Vittoria adds graphene to 2016 tyre range - first look

I was seduced into buying a pair of these for a coast to coast over the Pyrenees and can categorically say they are NOT very puncture resistant.  Admitedly we were riding in pertty foul conditions over the 5 days, but nevertheless I had EIGHT punctures over the course of 500 miles (and yaside from one pinch flat - my fault - the rest were bits of grit, glass, slate etc.  I would stick to Conti's every day of the week!

If this magic dust is the reason they stopped making the Open Pave, I am all in favour of it being removed from the world altogether!

I am prepared to mug old people if I thought they may have some old-stock Open Paves in their wheelie-bags!

I'll hang on until there's uninversal agreement that tyres made with this stuff are significantly more resistant to punctures than the best existing tyre (or the same for much less weight) . Until then, the mere inclusion of the magic science word 'graphene' is just hype.

Gents - whilst I support anyone putting forward their opinion, and find the constant hype around graphene, bucky balls and carbon nano-tubes irritating, there comes a point when you have to look at the reality of what you believe to be true. Whilst the thermal and electrical properties of graphene fillers are fairly irrelevant to polymers used in bicycle tyres - the physical ones are not and can be significant.

A quick search of the literature regarding polymer fillers in general, and graphitic fillers in particular, should be enough to show that we can 't just say it's "science fiction" or "marketing crap" but instead that there may be measurable benefits in such properties as mechanical strength, impact resistance, abrasion resistance and anti-ageing over other fillers / un-treated polymers. Of course the marketing guys are going to be all over it like honey, but there is some science potentially going on too.

Not falling for this science friction

Not falling for this science fiction.

I can back up the other material scientists- utter marketing wibble. Nothing more than an expensive carbon black!

I went to a Manchester University science fair a couple of years ago and made graphene. Yep.
Take one piece of Sellotape and drop a minute piece of graphite onto the sticky side. Fold over the sticky side then rapidly (or it becomes boring) unstick and stick the Sellotape to and from itself until you are left with a smudge similar to that created on paper when you use a crap pencil eraser. Voila, graphene.
Now imagine it as a tyre saver.

I work in materials science and can without a shadow of a doubt say that the addition of their idea of what graphene is will be of no benefit what-so-ever.

Total marketing crap.

I love Vittoria tyres so will be adding these to basket when they're available.

Quote:

Vittoria uses graphene called G+, which is two to eight atoms thin.

Does that count as graphene? Surely that's just thin bits of graphite? The peculiar properties of graphene depend on it being a single layer of atoms.

I love my Corsas but they're not durable in the slightest. I appreciate they're a race tyre but after 500 miles mine are shredded. If this makes them more durable to nicks / slices then I'm all for it. Damn them for being so good looking in gumwall.

A little bit dubious as to what the graphene is supposed to contribute to the performance of the tyre? It sounds a little like some of the helmet manufacturers who've stated that they're using it but not what it's for, yes it's light and strong, but only in certain uses, and yes it's a great conductor (obviously not useful in a tyre) but only when connected correctly.
Hopefully it's more than just a marketing ploy and they're actually getting the materials science right to make the most of it.