Review: Vittoria Mazza Enduro Race Tires - A Compound Too Far?

Aug 23, 2023
by Henry Quinney  
photo

Maxxis, Schwalbe, and in more recent times Continental, have a firm grip on the high-end tire market. In fact, it's to the extent that their model names become almost ubiquitous. Tires from other brands will often be described as a Minion copy or a Magic Mary, whether or not it flatters or they're happy with the comparison. In recent years, Vittoria have been making an earnest push into the high-end mountain biking sector. Whether through new models in the range, updating casing or compounds, or sponsoring some of the world's biggest events, they're certainly giving it a go.
Mazza Race Details
• 29 or 27.5" in 2.4 or 2.6"
• Exceptionally soft Graphene & Silica compound
• Reinforced casing across the breadth of tire
• Actual weight: 1340g (29")
• Price: $89.99 USD
vittoria.com

It's been several years since the release of the Mazza, and the Mazza Race uses the same tread pattern and spacing. Instead, the key difference is in compound and casing. This tire uses a 60 TPI casing. This uses thicker threads in a lower quantity, and it represents something of a departure from the idea that has been perforated in recent years that a higher TPI will give a better tracking and a more supple tire.

As for the compound, it's just the one throughout. Vittoria has a history of eking the life out of their soft rubber by using graphene. This goes even further by using both graphene and silica. The rubber is incredibly soft, to say the least. The Mazza Race has a reinforced layer across the entire tire and a further additional protective insert that sits across the tread of the tire itself, as well as an anti-flat insert on the bead of the aramid bead.

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All you need to know.

Details

So what is it? Is it a Minion? Well, there are elements of that. However, I would say this a more of a Minion and cut spike hybrid. Simply put, there is a lot of canvas on show with Mazza. This might be good for mud shedding and loose surfaces, but a more open tread can introduce a vague feeling when initiating turns, as well as being more vulnerable to rim damage or punctures. Compared to the standard Mazza, the Mazza race has a slightly more open tread.

The tires aim to negate that in two ways. Firstly, these tires are exceptionally soft. Each lug is like a gummy bear that's been left in the sun. At the start of the test, I wondered if these would be prone to being ripped straight off the canvas but I can report no such incidents.

As for rim damage, the design of the sturdy single-ply sidewall aims to protect against that eventuality, not least by being relatively portly. At 1340 grams each, the weight of these tires combined with the incredibly soft compound, might not be an enticing prospect for all-day pedalers. Curiously, Vittoria don't provide any details on what that means in terms of the durometer of the rubber.

These tires aim to establish themselves as the highest-performance option for gravity-focused riders in the range. A range that includes the 900-gram Trail casing (29x2.4"), and the 1300-gram 2-ply Enduro casing. It also represents something of a departure for the brand in terms of the technology utilized. Normally, Vittoria tires are known for their 4C makeup. This combines, you guessed it, four different rubber compounds throughout the tire, to tailor each knob, be it center or side, to the task at hand. They can then have firmer bases with softer outer layers. When this is combined with relatively complex siping patterns, it can give tires that hook up, don't deform too much, and roll well.

In the past, I have been very impressed with 4C tires that I have used from Vittoria in a variety of casings and tread patterns. The Enduro Race tire uses one super-super-soft compound throughout. The compound used is softer than any of those features in the 4C models.

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Minion-esque, but a little better at penetrating deeper, softer dirt in my opinion.

Performance

Let's start with the main point of these tires. They're intended to be exceptionally grippy for true enduro trails, and do they deliver?

This tire has exceptional grip under braking on sheet-like rocks or slabs. However, I would say that the same thing that can make it excel in those situations is the same thing that can undermine them in other instances. The Mazza Race, thanks to the softness of the rubber, can offer levels of grip and deforming at slow speeds that other tires can't come anywhere near to. If you want something that will give consistently high levels of grip then these are very impressive. The problem is when the speeds are higher and there are more inputs or twisting forces going through those exceptionally soft lugs.

At higher speeds, especially through turns, it can feel like the lugs just twist or roll. While this isn't the worst feeling ever, and it can give a very positive feeling in medium-load turns, it can also quickly breach a threshold and the tire goes from conforming to squirming. On the front, I have no complaints and I didn't feel I was ever getting the drawbacks of the soft compounds, while still enjoying the positives. On the rear, however, it was a thin line between carving a turn and feeling like you were going to rip the tire off the rim.

If you could isolate these attributes away, I would say that it's a very confident turner across the tread, going from edge to edge consistently. It's an okay braker, but compared to something like an Assegai or Krypotal Front it lacks the large braking paddle that's made up of center, transfer and edge knobs.

The softness of this tire could make it a very good candidate for the front and it would pair excellently with a 4C Enduro Mazza on the rear.

So, is it simply too grippy? It's so hard to say. The element of squirming only came when leaning, so was far more present in higher-speed bike park trails with built-up banked turns with positive cambers. The rest of the time, on more natural trails where there isn't the same lateral load going through the bike, the tire did give a very good grip.

