The Vittoria Martello is a square knob moto-block design intended for use as a versatile all-conditions downhill and enduro tyre.

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Reader review by Ric Jamieson | Enduro & gravity rider

How long have you had them?

Four months.

Used on front or rear?

Front and rear.

Durability. How well have they stood up to use?

The tyres turned out to be quite durable, however not as good as advertised. The centre tread middle section got damaged at Bike Park Wales’ Rim Dinger. The sidewalls are the strongest part of the tyre.

Performance. Traction, cornering, braking, puncture protection, acceleration, rolling speed etc?

Rolls fast compared to a Maxxis High Roller II with excellent traction in a variety of conditions. Really holds corners and straightens out without much effort. The tyre itself seems to encourage good speed for such a moto-style tread pattern.

What sort of conditions does this tyre work best in? Dry, mud, rock, loose, firm etc

Works very well in wet, slippery conditions with roots, rocks. However if the ground becomes loose the tyre does slip on the rear. Front seems okay. Traction is great in the dry. However, the weakness is dry rocks. The centre tread of the tyre does not seem strong enough to handle multiple rocks. I managed to rip the tyre (running tubeless) after just two runs at Bike Park Wales. I managed to repair it with a kit, however it failed on another track (50 Shades).

How is the sizing of the tyre – ie accurate, bit narrow, bit big etc?

Although it does look wider, the actual sizing is spot on. They look great. Definitely a style item to look at.

Have you run the tyre as tubeless? If so, how was tubeless installation?

Tyres were run tubeless front and rear. They are very easy to setup. They did not need special pump, just a standard floor pump was fine. Ran the front at 24 psi and the rear at 26 psi over winter.

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