The most important facts in brief

The Syerra is made for the currently popular down-country bikes with around 120 millimetres of suspension travel. Aggressive side lugs are combined with medium-high knobs in the middle of the tire. The generous spacing between them is intended to provide more grip in corners and good self-cleaning properties. There is only one version of the tire in the 29 x 2.4 inch size. The width of 60 millimeters is normal, as is the weight of around 830 grams. Like all Vittoria tires, this one comes with a 4-compound graphene rubber compound and a robust tubeless-ready carcass - reinforced with anti-pinch flat inserts in the sidewalls. The tire is expected to be available in stores from May 2022.

First impression

Looking at the tread pattern, it quickly becomes clear that the DNA lies in the cross-country sector. The reinforced sidewalls and the prominent lugs on the side suggest that you can also ride safely at the limit.

In use

It takes a little force or a tire lever to mount the Syerra. However, it seals completely on the first attempt. We pumped up 1.15 bar at the front and 1.2 at the rear (rider weight 70 kilos). A little less pressure would probably also work.

Even at such low pressure, the tire remains stable and does not wallow, the damping is good and pleasing. The rolling resistance is very low on all surfaces and encourages you to pedal harder and really speed along the trails. On gravel, the rather fine lugs bite through the stones well. This not only provides a lot of traction uphill, but also above-average grip in corners. On asphalt, the Syerra hardly emits any vibrations and downhill you can corner with a decent lean angle without the lugs kinking. However, you can really hear how they bend.

On damp ground, the tread really claws into the ground, which shows the Italian's strengths. On dry ground, the Syerra performs on a par with the competition and only breaks away in corners in extreme situations. It only shows weaknesses when it is really wet. It plows through the mud quite passably, but doesn't like wet roots, where it tends to slip off.

Conclusion

The Vittoria Syerra fulfills the requirements of a down-country tire with flying colors, only showing weaknesses on wet roots and in its braking characteristics. It remains stable on the front wheel even under hard braking, but starts to slip at the rear: The low profile doesn't really like to grip the ground. However, it does not get out of control. In addition to the low rolling resistance and good all-round properties, we particularly like how well it grips in corners.

Recommendation

If you need a tire for cross-country or marathon races that offers plenty of grip and traction on wet surfaces, the Syerra is a good choice.

CHF 69.00

Manufacturer/Distribution

www.vittoria.com