New tyres promise greater grip and durability thanks to Race Formulation compound

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Published: Thursday, 18 April 2024 at 13:00 PM


Vittoria has released updates to its Mezcal and Peyote cross-country tyres, with lighter weights and increased 2.4in widths now available.

The new mountain bike tyres will also be available in the brand’s new Race Formulation, which uses a 60 TPI casing and a graphene and silica compound for increased wet-weather grip and suppleness.

The tyres feature black or brown sidewalls. The 29×2.4in black-sidewall tyres weigh a claimed 740g and the brown-wall tyres weigh 10g less.

Vittoria says its professional racers have been using the new tyres for the past two seasons, picking up a UCI World Championship XC title along the way.

It is now offering the tyres to the public for £64.99.

Vittoria Peyote

The Peyote tyre is available with black or brown sidewalls. – Vittoria

Vittoria says it has given the Peyote a new tread pattern, designed for hardpack and fine loose terrain, sitting in between its Terreno and Mezcal tyres.

A low-profile alternating centre ribbon on the tyre is said to deliver more speed and grip compared to the previous model.

Vittoria claims the new Peyote is 4 per cent faster than the closest Brand-A competitor, based on telemetry results from testing it conducted when developing the tyre.

Vittoria Peyote tread pattern
The V-formation is designed to clear debris from the centre. – Vittoria

The brand says the V-formation of the mid-tread digs through loose terrain and has plenty of space to evacuate debris.

The V-formation tapers towards the side-tread, which is said to give the tyre a responsive and predictable feel.

Vittoria Peyote XC tyre
Vittoria’s Peyote has been seen unbadged at the UCI World Championship XC for the past two years. – Vittoria

Vittoria says the Race Formulation gives the tyre a 6 per cent improvement in rolling performance compared to the previous model, as well as an 11 per cent increase in grip.

This translates to an average speed increase of around 0.75kph in XC racing, according to Vittoria.

Vittoria Mezcal

Vittoria Mezcal Race black sidewall
The tread pattern for the Mezcal remains the same. – Vittoria

To complement the new Peyote, Vittoria now offers a wider 2.4in Mezcal tyre.

With XC courses becoming more demanding, we’ve seen riders using increasingly wide tyres to fend off punctures and absorb the rougher terrain – some up to 2.5in.

Vittoria Mezcal Race brown sidewall
The brown-sidewall tyres are said to be 10g lighter than the black version. – Vittoria

While the Mezcal appears to be visibly the same, it too is now available with Vittoria’s Race Formulation. This is said to give the Mezcal a 3 per cent improvement in rolling performance, while providing increased durability and deformation thanks to the 60 TPI casing.