The RideArmor TLR are Vittoria's premium training tires that offer endurance and excellent puncture resistance, plus impressive grip in wet conditions. A montagIt is ideal for winter and avoids a lot of problems, even if the tires are quite heavy and lack performance.
By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr
A few months after the test several Corsa Pro Speed TLR 28 I was able to ride with other high-end tires from the Italian brand Vittoria, the RideArmor TLR, which stand out from the first mentioned by their impressive longevity, even under very difficult conditions. After more than 2000 km, I have indeed not suffered no puncture me on routes frequently wet and dirty from the months of December and January in the Paris region. And even better: even if I deliberately did not spare them from the verges and cycle paths, their tread seems almost like new, apart from a single small cut. Mounted tubeless, they did not require frequent pressure readjustment either. A single pump every 15 days or so was necessary to restore the 5 bar that I generally choose for 28 tires (even if here the manufacturer recommends a little less than 4 bar for my weight). On the other hand, The RideArmor TLRs are quite heavy (382 g in 700×28, weight to which the preventive liquid must be added) and have a higher rolling resistance than competition tires such as the Corsa Speed.
Tires to limit worries
According to Vittoria, the RideArmor is the tire of route of the category performance the toughest available, for the toughest conditions. This is not a model for city bikes or a tire intended for off-road use, but it is intended for intensive training on route, in all weather conditions, thanks to its high durability, comfort and high grip. RideArmor has been developed to be a real armor to protect cyclists from their worst enemy during winter training and long-distance practice: punctures.
ArmorSkin side layer provides ultimate protection against cuts and abrasions. This high-quality polyamide fabric, which stands out for its copper colouring, offers additional protection on any type of bitumen and in all weather conditions.
2C Graphene + Silica compound ensures long mileage, puncture resistance, high grip on cold and wet ground and lower rolling resistance than most so-called "solid" tires on the market, according to the brand. Finally, it benefits from an additional layer of Kevlar protection.
The RideArmor TLR is available in seven sizes : 700×26, 700×28, 700×30, 700×32, 700×34, 700×36, 700×38. I weighed my two copies in 28 at 382 g, with a section measured with a caliper that corresponds well to the manufacturer's claims, on rims with an internal width of 21 mm.
Performance below competition tires
Due to their weight and multiple layers of protection, RideArmor TLRs have more rolling resistance than most competition tires on the market. Between 5 and 8 watts of additional resistance per tire depending on the site bicyclerollingresistance.com. In concrete terms, this means that these tires are slower than lighter tires for the same given effort, both when riding at a steady pace and in terms of responsiveness. But they must be compared to other tires designed to avoid punctures, which are often cheaper, but also even slower. The compromise is ultimately quite good here, at least in the context of sustained training, where time performance is not essential..
And unlike many other tires designed to resist punctures and mileage, RideArmor has very high cornering grip, which makes all the difference here. Usually, resistant tires use harder compounds, which are also more slippery. With these Vittoria, you can take all types of curves without risking loss of grip, whether in the rain, or even on slightly damp, cold and tricky ground, thanks to the rubber used and the relative flexibility of their sidewalls.
This latter feature also offers a welcome comfort on long outings, even I could have easily ridden with an even lower pressure to increase this phenomenon, since these are tubeless tires.
The RideArmor TLR is offered at the public price of 59,95 €, a rate equivalent to that of theHutchinson Challenger, its main competitor. It's impossible for us to say which of the two is the most resistant, but the Vittoria is a little lighter (20 g less) and it has even better grip. In both cases, these are tires intended to accumulate the kilometers without the slightest worry, when performance is not preponderant and the priority is to avoid the slightest maintenance. Just like the Hutchinsons, the Vittoria RideArmor are likely to make you appreciate tubeless technology.
=> Buy the Vittoria RideArmor TLR tire for €44,99 instead of €59,95
To conclude
Vittoria RideArmor TLR tires offer the highest level of grip, wear resistance and puncture protection, ideal for winter training and even for year-round use if performance is not your priority.. Tubeless technology also allows you to reduce inflation pressure if you are looking for additional comfort, while being perfectly controlled here thanks to the excellent sealing of the system, which provides additional protection so that you never have to stop on the side of the road. route to repair.
On VITTORIA RIDEARMOR TLR in short… The +: wear resistance, puncture resistance, grip, comfort Carcass: 100 TPI – Rod: flexible, Tubeless Ready – Reinforcements: ArmorSkin / Kevlar® Bead-to-Bead Protection Layer / Inner Shield / Bead Shield – Gum mixture: Graphene + Silica 2C Compound - Compatibility: rim for tubeless tire, with and without hooks – Dimensions: 700 × 26 / 28 / 30 / 32 / 34 / 36 / 38 - Weight : 382 g checked in 700 × 28 – Price: € 59,95 - Contact : vittoria.com |
