Italian tyre large Vittoria may not be as well-known within the mountain biking world as Maxxis or Schwable, however gives a variety of rubber to go well with loads of disciplines from street to cross-country, and electrical bikes to commuters.
Its newest tyre, the Mazza, is designed particularly for path and enduro using, and incorporates a host of Vittoria’s personal tyre tech that ought to let it roll to the pinnacle of the pack.
I took to the paths across the Tweed Valley in Scotland to check out the tyres and discover out if graphene actually is pretty much as good as claimed.
Vittoria Mazza 2.4 x 29in Graphene 2.0 4C tyre particulars
The Mazza is on the market in two casing varieties: a lighter Path tyre, denoted by an anthracite-coloured sidewall, and a heavier, thicker Enduro and e-MTB tyre that’s all-black.
Each tyres have a 120 thread per inch (TPI) building and use the identical 4C Graphene 2.0 tread compound and tread sample.
Vittoria Mazza graphene tyre compound
Vittoria says that the Graphene 2.0 compound incorporates the tyre’s magic and that it “interacts with the rubber by filling the area in between the rubber molecules”. This, it claims, results in verified optimistic will increase in a tyre’s general efficiency.
The two.0 model of graphene is claimed to go additional than simply bettering the tyre as a complete, as an alternative it may be “functionalised” to spice up a selected space of efficiency, similar to rolling velocity, grip and puncture and put on resistance. Within the Mazza’s case, Vittoria claims the Graphene 2.0 improves the entire tyre’s metrics.
That is achieved utilizing a four-compound rubber, the place 4 particular person graphene compounds have been layered to tune the tyre’s really feel.
Vittoria says the floor of the tread stays cheesy, whereas the bottom has a stiffer compound, which ought to preserve tread block form – and subsequently how ‘sharp’ the tyre’s edge is – underneath excessive cornering and braking masses. Vittoria says this reduces rolling resistance and will increase put on life, too.
Vittoria Mazza tyre tread sample
There’s no denying the Mazza seems much like Maxxis’ ever-popular Minion DHF. Imitation, on this occasion, is for good motive, the Minion DHF has confirmed to carry out impressively. There are variations between the 2, although.
The Mazza’s centre blocks characteristic deep sipes alongside every tread block which, in response to Vittoria, ought to assist enhance rolling velocity whereas permitting the knobs to deform throughout cornering forces to supply cornering grip.
The bigger centre blocks that type an alternating sample with smaller ones have a stepped vanguard, which ought to serve to enhance mechanical pedalling grip whereas not decreasing rolling resistance considerably. This acts as a hybrid answer between a ramped block and a square-edge one.
The braking edges of the blocks are sq. and Vittoria says it’s left loads of room for them to chew into the bottom and clear mud when velocity picks up.
The aspect knobs – that cope with cornering forces – are additionally closely siped and formed to provide an “asymmetrical tread flex”, which ought to make for predictable cornering. Just like the centre blocks, there are two varieties of aspect block that alternate.
The bigger, outer-most block has a deeper central sipe and two smaller ones both aspect, whereas the smaller blocks have three shallower sipes.
Vittoria says the 4C compound additionally helps to offer a sticky inside edge – the one which digs in on turns – whereas retaining its form due to stiffer rubber used elsewhere.
Vittoria Mazza 2.4 x 29in Graphene 2.0 4C tyre weights
The Mazza 2.4 x 29in Enduro and e-MTB casing tyre weighed 1,190g, whereas the Path casing 2.4 x 29in tyre weighed 970g.
The Mazza 2.4 x 27.5in Enduro and e-MTB casing tyre weighed 1,140g and the Path casing model of the two.4 x 27.5in weighed 930g.
The place ought to the Vittoria Mazza excel?
Vittoria says the Mazza is a mixed-terrain tyre, performing greatest on hardpack, exhausting/icy and moist terrain – rating 9/10 in Vittoria’s personal scoring system.
Whereas it ought to nonetheless be capable to carry out in mud and on unfastened floor, its efficiency isn’t claimed to be as excessive – getting a 7/10 on Vittoria’s efficiency rating.
Vittoria Mazza 2.4 x 29in Graphene 2.0 4C tyre arrange
I fitted the Vittoria Mazza tyres to 2 totally different bikes; a Marin Apline Path 8 with DT Swiss’s new EX 1700 Spline 29in wheels with an inside width of 30mm, and my Yeti SB165 long-term test bike with Race Face Turbine R 27.5in wheels, additionally with a 30mm inside width.
I fitted the Path casing Mazza to the entrance wheel and the Enduro and e-MTB casing tyre to the rear wheel. Each tyres on each bikes had been inflated to pressures related to the situations, starting from 22psi as much as 28psi.
The two.4in Enduro and e-MTB casing tyre measured 59mm/2.32in on each the 27.5in and 29in wheels when inflated to 26psi, whereas the two.4in Path casing tyre measured 61mm/2.4in precisely on each wheel sizes when additionally inflated to 26psi.
Tubeless inflation was impressively straightforward on the Path casing tyre with a excessive quantity observe pump, particularly on brand-new rims. On wheels with just a few dents or wider inside width rims – assume 32mm plus – the Enduro and e-MTB casing tyre was tougher to inflate than the Path casing model, however after utilizing a tubeless inflator it seated on the check rims pretty simply.