For me though, I think you choose to run a 1300-gram tire for a reason, and that reason is support. For all the grip on the Mazza Race, it excels in places where you don't need such a heavy tire in the first place.

Some of this instability should also be laid at the door of the sidewall. Vittoria, for this tire, has included a APF (anti-pinch flat) insert around the rim but it is markedly thinner than what you might find in other tires. Typically this insert is an inch-or-so long piece of material that sits between the plys of rubber in the sidewall and not only helps support the tire when under extreme load, but also helps protect the rim in harsh compressions. While it is present with the Mazza, I question its effectiveness at helping protect the rim and stabilize the tire.

photo
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Cutaway of the Mazza Race sidewall, left, and a Maxxis Doubledown casing.

To try and demonstrate this, I cut up two tires. On the left you can see a cutaway of the Mazza Race, and on the right of a Maxxis DHR2 Doubledown. You can see the effects of the butyl rubber insert in the Maxxis tire means that it mainly flexes where the sidewall ends and the tread begins. On the Mazza, which instead has a thinner and more flexible insert, it doesn't have this inflexion near the tread and I believe is a less robust option because of it. Note - the red part of the Vittoria tire is the anti-pinch flat insert; you can see the dark grey insert of the Maxxis if you look closely. Whilst the pictures might not look too dissimilar, the sidewalls feel markedly different when in your hands.

A comparison I would make would be suspension with a low spring rate and low compression damping. Yes, it might grip at lower speeds but as soon as you start to go faster you'd gladly trade some suppleness for some consistency and control under larger hits.

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The wear on the rear after 2 full days of park riding and a few trail rides.

Durability & Reliablity

You measure some tire's lifespan in weeks, others in days. The Race compound on the Mazza's mean you can measure it in runs. You also don't have to look too far to see where the squirming sensation is coming from as each lug seems to deteriorate as much from the base as it does the edge. A few days in the park riding classic Creekside enduro trails will use up any tire, but that's not to say I wasn't taken aback but just how fast the Mazza Race's showed signs of wear. The tracks, which included trails such as Delayed Fuse and Misfire, are often used in Enduro races at a world series and regional level - and for good reason. If you looking for the style of feature or section you'd find on an enduro world cup race track, it's probably going to be in there. During testing, I typically ran either 26 or 27 psi, which would be matched front and rear.

There were also issues present within the test that can't be ignored. Typically, I wouldn't say I break many wheels. Or rather, when I do I can point to one large, Hail Mary style incident. During the first five rides on the Mazza Race tires I broke two carbon wheels. I can only speculate as to whether each rim would have failed with a different model on, but I have sliced tires on both rims previously and the rim has come away unscathed. It should be noted though that the tyre received no visible damage, and in the second instance still held air, although I did fit a fresh one when moving to a new wheel.

There was also an incident where the tire blew off the rim under medium compressions on the exit of a turn at 27 psi. I was surprised at this, to say the least. It's not something I've had happen for a very long time, and also not something that I have suffered with other tires on the same rims. It was terrifying and frustrating in equal measure, as I was left trying to slow the bike down in wet slippy tech. You could, I suppose, run extra tape to tighten up the fit of the tire. While I'm not against this, it's more of a racers trick and I don't think it's a reasonable expectation with new tires in 2023.

I think, and it's only my opinion, but these tires would be better with the added security of a thicker butyl insert. Yes, they would be heavier for it but the sheer grip delivered by this soft compound merits a sidewall that can keep up.

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The red hot patch might not be to everyone's liking but it's grown on me.



Pros
+ Incredible grip on rocks and slabs
+ Penetrates loose dirt and mud

Cons
- Soft compound wears very quickly
- Squirming under load
- Came off the rim while riding



Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesI have always enjoyed Vittoria's 4C Mazza Enduro tire, in fact, it's one of my favorites. With this Race model, they haven't quite hit the same heights. I love the Mazza Enduro, and the consistency it offers in a range of situations - be it turning, braking, harsh compressions or rim protection. Sadly, with the exception of crawling down rock slabs at very low speeds, the new Race tire is inferior in every regard, including weight. The Mazza Race isn't without merit, and if you want something exceptionally grippy to put on the front then this would be a good candidate, but I think to make the most of the Mazza family it would be worth mixing with a 4C Enduro model on the rear.
Henry Quinney


Author Info:
henryquinney avatar

Member since Jun 3, 2014
322 articles

133 Comments
  • 70 1
 How much did it hurt having to spell tyre as "tire" so many times?
  • 17 0
 find and replace does wonders
  • 1 0
 doesnt come in 750d tyre size im way ahead of the curve
  • 2 0
 Can change your spell checker to fake-english to do it for you
  • 31 3
 You blew a tyre off with 27psi in it? That's a deal breaker if it happened to me!

