Review: Review: Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG Tyre

Sure footed, nimble and oh-so strong, the Open Pave CG tyres stood up to the worst roads and tracks I could find and in return gave me a an excellent ride and great levels of confidence! A STRONG 9/10

1000 miles in just 3 days gives plenty of scope for hard-core testing conditions for bike kit. One of the most crucial items to come into play would be tyres, perhaps defining the enjoyment levels of the entire ride!

With horror stories coming from friends and family about conditions in Europe, both east and west, I wanted to make sure that the tyres were one thing that could be relied upon.

I approached Vittoria about the ride and they were adamant without any hesitation that the clincher variant of the Open Pave would be the ideal tyre for me (interestingly, not every tyre manufacturer was so confident in their wares…..)

Now I’m not the lightest rider in the world (73kg I think), but I have been pretty lucky with punctures over the previous 10,000 miles, only racking up 3 in that whole time – and 2 were on the same day in the same place after changing the tube incorrectly.

However this was something new – where I really didn’t want to get any issues with the tyres whatsoever – changing a tyre at midnight in a dark and deserted forest in the middle of Poland was something I was super keen to avoid!

First up comes placing the tyres on the wheels – and what a palaver it was! So tricky did I find it that I actually went to google to see if it was just me or if indeed others found it hard! Thankfully it wasn’t just me struggling to get the tyres on, but there was no magic button to press – they really are pain to get on, with the tyre coming off just as you think you are making progress. In the end I had to wedge the wheel into a fence post to ensure it stayed put and thankfully this did the job!!

Not a great start!

To further my grief this was the case with both front and rear wheels, further proving that the tyre is problematic to say the least – this lesson was not lost on me when contemplating changing a tyre in the middle of europe!

To make matters worse, it seems I managed to give myself a puncture just from struggling to get one of the tyres on – this obviously meant having to remove the tyre (surprisingly easy) and replace and refit – easier than the first time thankfully!

With their distinctive central green band, from their twin thread compound, the Vittoria Open Pave Evo’s were ready to roll (see what I did there)

Over the foliowing weeks I rode them with tyre pressures ranging from 120Psi down to 85Psi, on snooker table smooth tarmac right the way through to off-road forest tracks, farmers drive-ways and european cobbled roads (whole ruddy roads of it, not just sectuers!)

They were ridden in dry and wet – and wet cobbles were something I wanted to avoid at all costs, across 6 patches of broken glass (you know the thing where you see it at the last moment – yeah 6 times!)

They also hit a speed bump at 35 miles per hour (bright light/shadow transition!)

The net result? Zero punctures and smooth rolling the whole time!

They were instantly quicker, noticeably so, than the tyres they replaced on local roads and when they were pointed towards to rougher stuff they didn’t hesitate at all.

Surefooted, nimble and smooth they performed flawlessly throughout the ride to Poland, with no noticeable wear on them and no sign of having ridden through glass.

At £50 a pop there are certainly cheaper tyres on the market, however in this instance I feel that you really do get an awful lot of tyre for your money!

Equally at home racing, winter training, on audax rides or summer adventures they will provide an excellent contact point between the bike and road. Whether it’s hitting hard corners or rolling over cobbles the Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG’s take everything that’s thrown at them without a flinch, allowing you to gain the most from your ride.