Vittoria Terreno T50 Tyre

Vittoria’s rebadged gravel tyre range runs from T10 (hardpack) to T90 (mud), and the Vittoria Terreno T50 is positioned as a multi-surface option in between those two extremes. The Italian company has designed it as a “one-tyre-fits-all” option, and it seems to me to have succeeded. Such is the T50’s versatility, it should suit many gravel riders’ terrain for much of the year in the UK.

The Terreno T50 is available in three sizes, 40, 45 and 50mm, all for the same price, with the two narrower sizes coming in a tan wall option as well as black, the 50mm only in black. The 45mm tyres I’ve been reviewing weighed 558g each on the road.cc Scales of Truth, slightly over Vittoria’s 550g claimed weight (which, curiously, is 20g heavier than the tan wall/brown option). That puts it slightly above average for an all-round gravel tyre, and 100g heavier than a race tyre like the Schwalbe G-One RS.

Setting up the Terreno T50 tubeless on a Reserve 40|44GR wheelset was extremely easy. Tyre levers weren’t necessary for mounting, and a Topeak Joe Blow Booster seated them at my first attempt.

The wheels’ 27.4mm front and 27mm rear internal widths did cause the T50s to blow out wide – something to bear in mind if your bike’s tyre clearance is tight.

Specs

Vittoria calls the Terreno T50 a “gravel endurance” tyre. It has a puncture-protection belt and reinforced sidewalls, and Vittoria claims the graphene-infused rubber compound ensures durability, traction and efficiency in all weather conditions. It also says the 100TPI nylon Endurance Casing cuts rolling resistance and absorbs vibrations while maintaining ride feel.

As for the tread, low-profile round lugs form a tightly spaced V shape down the centre in a bid to have a siping effect – a way to boost grip in the wet. The knobs become larger and more diffuse until they meet a zig-zag of angular lugs on the shoulder of the tyre.

In theory, this should minimise rolling resistance in a straight line while providing enough traction to corner on looser and slippier surfaces.

Performance

Through its marketing material for the T50, Vittoria emphasises that it hasn’t compromised performance for practicality, and this rang true in my enjoyable experience riding the tyre on smooth gravel, fine and chunkier stones, singletrack, muddy dirt and tarmac, feeling pretty zippy on the road.

I was also struck by the tyres’ supple ride quality, which gave me a sense of the trail beneath me and provided good compliance on rougher stuff.

While it can be hard to isolate tyre and wheel performance (and the bike I was riding had a very nice set of wheels), I still think a lot of these impressions stem from the T50’s capabilities.

With the front tyre at 27psi and the rear at 28psi, traction was ample across my varied testing loops. A wet spell after a dry summer had made surfaces greasy, but the tyres didn’t spin even up steep, rock- and root-strewn climbs.

> How do you choose the right tubeless tyre pressure?

The control and the confidence the T50 provided was also sufficient to drop down fast, loose-surfaced descents.

As I expected from the T50’s low-profile central tread, it reached the limits of its traction in mud. But it was more a case of slowing down rather than sliding all over the place. And once back on firmer stuff, the tyres shed the slop quickly.

Puncture resistance and durability are hard to comment on unless you get a flat or tear a tyre, which I didn’t. As far as I can tell, the T50’s puncture belt and sidewall reinforcement should keep punctures to a minimum.

Value

The T50’s £54.99 RRP is mid-range in a market where entry-level options cost about £45 and higher performance picks will set you back around £65.

Relative to other mixed-use gravel tyres, the T50 is a little more expensive, but it’s competitive on the trails. It is much grippier than the somewhat deceptively named Schwalbe G-One Allround Evolution (£64.99) when the going gets moist, and I found the T50’s ride quality and comfort superior to the £49.99 Pirelli Cinturato Adventure.

A really close rival is the Continental Terra Trail with Black Chilli compound, whose tread pattern, construction and ride characteristics are nearly identical, but the T50 comes in a wider range of sizes and costs £15 less than the Conti.

Check out more options in our guide to the best gravel bike tyres.

Conclusion

Overall, the Terreno T50 is a very versatile and pretty competitively priced gravel tyre that could serve you well for most of the year.

Verdict

Versatile, jack-of-all-trades gravel tyre that’s enjoyable to ride

All the deals displayed on our review pages are pulled from a constantly updating database feed of the best affiliate deals available. The criteria for deciding on what are the best deals is who is offering the lowest, delivered price. In most cases we will be showing the very best deal available online, but sometimes you may be able to find an item cheaper. If you can please feel free to post a link in the comments box below. To find out more about affiliate links on road.cc click here.