Vittoria

This is a really good tire for those times when you need a fast-rolling, smooth riding tire with just a little extra grip compared to a regular race tire. The cornering grip on these tires is incredible: when I lean the bike over into a turn I can feel the tire pulling the wheel to turn even sharper. They feel a touch less smooth than a regular race tire, but it's only marginal. The tire is quite easy to get on a rim and seats fairly easily. Overall, this is a great tire to have and to ride.

New 2024 model has removable valve cores for those of us with deep dish tubulars. First off, lower your expectations: these are training sew ups with butyl tubes. Out of the package they�re lumpier than your grandmas favorite mash potato�s. But, stretch them properly at high pressure for a couple days & they mount up �relatively� straight. More than adequate for training tubs at this good price.

One star off since the valve stem area doesn�t sit flush & it�s bumpy even after rolling them on a broom handle.

Pro Tip: these are cotton sidewalls, buy liquid latex ($10) & brush it on after gluing. This will help seal the super wide basetape & sidewalls�perfect for waterproofing these training tubulars!

My favorite MTB tire has been the Vittoria Mazza. I've tried the Enduro and Trail versions of that tire rear and front and thought it them both to be great. The Enduro gave me a bit psychological edge of having stouter sidewalls, but with the penalty of extra weight.

When it came time to replace a rear Mazza, I starting thinking that maybe I don't need the tall lugs for the hard-pack, natural trails that I ride. But I really like Mazza's grip on rock and roots while ascending. Enter the Agarro, which has climbing knobs that are similar to Mazza, but not as deep.

I've ridden Agarro Trail 29x2.4 just a few times, and it felt great, like all new rubber does. Discounting the newness, it feels to me like it has the climbing ability of the Mazza, but feels more nimble. IOW, exactly what I was looking for. I don't know what I will think long-term, but I will buy another Agarro and put it on the front wheel very soon - before that Mazza wears out. But I'll definitely keep the Mazza for a backup or to replace the Agarro if I don't like it as a front tire.

BTW, the Agarro was the easiest tire that I ever put on my rim.

I came across these tires while browsing reviews on MTBR.com, and I thought, why not give them a shot? They were a bit pricey initially, but with Black Friday sales, I decided to go for it! I put them on my XC bike, my trusty 2010 Niner M.C.R., mounting one on the front and pairing it with the new Peyote XC Race in the back.

Before this, I had been using an Ardent Race 2.35 up front and an Ikon 2.2 in the rear. Being on the heavier side (over 200 lbs), I was pleasantly surprised that I could run these new tires down to 20 PSI without any problems. After a few laps on my go-to XC trail, I really started to feel the difference�I was digging into corners more confidently! Transitions from side to side felt smooth, and the straight-line downhill speed was definitely quicker.

I can't wait to try this setup on a couple more trails, but so far, I'm really loving them!