As a side note, I run Vittoria Barzo's on my XC bike and have been incredibly happy with them, the Graphene rubber on those has proved to be grippy and very hard wearing for me, especially for such a grippy compound and in a use case for me that also involves a reasonable amount of miles on tarmac as well as dirt- I got a year out of my first set and just installed another identical pair. I guess they took it a bit far with these race compound ones.
  • 19 0
 Typically I've had really good experiences with Vittoria tires, both in terms of reliability and performance.
  • 8 2
 @henryquinney: Can you get Vittoria to explain exactly how Graphene, other than advertising hype, is usefully included in tyre production. As it only exists as a mono layer molecule simply adding it to a compound does not inherently add its intrinsic strength properties. Essentially unless its layered precisely its just a filler.
  • 11 0
 @darkstar66: I don't know Vittoria's recipe with graphene, but it is used as a filler in rubber, in the same way as silica or carbon black. The filler changes the mechanical properties of the rubber. And in the case of graphene, it can change other properties too. Lots of reading on the topic available on the interwebs.
  • 4 5
 @mbl77: found this but absolutely nothing about the process described uses graphene as a mono layer, which is its strongest form. It's very expensive to produce on a large scale so simply adding it s a filler makes no sense at all apart from maybe marketing hype?? It would be like taking carbon fibres in a woven matt then powdering them and saying you've added carbon fibre.....true in essence but also useless
  • 3 0
 @darkstar66: I’ve previously discussed graphene with industry vendors, many moons ago. From what I recall, industry ‘graphene’ is really just few-layer graphite, sub ten I think.
  • 1 2
 @dirtyburger: yeah I've heard that too and it's just talk. Graphene is really best used on electronics where the monolayer nature of its structure can be utilised. I've heard of companies building super strong nano tubes and layering them but it's crazy expensive and not a viable option as a replacement for carbon fibre
  • 5 1
 @darkstar66: You're applying graphene's electrical and structural on it's own when manufactured in very specific ways properties to a use where neither of those matter. Graphene is not carbon nanotubes nor single molecule thick film, those are just things made out of graphene, and they are expensive to make, but graphene on it's own is just a carbon compound.
  • 8 0
 @darkstar66:
Add graphene i sufficient quantity to (almost)any polymer and you will increase strength and youngs modulus.

nothing to do with its monolayer structure and it doesnt need to be Layered precyse(dont know where this asumption comes from). the added graphe is oriantated in "all" directions so some of if will be stressed in the plane of the layer(the graphene it self). thats where the modified(improved) mechanical properties come from and thats the reason why the improvements are small compared to theorectical mechanical properties(adressing for the percentage in the polymere).
  • 4 0
 @darkstar66: classic all or nothing misconception. just because the highest gains in strength, stiffnes would be gained by using it as large layers(which is impossible at the moment) dont mean that there are no usefull gains by appliying it as an additiv to the ruber compount

ps i got no idea if the qauntities used by vittoria lead to usefull performance benefits(in my experience(cnts mixed in epoxy) the necesarry quantity needed to improve mechanical properties (note that the tests im refering to did not use any fiber reinforcement) where quiet high regarding the price of those carbon particles(and considdring the price of tires)
  • 1 4
 @GrundleJ: Graphene most definitely
a mono molecule compound. Just one molecule thick. Graphene is a compound not an element. Grahpene can be made in to nanotubules that are one molecule thick. Therefore still graphene. Anything else is, as you've described another carbon compound with very different properties.
  • 3 4
 @JasperTS: I'm genuinely interested where you have got the info on this. As all the research I've read, this is probably the best description of the physical properties of the compound as well as physical attributes:

Graphene is a single layer (monolayer) of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. It is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a plane of sp2-bonded atoms with a molecular bond length of 0.142 nanometres. Layers of graphene stacked on top of each other form graphite, with an interplanar spacing of 0.335 nanometres. The separate layers of graphene in graphite are held together by van der Waals forces, which can be overcome during exfoliation of graphene from graphite.

Graphene is the thinnest compound known to man at one atom thick, the lightest material known (with 1 square meter weighing around 0.77 milligrams), the strongest compound discovered (between 100-300 times stronger than steel with a tensile strength of 130 GPa and a Young's modulus of 1 TPa - 150,000,000 psi), the best conductor of heat at room temperature (at (4.84±0.44) × 10^3 to (5.30±0.4Cool × 10^3 W·m−1·K−1) and also the best conductor of electricity known (studies have shown electron mobility at values of more than 200,000 cm2·V−1·s−1). Other notable properties of graphene are its uniform absorption of light across the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum (πα ≈ 2.3%), and its potential suitability for use in spin transport.
  • 2 1
 @JasperTS: Not really, stack Graphene molecules and you've got Graphite. Not all or nothing really just a fact. Graphene added to anything where it's molecular structure changes isn't graphene it's expensive filler. If the lattice breaks down during whatever process it's essentially just carbon. Considering, even now, pure graphene in its purest form cannot be made on an industrial scale, 0.0001 of a gram produced in about half a day, and industrial "graphene" which is heavily contaminated cost around 200k a ton I doubt Vittoria are adding enough to make a difference. So like I said, marketing hype.
  • 5 1
 @darkstar66: i dont know why you send what u sent(looks like an encyclopidia article)

if you want to understand more about polymeres with graphene in it there are plenty of papers(i think most are on duroplasts and not elastomeres(but i wouldguess its similar). the whole nano toughned think is growing and also electrical or sensory applications(later based on creating electricaly conductive polymeres) are being researched heavily for at least the last decade.


