‘You still ride black tyres? They're dirty and slow’ - Vittoria wants to change what bike tyres look, feel and even smell like

Italian tyre manufacturer Vittoria believes the future of cycling rolls on lighter, faster, greener and naturally tan tyres. Tyres made of sustainable materials that perform and even smell better.

"In a few years, people will say, ‘You still ride black tyres? They’re dirty and slow'," said Stijn Vriends, CEO of Vittoria.

What began as an exercise in sustainability has become a breakthrough in speed, grip and puncture-resistance. Vittoria’s new Terreno gravel tyre range aims to redefine what cyclists expect from their tyres: not just in how they ride, but in how consumers think about the materials beneath them.

Vittoria’s collection is made from 92 percent renewable and recycled materials, a stark departure from how tyres have been made for over a century.

Cycling Weekly got a close-up look at the tyres last week in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Vittoria has recently relocated its North American headquarters.

On display was a pale-tan T50 prototype, for folks to see, feel and, yes, smell. Gone is carbon black, the compound that gives most tyres their dark colour, as well as synthetic rubbers and chemical compounds. In their place are natural rubber, organic cotton, soybean oils, rice husk silica, natural latex and recycled nylon yarn spun from discarded fishing nets.

Surprisingly, the eco-friendly formula also produced a performance leap. Compared to Vittoria’s Gravel Endurance construction, it offers 19% more grip, 5% more speed, 18% better puncture resistance and 13% greater comfort. And, produced in a CarbonNeutral® operations-certified facility, the tyre's carbon footprint is reduced by 47% compared to a gravel tire made with standard materials and processes.

“This tyre, surprisingly, is the fastest gravel tyre we’ve ever made,” said Vriends. “Because of the cotton, it’s also super grippy. And it’s more puncture-resistant. We’re going to launch this very soon as the race tyre of choice."

The Terreno project first drew attention at the 2024 Taipei Bike Show, where its prototype won an innovation award. That recognition pushed the brand to bring it to market perhaps sooner than planned.

“The Terreno Pro were only momentarily on the market in a very limited quantity as required by the UCI for homologation,” explained Christopher Zigmont, Vittoria’s Director of Marketing and D2C. “The tyre was developed with a specific project in mind for sustainability and ended up being a solid performer. And we wanted to elevate professional use for part of our development in testing. Of course, like all other components, a certain number have to be made commercially available to be used.”

Now, after a year-and-a-half of thorough testing, Vittoria is preparing to release a full range of these natural-rubber tyres.

Those paying close attention would have spotted a sneak preview of these tyres under Tom Pidcock at the UCI Gravel World Championships earlier this month. In Limburg, Pidcock opted for the 35 mm Terreno Pro T30 tyres. Other pros like Lachlan Morton and Mathieu van der Poel have also been riding the natural rubbers, said Vriends.

“This tyre is the future,” said Vriends. “This is the tyre that helps people win races in the future.

"They also look nice, I think. They smell nice, too, because there’s no chemicals in them.”

Vittoria’s push for sustianble innovation builds on a long history of working with supple cotton casings. Additionally, in 2023, the company opened a carbon neutral bicycle tyre factory, the first of its kind for high-performance and sustainable bicycle tyres.

“Innovation is in our DNA, and we see that consumers like that,” said Vriends. "Innovation comes from the top down but our consumers like to try new things. I’m happy with that.”

Availability & Pricing

A full Terreno lineup, from T10 to T90 in sizes 35mm through 45mm, will launch “very soon,” we’re told. With 50mm and 55mm versions expected by mid-2026.

Be ready to shell out though. They’ll hit the market at around the $100 mark.