winter tyres

In these times of ultra-bald tyres in rainbow colours it’s a rare thing to see a straight black tyre, like the Vittoria Diamante Pro Tech, with a file tread on the edges and a smooth central strip, it’s gives an almost old-fashioned warm fuzzy glow of nostalgic reassurance. Though there’s nothing archaic about these tyres as they’re full of modern technology and zeitgeist buzzwords.

The arrival of Continental Nordic Spike 120 couldn’t have been timed better. 120 steel studs combined with an open, knobbly tread allowed me to cut a steady swathe through otherwise impassable back roads. However, a modicum of caution is required when accelerating – especially over icy tarmac – and their portly 42mm profiles can present compatibility hassles with more traditional ‘cross, touring and hybrid frames.