here are three exaples (i have not read them completly)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359836819328914
www.nature.com/articles/srep04375
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/marc.201600226
  • 2 2
 @darkstar66: nobody is arguing the structure of graphene the thing is that you draw wrong conclusions from it.
1) dont stack graphene(one production procress is the other way around)
2)adding graphene does not mean it changes its molekular strucure (maybe some get rolled into cnts(but thats just a guess))
3)graphene is not used as a filler(Carbon black is)

and last youre production quantities /costs lacks a lot of numbers and is looking like from a non scientific article
  • 3 0
 @darkstar66: It's just marketing, even in their own materials it's obviously the same carbon powder that gets added to all tyres. At least the publicity shots of pressed Graphite pucks are funny, like little piles of broken pencils. At a cost of $2000/kg for actual Graphene there's going to be phuck all of it in an actual tyre that retails for £60.
  • 1 0
 @Fix-the-Spade:
how can you see that the shown powder is the same added to all tyres(which is carbon black)?

if the Price for graphen is at 2000USD/kg (which seams low to me but i got no klue) it would be a feasible to be used in tyres(adding a view percent to some of the tyre compounds(where it matters the most))
  • 2 1
 @Fix-the-Spade: hit it on the head there dude!
  • 2 0
 @JasperTS: Honestly I think your getting lost in translation here dude. Duroplasts are set compounds with little to no usable elasticity compared to elastomers so unless your suggesting we're all going to have a shiny set of new graphene enhanced epoxy derived tyres then I think I'm going to leave our conversation here.
  • 3 3
 @darkstar66: im well aware and not getting lost.
duroplasts are polymers as elastomers are too. thats the connection(maybee i should have made that clearer)
i send you 3 articles/papers in a commetn two are on epoxy one on elastomers (its about the influence of graphen on polymers)

PS you seam to have little knowlage on that topic but are big on asumptions. You make stuff up and than get mad about it towards the manuffacturer. thats strange behaviour.
  • 2 4
 @JasperTS: what have I made up? Am I not allowed to make reasonable assumptions about a maker's claims versus very easily researched data, which I've shared? I'm not mad and I'm pretty sure I've not conducted myself that way either. Are you happy to blindly follow what the manufacturer has claimed? Because where money is involved I'm sure, of not all but some companies, are a little bit creative with claims of product benefits. You've come forward with a lot of data but most of its not really relevant or if it is your not making it obvious. I'm pretty happy about my questions and the facts I've bought to the table bro.
  • 6 0
 @darkstar66: Fillers can dramatically change the properties of polymers. In some cases it does take much filler to change things like impact strength, elongation, and stiffness. This is an example of a study on a rigid polymer that uses graphene as a filler where the tensile and impact strengths were improved by a large percentage: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8433695
PC/ABS is a rigid material so this study says nothing about what you get when you add graphene to a elastomeric polymer but this does show what can happen even with low fill levels for some additives.
  • 6 2
 @darkstar66:
"what have I made up?" "Essentially unless its layered precisely its just a filler", "raphene added to anything where it's molecular structure changes isn't graphene it's expensive filler", "It would be like taking carbon fibres in a woven matt then powdering them and saying you've added carbon fibre.....true in essence but also useless", "your suggesting we're all going to have a shiny set of new graphene enhanced epoxy derived tyres"

here are some of the statement you made up.

easy to research data? i dont know what youre refering to but if you mean the snipets of wikipedia(or comparable "source") which in no way is an adequate basis for youre asumptions with youre lack of background knowledge(the molekular structur really got you).

"Are you happy to blindly follow what the manufacturer has claimed?" who said that i do. what i dont do is asuming a scam on the basis of not understanding(you dont understand what Vittoria did so it must be a scam or hype or how ever you want to call it). I dont say that its not a scam. i see potential in using graphene in tires(Whether it makes economic sense i dont know) and i also dont know what ecaxtly vittoria did there(and they surely will not tell(not because its a big scam but because you dont give away technology))


"You've come forward with a lot of data but most of its not really relevant or if it is your not making it obvious." its pretty straight forward(just read the texts)(strange that you are not able to come to the right conclusion from your reserach(if its what you postet("Graphene is a single layer (monolayer) of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. It is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a plane of sp2-bonded atoms with a molecular bond length of 0.142 nanometres. Layers of graphene stacked on top of each other form graphite, with an interplanar spacing of 0.335 nanometres. The separate layers of graphene in graphite are held together by van der Waals forces, which can be overcome during exfoliation of graphene from graphite.

