Vittoria Cross EVO XG (clincher and Tubular):
 A little taste of Italy right here in Ohio. This week the Vittoria Cross EVO XG tires arrived ready to mount onto my cross bike (clincher version), and we took them out to have some fun.
Vittoria’s new design, specifically made for cyclo-cross, is ideal for all trails where good traction and control are a must, on dirt, asphalt, grass or even mud. The Cross EVOs are available in a 32c and 34c width. We tested the 32c version. We put some good miles and some great trails on these tires over a month span, including some road miles, just to test out the wear and tear. After all, no one likes a tire that only lasts for a month and is then worn out.
I first mounted these up on my Bonfire Empella Cross bike on a pair of Bontrager Race-X-Lite Clinchers (by now you get the idea that we are testing the clincher version). Fit, these guys are tight to get on to the rim. They can be mounted strictly with your hands, but it will be a challenge. I actually used a tad bit of Dawn dish soap to get the last little bit of bead to slip on. With a cross tire though, tight is good, with low tire pressures being ran on the bikes it leaves less room for problems.
Once on my bike, I must admit the black sidewalls and the silver tread give quite a unique look. Looks are great but how do they perform in the real world? Width seemed to pretty close to the norm for 32c cross tires, although I did not measure it (yeah we need to buy calipers).
On the asphalt they seemed to have a reasonable grip for a knobby tire even if the asphalt was a little wet. Vittoria has always been known for “sticky” tires for as long as I have been around, and these are no exception. I feel this is actually pretty important in cross, since most courses seem to have some road sections. We had no problems and more importantly no crashes.
What dirt? The cleverly spaced knobs make for a self-cleaning tire, with low rolling resistance off road, which is very important on cross bike. One hour of full on you need every advantage you can get. Having a tire that feels like a tank, or that holds a pound of mud per wheel is definitely no good. Usually a clean tire also means a tire that will corner good or at least better then a mud covered tire. On the EVO’s it is set up with knobs that run “horizontally” in the direction of the rim, this outer row of knobs handle the job of cornering just fine (look at the picture, and you will see what I am talking about). The tire also had a little “tacky feel” to it, and that is courtesy of a Kevlar 3D compound used in the tread. Tire pressure adjustments and fine tuning will enhance (or decrease) performance in this area. Just like mountain biking, everyone has a “tire pressure” and you should definitely spend a few rides playing with this before race season no matter what tires your choose.
 On dry packed conditions the Vittoria Cross EVO is a monster. It grips exceptionally well on hard packed ground and grass. It definitely gave me an extra bit of confidence when going into corners a little faster then I should be. The side knobs on the tire aren’t too tall, so there is very little deforming of the tread when leaning hard into a corner, giving the tire a more solid feel on dry surfaces.
Well with fall in Ohio comes mud and leaves. We were testing the 32c version of the tire which seemed to dig down into the mud a little deeper (or it’s my 185 lbs sitting on the saddle) allowing the tread to bite a little more into solid ground. Cornering in the mud was not quite as solid as the dry, but the horizontal running side knobs did a good job of holding a line through off cambers and corners. In muddy conditions I dropped the tire pressure to 30-32ish psi to get a little extra contact. With clinchers I was a little scared to go any lower, but with Tubulars there might be a little more room for adjustment.
Well how do they hold up? Vittoria goes into a little technical talk on their website about a “Kevlar 3D compound for better wear and enhanced grip”. What does this mean? They actually add a Kevlar to the compound of the tire. This “compound” seems to enhance the grip of the tire, increase its wear, and decrease the rolling resistance. How… I have no idea how all this happens, the properties of these polymers and materials, but it seems to work.
Underneath the tread, is a PRB belt to help reduce flats, which is vital for a cross tire, with thorns, rocks, and small sticks all over the place. The 120 TPI casing leaves the tire supple and feeling lively as well as giving it good contact to the ground.
Overall a great tire, excellent hard pack, tacky conditions tire, and a very solid mud tire. Unfortunately, we have not had time to try the tire in the snow, and personally I hope that test is a little down the road. Great feel for a clincher, excellent durability, good cornering, and no flats (as of yet) thanks to a puncture resistant belt. Overall the Vittoria XG left us very happy and without complaints. They even come with stickers so you can feel like a sponsored cross pro.
Vittoria also makes the Cross XN Pro for super hard packed conditions, this tire is basically incorporates a small diamond file pattern throughout, and more can be found at Vittoria.com.
Vittoria Tires are made in Italy and can be picked up at your local bike shop and are distributed through BikeMine in Oklahoma
Clincher Specs:
- Nylon 120 TPI casing and a foldable bead for top performance and light weight
- PRB puncture resistant belting.
- Silver tread, black sidewall
- Kevlar 3D compound for better wear and enhanced grip
- Nylon 120 TPI foldable casing
- Puncture resistant belt
- 60-90psi
- 350 grams
Tubular Specs:
- Possibility of low inflation pressure to increase surface contact
- Features380 grams
- 35-90 psi range
- Puncture resistant latex inner tube
- Can run low inflation pressure to increase surface contact
- The cleverly spaced knobs make for a self-cleaning tire, with low rolling resistance
- Hybrid Cotton K 220 TPI casing (cotton thread and Kevlar®): excellent comfort, great strength
Manufacturer: Vittoria Tires
US Distributor: BikeMine
Price: $40 to $50 pending on clincher v/s tubular
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