Review: Vittoria Terreno Dry 38c Tubeless Ready
(2022) A glance at the weather for the Black Fly Challenge in Inlet, NY, solidified the tire choice for the event. Vittoria Terreno Dry tubeless ready tires were expected to carry me through the weekend focused on a point-to-point gravel event. The experiences would not be isolated to the Black Fly Challenge. A mix of off-season snowmobile trails and pristine tarmac would put these tires to the proper test.
The Black Fly Challenge is a manageable distance gravel race that covers roughly forty miles from Inlet to Indian Lake, NY. Between the two towns is a strip of seasonal gravel road that takes up about twenty-five miles. The rest of the mileage covered tertiary mountain roads, so tire choice and pressure was important. With a surprising sunny forecast for the entire weekend, the Vittoria Terreno Dry tread was the perfect match for the challenge.
To those who live in the Inlet/ Old Forge area of the Adirondacks, it is common knowledge regarding the infrastructure of snowmobile trails. It was those loamy pathways that saw the first miles after arriving in the town of Inlet. These trails, covered by forest and surrounded by tall grass in the late spring, feature a thick sand/ gravel/ mud mix. The route had been scouted throughout the approach to the town and it looked bleak. The Terreno made easy work of the surface, floating over areas where previous cyclists deviated to avoid deeper sand. At one point I missed the route’s turn to regain access to the main road, possibly because the snowmobile path was that much fun.
Because the Black Fly Challenge is in a wilderness area, much cycling was planned for the weekend. Many miles were paved, and anyone who has recently ridden in the Adirondacks can attest that the road quality is remarkable. (This has not always been the case, coming from a former resident.) Rolling around the uniquely named chain of lakes called First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, and Fourth Lake, despite looking like one giant lake, required numerous miles on pavement. Riding on East Shore Drive was an enigma as next-to-no cars passed by for its entirety. Meanwhile the Vittoria Terrenos showed resolve. The big tires performed close to road cycling tires, though it was an adjustment to the change in sound due to the volume. Once the ride was over and the ride was uploaded to Strava, a curious notation showed an average speed worth a second glance from a bike reserved for heavier usage. These tires, too, are fast.
Vittoria’s compound, it should be noted, is quite soft. On the final ride, the post Black Fly Challenge return trip back to the vacation rental was completely on paved roadways. The smell of rubber hung in the house and a quick inspection revealed some smooth treads on the back tire. A weekend with roughly 100 miles of racing on them certainly showed their efforts. Though if one were using these as event tires, the wear-and-tear may be just the trade-off for a decent result.
Speaking of results, the Vittoria Terreno Dry made its presence felt on the Limekiln Lake/ Cedar River Road gravel section of the Black Fly Challenge. There were numerous climbs, few descents, quarry gravel sections, sand sectors, and granite obstacles for participants to stress about. With a toothy shoulder on the tire, many of the descents on loose gravel were trust falls for me. Twice it felt as if the rider and bike were going to miss the turn at the bottom of the hill, but the Vittorias gained purchase and carried me through. As they did the day before, the Terreno’s floated over the sand sections with ease. With the wide 38c tires, the terrifying granite entrenched stones were shrugged off or tackled with confidence. But the tires’ true worth came on the climbs. In areas where it was clear other riders’ tires were slipping, a seated climb felt grippy and encouraging. This could not have been a more perfect tire selection for the day.
Some interesting areas of note include tire pressure and sealant. Since the final ten miles of the Black Fly Challenge is paved with the fastest rollers, I started the race with 60 psi (4.1 bar). This certainly helped with the early pavement sectors, and definitely added speed in the closing ten miles. In the gravel sectors, particularly deep areas, the tires were too firm for my liking, but again, the paved closing miles. If I had to do pressure over again, I think I would keep it. And speaking of pressure, sealant is a strong consideration. These are true gumwall tires and pressure leaked out of them overnight by more than half. It may be optimal to seek out either Muc-Off or Peaty’s sealant unless daily riding - and inflation - are your thing.
Overall the sense of satisfaction with these tires is hard to overstate. The Vittoria Terreno Dry was impressive in all areas of testing: pavement, offseason snowmobile trails, and proper gravel roads. These are certainly the tires to use for next year’s Black Fly Challenge. But knowing Adirondack weather, we may be reviewing the wet tires next year.