Graphene is the thinnest compound known to man at one atom thick, the lightest material known (with 1 square meter weighing around 0.77 milligrams), the strongest compound discovered (between 100-300 times stronger than steel with a tensile strength of 130 GPa and a Young's modulus of 1 TPa - 150,000,000 psi), the best conductor of heat at room temperature (at (4.84±0.44) × 10^3 to (5.30±0.4Cool × 10^3 W·m−1·K−1) and also the best conductor of electricity known (studies have shown electron mobility at values of more than 200,000 cm2·V−1·s−1). Other notable properties of graphene are its uniform absorption of light across the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum (πα ≈ 2.3%), and its potential suitability for use in spin transport.")) how is this helping you in anyway to understand how graphene works in rubber?


www.oemoffhighway.com/engineering-manufacturing/materials/article/21023807/the-many-possibilities-of-graphene here its simply writen and roughly describes why they want to use graphene in tires.

other wise if you just want to complain on the basis that you dont understand the topic youre complaining about go on(but tthats not normal behaviour)
  • 5 0
 @Fix-the-Spade: I used to work in the (automotive) tire industry and can confidently say all the companies are pretty much at parity. This is marketing, not some technological advantage.
  • 2 0
 @JasperTS: You've just posted a link to an article describing exactly what I'm talking about. A company stating the know benefits but with little to no data, official data, to back it up. As for you clear assumption that I don't have a grasp of the subject of compounds an the effects of the addition of components that bond on a molecular level? Well I spent over 19 years in my first career in aviation engineering. 11 of that was working exclusively with resins, glass fibres, carbon fibre and aramid. As well as this I also worked with adhesives for aluminium skin bonding. In any of these processes mixing of compounds in exact quantities, many of them polymers is paramount. So yes I do have a good understanding of what I'm talking about.
  • 1 1
 @darkstar66:
The article talks about advantages generated by adding g grapheme to tire compounds. So it’s opposing you’re primary statement .

If you have 19 years of engineering in aerospace than I’m stunned by you’re lack of knowledge.(Also I never heard Someone with sufficient know on the topic talk like you(it’s a little bit suspicious))

But if that’s the case you should get some basics in your head. Read papers the whole nano particles in polymers stuff is big now(lots of material on that)
  • 1 0
 @JasperTS: Yes aerospace, not tyre production which is why if you read my original statement I'm asking the question of how exactly adding graphene to rubber makes a significant change. I'm trying keep this simple for you as your going way off track here. Since your quite happy to try to pick apart my knowledge base and previous experience, what's your background? Just so I can get a better understanding. It's just your critical of my understanding but contradict yourself by only offering up similar cut and paste information whilst criticising me for the same. I do actually have real world experience to back up my understanding also so feel free to go ahead and share yours
  • 2 2
 @darkstar66:
1) you answered youre own question so it’s not really a question any more(claiming its hype) it’s more of an statement.

2) where did I go off track?

3) i provided scientific sources(all but one) which all state the improvement of characteristics through adding graphene to polymers(one also to elastomers)
You on the other hand copied random lines from wiki(I think) regarding properties and structure of graphene (not on application in polymers)

4) what’s you’re real world experience(seam to lack some basic stuff)?
I’m an engineer for composite structures. I also have worked in a lab with cnts in Polymere matrix (I stated that earlier)(not as an engineer ).So I’m clearly no expert on the topic, but have sufficient basic knowledge to get the topic(something you seam to lack)
  • 4 1
 @JasperTS: Oh dude were done here.
  • 24 0
 Seems like it should be marketed as a wet conditions tire, where a more supple casing and ultra soft rubber are more advantageous, and support matters a bit less.
  • 1 0
 Agreed, the way I'm reading this is it could be an ideal North Shore winter tire. If the compound doesn't brick in cold weather, of course.
  • 27 9
 I don’t agree with much of this review, having run this tyre and compound for three months.

I’d say it’s as grippy and well damped as any other tyre I’ve tried Including the Magic Mary Ultrasoft and Assegai Maxxgrip. In dry conditions I’d say it’s better than either of those.

As for longevity, the front is showing minimal wear despite having done several hundred km, of which 100km was at Morzine and a further 40km at BPW.

I run tyres at fairly low pressures and have had no issues blowing the tyre off the rim on bigger berms at Pleney and Super Morzine.

Whilst I’m not the heaviest or most aggressive rider, I know a couple of very fast enduro racers who run this tyre and haven’t had the issues described in the review.

It’s also worth remembering that they’re generally available for less money than a similar Maxxis.
  • 1 0
 sounds like you've had pretty good luck with them staying on the rim at low pressures, mirrors my experience with Vittorias too. What rims are you running (and what ones are the ones Henry killed?)
  • 15 5
 This message brought to you by vittoria
  • 8 0
 @TannerValhouli: I just thought it was weird that he killed 2 wheels (but tires survived?) and didn't mention what wheels were blowing these off the rim at normal pressures. The Bontrager G5 and Tacky Chan tire reviews clearly stated which rims were used but it was missing in this Mazza review, and since it kinda came up in the testing process maybe it's relevant?
  • 4 0
 I switched from DHFs to this to try something new as I was upset with the durability of Maxxis. I agree with you and so far have been very pleased with my Mazzas. Ridden a good bit and hard since I've put em on. No complaints with longevity so far and never once had an issue with them debeading.
  • 3 0
 I think tyres are so subjective. The weight of the rider, the type of terain the fit of the tyre on the rim could all contribute to blowing tyres off rims. So I think it's valid he mentioned it happened to Henry. I've had really good experiences with vittoria tyres particularly around wear. I don't think the 4c tyres I've tried nota, martello and morsa have the outright grip of Michelin or Schwalbe tyres their lighter, cheaper and last so much better. But from my own experience I won't use Schwalbe tyres because I've had 3 faulty tyres that wouldn't stay on the rim, one blew up in my face which isn't pleasant
  • 3 0
 @davidccoleman: Spank 29mm inner width. I forget the model.

