Vittoria RideArmor TLR review: a hard-wearing and reliable all-season tyre that's no fun to fit

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The Vittoria RideArmor TLR is a good winter and training tyre, impressing with its strong puncture protection.

A range of seven size options means you can strike the best balance of comfort, grip and weight for you, although it’s a little heavier than the competition across the board.

Weight isn’t the be-all-and-end-all, though, and if you’re willing to put up with a (relatively) challenging installation experience, the RideArmor TLR is an appealing fit-and-forget all-season tyre.

The RideArmor TLR will set you back £60 / €62.

Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyre details and specifications

The RideArmor TLR is pitched as Vittoria’s “toughest road tyre”.

To meet this billing, it features a Kevlar puncture-protection layer running from bead to bead, which is underpinned by a further ‘inner shield’ layer. The Kevlar layer is said to help support the tyre, too.

The innermost layer is made of rubber not dissimilar from an inner tube, according to Vittoria, which is designed to help with air retention. It’s worth noting this only applies to the 700x26, 28, 30 and 32c size tyres – the 700x34, 36 and 38c versions do without it because Vittoria says these tyres should be run at lower pressures (i.e. the pressure that contributes to most air leakage is less).

The small upside is the 34 and 36c sizes are slightly lighter than the 32c version, according to Vittoria, and might help confer a small speed benefit.

That aside, the nylon carcass (as opposed to cotton, which Vittoria uses in its racier tyres) features a 100 TPI (threads per inch) construction, in three layers between the tyre’s shoulders for added protection.

Two of these layers run over the entire tyre, with the sidewalls reinforced with an ‘ArmorSkin’ layer noticeable for its exposed orange cross-pattern.

The tread compound uses a graphene and silica mix, which the brand says promotes low rolling resistance (for a tyre of this type) while offering plenty of grip and a tough outer layer to repel road debris.

On the scales, my 700x28c tyres weighed 378g apiece – the heaviest of the group I tested. The next-heaviest Pirelli Cinturato Road is 12g lighter, while the lightest Specialized S-Works Mondo is 61g lighter.

This should be viewed in context of the tyre’s positioning, though – on a spectrum of performance-oriented to hard-wearing all-season tyres, the RideArmor leans towards the latter (unlike the Mondo).

Pricing is competitive, in the same ballpark as the Schwalbe One 365 Performance (£52.99 / €64.90), Pirelli Cinturato Road TLR (£54.99 / $75) and the Specialized S-Works Mondo (in the UK, at least, at £55 / $80 / €70).

Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyre installation and setup

I found the RideArmor TLR tyre relatively challenging to install, which is likely down in part to its tough construction.

While it has a foldable bead, it’s quite thick, making it more difficult to manoeuvre the tyre into a position where I could use tyre levers to prise the final section of bead onto the rim.

As soon as I attempted it, the bead would ‘roll’ out of the rim hook, ejecting the anchoring tyre lever in the process.

As with all the other tyres on test, I used a Hunt Carbon 50 Disc wheelset, which has a modern 22mm internal rim width. It's worth noting that Vittoria says Hunt isn't part of the ETRTO (European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation), and so this combination of tyre and rim might not be optimal.

That said, Hunt says the Carbon 50 Disc wheelset "fully adhere[s] to ETRTO standards".

It's also fair to say I had notably easier experiences with the Pirelli and Specialized tyres I’ve already mentioned, as well as the Michelin Power Protection TLR tyre (£79.99 / $84.99 / €81), with this wheelset.

The Vittoria’s thick bead also meant getting my tyre lever under it to take it off was slightly trickier than I’d consider normal (a problem inevitably made worse in cold conditions).

As a result, I wouldn't like to be caught by the side of the road having to unseat the tyre to insert an inner tube, but the trade-off is the seemingly tough construction, so I hopefully wouldn't have to.

If you do suffer a puncture while riding, though, I’d suggest using a tubeless repair kit in the first instance, before resorting to a spare tube.

On my test wheels, the nominally 28mm-wide tyres inflated to 28.5mm, at my standard 80psi / 5.5 Bar riding pressure.

The Vittorias can be used on hookless rims, but to a maximum tyre pressure of 72psi / 5 Bar.

Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyre performance

I’d happily rely on the Vittoria RideArmor TLR to see me through the depths of winter and reduce the chances of punctures.

No pneumatic tyre is completely puncture-proof, but the RideArmor’s compound resisted the worst conditions I’ve tested it in, while the construction feels reassuringly thick.

I’ve had one major piece of flint lodge itself into the compound – I’d be surprised if this didn't cause a puncture in a less fortified tyre (or at least press the tubeless sealant into action), so it was pleasing to see it not intrude that far into the rubber.

Of course, this is significant given the challenges I faced when fitting the tyre – ideally, a tyre would be as reassuring as the RideArmor is, but also easy to fit.

Given how Vittoria positions the RideArmor as a reliable tyre first and foremost, I’d expected it to feel a little isolating and vague (even though Vittoria’s racier tyres generally have a well-earned reputation for suppleness).

That said, I was satisfied by the transmission of the road surface and grip, in context of the tyre’s overall construction.

Compared to lighter, faster-feeling road tyres such as the Specialized S-Works Mondo or Michelin Power Protection TLR, it’s underwhelming, but versus more similarly pitched alternatives, it’s generally on a par.

It took a few rides to feel I was getting the full benefit of the compound’s grip (like the Teravail Telegraph especially, the outer releasing agent seemed to hang around for longer than most tyres), but it felt decently grippy in the wet come the end of my testing.

The weight makes the tyres feel a little sluggish when attacking a climb or generally accelerating, but this is to be expected – and it’s not the most important factor if you value reliability in the face of winter road hazards.

Vittoria RideArmor TLR tyre bottom line

The Vittoria RideArmor TLR is an all-season tyre with a focus on reliable, puncture-free running.

While the prevalence of punctures is down to much more than just the sturdiness of any given tyre, the signs from my testing were good, with one key example providing me with confidence that it’ll stand up to the hazards of dirty roads.

It’s a shame it isn’t a little easier to install – and that might come back to bite you should you suffer a puncture you can’t plug with a tubeless repair kit. You also have to accept a small trade-off of suppleness and speed versus other all-season tyres.

But there’s a lot to be said for a ‘conservative’ approach such as this.

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