Maxxis Rekon 3C Maxx Terra EXO+, but the more open tread really claws at the ground with lots of little edges connecting to the dirt, meaning in dry conditions on buff trails there is loads of friction and bite.

This enables you to ride really aggressively and chuck the bike about without it feeling too sketchy.

Turnover speed is better than you’d expect too.

The Syerra is a bit slower than some on very smooth fireroads and tarmac. However, off-road on lumpier ground, it’s hard to differentiate it from faster-rolling tyres. Typically for Vittoria, wear life is excellent.

The tyre looked as good as new after a handful of rides with really heavy rear braking in baked, blown-out summer conditions.

I only experienced one day of rain during testing, but it was enough to know the Syerra’s rubber clearly can’t match Maxxis’ Maxx Terra compound for grip in the slime or against weeping roots or damp rocks.

That said, it’s still fairly decent and not as terrifying as some brands’ rubber blends on slick armoured surfaces.

It also stays very clear and clag-free when faced with a bit of mud and mulch.

Vittoria Syerra 4C tyre bottom line

Overall, there’s a lot to like about this speedy Syerra. It’s one of the Vittoria tyres I've enjoyed riding the most in recent months.

Like Kenda’s Karma 2 and the Maxxis Forekaster, it's a lightweight, fast-accelerating and versatile intermediate tyre that can handle slightly looser surfaces better than most aggro XC offerings.