JP
  • 2 0
 @TannerValhouli: If only! I thought the standard 4C tyre wasn’t particularly good, but then it is full of rooty trails round here so grip on these in the wet (most of the year) is more important to me than things like rolling speed.
  • 1 0
 Same here. I even run it in back for a month or two which turned out to be too slow to chew through but the wear was minimal. Used on pretty dry rocky / rooty PWN trails.
  • 4 0
 I have owned the 4c Mazza and really liked it, but it lacked grip on wet rocks and roots. The 1c i mounted 1month ago is perfect on the front, so much grip. In the rear it rolls kinda slow and already shows as much wear as the 4c after one year. In run it with 27 psi in the back and it is much more stable than a conti enduro or a maxxis DD. Perfect fronttire to be used with 4c in the back imo.
  • 9 0
 Tell us more about the wheels!

Were they a few years old? What make/model? How did they go kaboom?

I think you're correct to speculate on what could have caused the failure, given both rims broke within a similar time frame. Either faulty rims, or those tires are bad news, though I find it hard to believe the tires could be the culprit
  • 2 0
 I'm curious about this also, as the rim plays just as much of a role in whether the tire stays on or not as well
  • 5 0
 earlier this year I had a rear carbon rim blowing up on me on a landing that I didn't even case but had a small rock sticking out. Didn't understand why this happened and then remembered that last time I changed tire I found a big slicing in my insert. Didn't puncture at the time but I must have hit it hard enough tho. When looking at where the cut was it matched with where the rim exploded. Long story short, unless the rim was new, you never know when a carbon rim will blow up. And Henry give it away as he says he had bad punctures with those rims before mounting those tires so the damage was already there, just invisible and waiting for the opportunity to blow.
  • 9 0
 @henryquinney - I measured the Mazza Race compound. Softer than a MaxxGrip Assegai. Softest tire I have measures so far at around 37A Shore over multiple knobs (side & center). To be fair – not a quality durometer, quite an affordable model, still you'd be surprised on the differences. I highly recommend getting one for pinkbike. Cheers from an ex-editor Wink
  • 12 0
 I know Vittoria's secret.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, they sell flimsy things for $80
  • 9 1
 so Mazza Race front with a 4c tire rear and tire inserts probably solves the cons listed, right? I believe that's what Vittoria recommends in their 2023 catalogue right?
  • 11 0
 The tires were sent to me in pairs from Vittoria, to be reviewed as a set. In the several conversations with Vittoria, both prior to, during and after testing, they never suggested in any way that setup. In fact, that was my suggestion during one of our conversations. Do you have a link to the copy?
  • 16 0
 @henryquinney: It was in an earlier copy of the 2023 catalog I have but now it's just listed on their website:
www.vittoria.com/ww/en/technology/enduro-trail-tyres#compounds

Depending on riding style, conditions and terrain, the new Enduro tyres featuring the 1C RACE compound can be fitted with different set-ups and alternatively combined also with other Vittoria Enduro tyres featuring the 4C compound for the best performance. The possible use can be:

FRONT & REAR: 1C RACE for the most wet, technical or rocky conditions where grip and damping have to be maximized.
FRONT: 1C RACE for maximization of grip at every lean angle, suppleness and energy absorption, especially to keep control at landings on technical sections.
REAR: 4C Graphene for pedalling efficiency, toughness and durability.
FRONT & REAR: 4C Graphene for hardpack fast terrains, ultimate robustness and strength.


So I'm guessing front 1c and rear 4c would have been better for your bike park laps based on this?
  • 14 0
 @davidccoleman: Thanks for that - and that makes sense to me. 4C is still incredibly grippy, albeit with more support and durability. For the record, I would absolutely agree, and I came to a similar conclusion during the test. Cheers
  • 2 0
 For a PNW/BC all year tire vittoria 4c martello on the rear is now on 2 out of 3 of my bikes and eventually it will be on all three, either 2.6 or 2.8 and either tnt or enduro casing depending on the application. I haven't made any progress on a preferred front tire, probably not vittoria, probably maxxis maybe continental. This new race compound might work
  • 2 0
 @steakandeggs: I have not tried the Mazza, but I ran a Martello 2.35 Enduro compound rear for two seasons and loved it. I am now on Kryptotals, but I think I liked the Martello rear better.

The biggest problem with Vittoria has been getting your hands on them. The Mazza's were always sold out everywhere!