Throughout the 2 bikes, I amassed 784km of using on the Mazzas.
Vittoria Mazza 2.4 x 29in Graphene 2.0 4C tyre experience impressions
I examined the Mazza tyres on a bunch of various terrain throughout the summer time in Scotland’s Tweed Valley, starting from sloppy, gloopy mud, greasy hardpack and rock slabs by to loam and dry and dusty floor with unfastened rocks excessive.
The Mazza’s rolling velocity was spectacular and the sensation of tempo was particularly pronounced on fireroad climbs and flatter path centre sections fairly than all-out technical descents. On the climbs, it meant I used much less vitality to take care of the identical speeds in comparison with extra draggy tyres similar to Schwalbe’s Magic Mary.
These excessive rolling speeds had been welcome on the winches to the highest, however definitely got here on the detriment of braking and straight-line grip in sure situations on the descents.
As soon as the paths had been damp, particularly in the event that they had been a hardpack mud and rock combine and had grow to be greasy, the Mazzas struggled to take care of good cohesion ranges with the path floor.
Throughout cambers and over roots and rocks I used to be regularly taken abruptly when the Mazza stopped gripping with little warning, because the change from grip to slide occurred in microseconds.
This meant lightning-fast reactions had been required to maintain the bike on the right line and made descending at velocity in these situations exhausting work.
The low quantities of straight-line grip is also felt on damp rooty or rocky climbs. After I hit a root or rock at an angle, the tyres would slip alongside fairly than deforming and climbing over them.
Vee Tire Co’s Flow SNAP WCE tyre didn’t undergo from the identical issues, gripping extra persistently and predictably on damp descents and climbs, and on the identical trails in the identical situations.
Braking grip over damp floor was additionally restricted. The Mazza’s tread sample and compound made them really feel like they had been gliding excessive of the terrain fairly than biting into it and when making use of the brakes, significantly the again one.
The tyre was reluctant to supply a lot significant braking chew except it was labored very exhausting by being pushed into the bottom.
It felt just like the tyres had been counting on the rubber’s compound for grip fairly than any type of mechanical traction. Within the dry, the tyre’s efficiency was completely totally different, although.
The mix of compound and tread sample seemed to be exhausting sufficient and aggressive sufficient to chew into and cling onto dry floor. I discovered that prime speeds had been accompanied by confidence as soon as I’d discovered dusty trails to experience.
Cornering girp – when it was dry a minimum of – was additionally spectacular and constant, and I used to be capable of predictably lean the bike over within the turns with out the worry of them breaking traction till pressured to take action. And as soon as I had initiated a drift, controlling it was comparatively easy.
In wetter situations, whether or not that was over hardpack or by muddier sections, cornering grip wasn’t pretty much as good. I skilled fairly just a few cases of front-wheel understeer by flatter turns and the again wheel slipping up berms as soon as the tyres had been pushed exhausting.
Dry cornering grip was generated by the aspect knobs retaining their form underneath load – as Vittoria claimed – and their form offered an excellent edge to chew into the path.
I additionally discovered the Mazzas had a reasonably spherical profile even in 2.4in widths on 30mm rims, serving to to extend the quantity of lean I may obtain earlier than I reached the restrict of the tyre’s edge.
On softer floor – whether or not that was dry loam or damp dust – they gripped nicely, biting into the path’s floor with assertion, however it was all the time vital to be careful for tougher greasy sections the place traction would drop considerably.
On the entrance, when getting used on an enduro bike, the Path carcass tyre survived loads of punishment with out ripping or tearing, even when subjected to very sharp shale-like rocks – beating Maxxis’ EXO+ casing for sturdiness on the identical trails.
Equally, the Enduro and e-MTB carcass, when fitted to the rear, shrugged off all of the punishment I may throw at it, proving to be extra dependable and puncture-resistant than Maxxis’ Double Down casing tyres.
Due to the carcass’s power, I solely managed to burp the tyres a handful of occasions, which galvanized me. Usually, the tyre offered a secure and predictable really feel when pushing exhausting by berms – so long as they had been dry – with out the wander and vagueness created by thinner sidewalls.
Sturdiness has been good, though after 300km of using the rear tyre’s knobs are beginning to break free from the carcass on each check bikes. This degree of sturdiness is mostly higher than most different manufacturers’ choices available on the market in the identical sector.
Vittoria Mazza 2.4 x 29in Graphene 2.0 4C tyre backside line
Had Vittoria claimed the Mazza was for dry situations it will have been heading for a near-perfect rating as a result of it offered nice, predictable grip with excessive rolling speeds as well. Carcass power and sturdiness had been spectacular, too.
Sadly, it claims it needs to be a do-it-all tyre that grips within the moist in addition to it does in different situations. I simply didn’t discover this to be true, particularly on damp hardpack mud and wetter roots and rocks. Traction ranges unpredictably dropped off in comparison with different all-rounders which, at occasions, made for a furry experience.
In case you’re searching for a fast-rolling, dry climate tyre, the Mazza needs to be excessive up in your checklist of concerns, however don’t anticipate it to be as a lot of a generalist as Vittoria claims, and for the autumn and winter you’ll be searching for extra appropriate rubber.