Sounds like the 1C is a bit too soft for me and the 4C would be the way to go.
  • 4 0
 Ive been running Mazza 4C 2.4" tyres for probably 2 years now and rate them higher than the other big brand tyres. I am a heavier rider and run 28psi in the front, 30psi in the rear with Cushcore in both and fitted to Spank rims. To the touch the compound impressed me, they just felt like they'd have good grip. They snap in to the rim bead really well and Ive never had one not run true. Have had Schwalbe and Maxxis with 'wobbles' with some Maxxis that bad they hit the frame.
I love the grip they have and they do last a good amount of time, even better than tyres Ive previously used. In all the time Ive been using them Ive not yet had one come off the rim nor burp.
So impressed with them that I now run the 2.6" Mazza 4C tyres on my E-bike (with Cushcore 26psi F, 28psi R). That came with some DT Swiss hybrid rims which I will replace with Spank wheels if they ever need to be. Again though, the tyres seat in the bead really well and have never burped or come off.
Another thing I like about the Mazzas is how well the sidewalls wear. With Maxxis the sidewall rubber would wear and the threads would show through whereas Mazza does not seem to do so.
Be it on my trail bike or E-bike my riding is more about the descending so I put them through their paces. Personally I can't fault them. Ive tried various brands over the years looking for 'the' tyre that gives me what I want and these certainly do.
Everyone has an opinion on whats good or bad be it from personal experience or just jumping on the band wagon to praise or slam something, but for me these are definitely worth trying.
  • 1 0
 As much as i love my mazza/agarro 4c combo for trailriding, It's the first set since i went full maxxis 6 years ago or so that needed me to use an air compressor to set them up
  • 1 0
 @Becciu: Once on the rim I always spray the beads with a water and detergent mix to help them snap in to the rim bead easily. Saves the hassle of when a small section of tyre bead wont move in to the rim bead. Rims vary enough that some are tougher to get a tyre on than others. Theyre a good snug fit on the Spank rims which I do like.
  • 8 0
 Amazzaing!
  • 5 1
 As a pronunciation stickler, I hear most people calling this tire masa when it should be pronounced like pizza. I feel compelled to mention that.
  • 2 0
 "I typically ran either 26 or 27 psi, which would be matched front and rear."
Am I the only here with big F/R pressure differences? I typically have 24 F and 29R with DH casing. Still can here, sometimes, dings but only in the rear.
  • 5 1
 Why bother with a tire that last 5 runs when Conti super soft DH compounds last hundreds of miles, while dominating DH WC's?
  • 4 1
 I've been running the same Conti soft DH (not super soft) tires all season. Park weekends, a week of Squamish slabs, and more pedaling/shuttling than I've done in years, and they hardly look worn. 10/10 would recommend.
  • 8 0
 They last long because their compound isn't all that soft. You're not going to get an equally soft compound that miraculously wears much slower.
  • 5 0
 @ranchitup: but there is also far more to real world grip than just tyre compound. Somehow Conti seems to get the grip/ rolling resistance/ longevity equation to equal far more days than a lot of other brands.
  • 4 0
 @ranchitup: Durability depends on lug design and tire compound, but the secret sauce is really in chemical engineering behind the tire compound. Some formulas can do soft & durable much better than others. All Maxxis tires wear fast, even in harder compounds. I just burned through a Forekaster EXO rear tire in about 50 miles.
  • 2 0
 @andrewbikeguide: For me compound is everything in the wet. In the dry sure you can get away with a harder tire. For the winters on the shore I'd definitely want something softer.
  • 1 0
 @ranchitup: agreed. Conti soft would not recommend for wet rock. Soft works ok in mud or roots at super low pressure but enduro casing allows too many rim strikes. Vittoria 4c trail mazza is a great all rounder but I’ve broken two beads so won’t be using them again. The enduro 4c is DH strong and still rolls really well but you can feel it’s heft. Interested to try this one as a front
  • 2 0
 @ranchitup: Agreed. My Squamish trip was last week, when it was 30-35 degrees each day. If I was going later in shoulder season/winter when there it's wet, I would have swapped to super soft.

Out here in Alberta, it's always dry and dusty, so regular soft works best for the majority of our riding.
  • 2 0
 @jsnfschr:

The soft compound does wear amazingly but it doesn't have near the hold of a maxx grip, I'd even go as far to rank it below a maxx terra grip wise but this could also be the pattern as I've only ridden a KRF on the front. Matched with KRR rear but rear compound matters less to me there.
  • 2 0
 @professed: conti soft is d*gshit it has a very platic feel to it, it is beyond me how the difference between soft and supersoft can be that big.
  • 1 0
 Is it possible to describe the Mazza Race's casing with a more consistent vocabulary to describe tire construction? It's never clear whether ply means how many sheets of fabric or how many layers a tire has after its folded over on itself. Better yet, compare the construction to something similar. For example, does single ply mean one sheet of 60 tpi, with two layers on the sidewall and three under the tread, similar to the new EXO+ or the Schwalbe Super Trail casing?
  • 2 0
 The article makes it unclear whether or not you tried running higher pressures. All of the issues kind of just sound like not enough pressure due to the tire being so soft and flexy.
  • 1 0
 Been running these for a few months now. Bike park days and some big back country rides. The grips is impressive but they do tend to squirm on jumps. Overall its a very good race tire just not the one I want for every day riding. I'll be going back to the regular Mazza with the enduro casing for daily use.
  • 3 1
 reminds me of a Michelin Wild Enduro tire I ran that had great grip but that wore away incredibly fast. Seems like a tire to avoid.
  • 2 0
 Depends where you ride. Horses for courses.
  • 4 0
 27 psi, and it blew off on a tech trail , yikes.
  • 3 0
 makes you wonder about the wheel, really.....
  • 2 1
 I've run a Mazza with cush core in the front for 2 seasons of cross-country racing, and I've never had an issue with flats, debeading, or even wearing too fast. I will note, mine isn't the race model though
  • 3 0
 The max’s isn’t an XC tyre, but okay
  • 1 0
 Mazza*
  • 4 0
 @henryquinney big ups for the semicolon use, henry
  • 3 0
 Am I crazy for avoiding trail tires which weigh more than 1kg?

I think tires keep getting heavier and heavier.
  • 3 0
 Ooof way to throw Vittoria under the bus when sketchy anonymous carbon rims fail
  • 1 0
 Went to read the comments and was instantly put to sleep by the science lesson on graphene rubber on a molecular level, all I wanted to know was peoples take on the tyre. Think the thread digressed a little people.
  • 3 0
 Came off the rim while riding....er no thanks
  • 1 0
 what rims?
  • 1 0
 ikr - sounds like a deal breaker
  • 3 0
 I would put a Martello on the rear. Side knobs are stiffer.
  • 1 0
 Not much braking grip in the martello though.
  • 2 0
 I run 2.6f 2.4r mazza trails and I think they're great tires. Unfortunate to hear the race tires are underwhelming
  • 2 0
 Yikes, I can't stand the feeling of the lugs turn and roll in turns. No my type of tire.
  • 4 6
 "For me though, I think you choose to run a 1300-gram tire for a reason, and that reason is support. For all the grip on the Mazza Race, it excels in places where you don't need such a heavy tire in the first place."

"I think, and it's only my opinion, but these tires would be better with the added security of a thicker butyl insert. Yes, they would be heavier for it but the sheer grip delivered by this soft compound merits a sidewall that can keep up."

Again, am I missing something?
  • 4 0
 Needmorecoffee
  • 14 0
 He's saying they roll, grip, and act like a "light & fast" compound tire, but have the weight penalty of a super heavy DH casing.

Essentially, Vittoria has created a Maxxis DHF MaxxTerra EXO casing tire that's an extra 400g heavier.
  • 1 0
 Sounds like the tire should be front wheel specific and weigh less, not more.
  • 2 1
 That's not what I understood The first quote is, I think, saying the softness and stickiness of the rubber makes them unstable at higher speeds, but good at slower speeds -- where a lighter tyre is sufficient The second quote is saying the grip offered by the compound merits a sturdier casing But if the grip itself is a source of instability, a sturdier casing will only help so much
  • 1 1
 Shame about the casing, otherwise sounds like it could've been an amazing tire for those that live in places where wet rocks and roots are the norm
  • 1 0
 Umma Gumma and Butterscotch tires were crap in the 1990’s. Turns out running rubber that soft still makes for lousy tires.
  • 3 0
 I remember having a set of Umma Gummas and blowing through the rear in a couple of weeks of riding. I used my MTB for everything, class commuter, grocery getter and trail riding. I was a bit pissed at the time snice I was a poor college student and I had to borrow my RAs car to drive to the Nashbar outlet when I needed new parts. IIRC I went to Ritchey Alpha/Omega Bytes
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: I remember selling Umma Gummas. The wear was alarming!!
  • 3 1
 Ah ha! So this is how Remy nose wheeleys down those rock slabs!
  • 1 0
 I have Mezcal 2.6 on my trail bike. All good. Probably the easiest tyres I have had in terms of setting up tubeless
  • 2 4
 I finally wore out a 2.6 Butcher /front tire/ after a year or so, that t-9 compound is fairly gummy and offered great traction until the knobs started nearly peeling off in the turns… i feel like i got my money out of the butcher… but fwiw ive moved on to a 2.6 DHF EXO with an original recipe Vittoria Airliner, the DHF rolls noteably better than the butcher
  • 6 2
 Thanks for discussing everything but the topic at hand. Really valuable comment. Like this one…
  • 2 0
 I love mines! Best front tire ever.
  • 1 0
 Came off the rim while riding ... non merci
  • 3 3
 I'm not trynna pay $90 for a tire that looks like that after 2 days of riding
  • 4 0
 reading comprehension
  • 1 0
 “$90? A tire price too far?”
  • 1 0
 some of you know a lot about graphene
  • 2 4
 "...as well as an anti-flat insert on the bead of the aramid bead"

"Notably, the sidewall does without any kind of insert at the bead"

Am I missing something?
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