Picked up a set of these Vittoria T30's 700x50 to replace worn down Conti Race King 29x2.2 ProTection (Black Chili) on my fully rigid 29er hardtail.
Out of the box, the casing is less stiff than the Conti's however, they required a bit more muscle to get the tire mounted on WTB original KOM i25 hoops. I always use an air compressor to set the bead and there wasn't any issues. Hoops were double-wrapped with tubeless rim tape and tires held air quite nicely. Tires were set-up tubeless with Orange Seal endurance.
After three rides, I found the T30's to roll significantly easier and smoother on pavement, hardpack dirt and gravel, and light slightly loose
gravel. Not surprising given the difference in tread patterns between the T30's and Conti's. It
goes without saying the T30's probably aren't the best choice for deep, loose, chunky gravel or
muddy conditions. There are better tire options available for those conditions.
For my style of riding - pavement/hardpack dirt and gravel, the T30's are, so far, a better choice than the Conti Race Kings. Don't get me wrong, the Conti's are a great tire that I ran for years. The T30's are just better for me these days.
The only caveat to this review is I have zero knowledge regarding tread life for the T30's.
Latex tubes are fantastic! They're lighter and a whole lot easier to deal with than tubeless, have incredibly low rolling resistance, and provide a next-level supple feel. For all that, they're still very durable, and are in my experience less prone to pinch flats than butyl tubes.
Some folks here have complained that they don't hold air, and that's true. Compared to butyl tubes or even tubeless, they lose air faster. You need to expect to add air to your tires before every single ride, with no exceptions. If that's too much for you, then you won't like these tubes. However, if you can get over that, you'll love them. Especially when paired with a good supple tire like the Vittoria Rubino Pro.
I was a dedicated Veloflex user for many years I had been riding with my winter Gravel kings waiting for someone to purchase Veloflex it just didn't happen. I couldn't take the Gravel kings any longer and knew that I wanted a cotton based tire to get the ride as close as I could to my vintage tubular bikes. I treat these tires just like tubular's I use my gloves to wipe down tires often just to make sure no glass shards etc are stuck to tires just waiting to be pounded into the tire with every rotation. I know the Veloflex tires can be fragile, it's too early for me to judge, but I have no cuts thus far. Tire pressure is something I'm still trying to figure out as maybe the sidewalls are thinner than my old Veloflex or maybe riding the horribly hard Gravel Kings, that I forgot what a good quality tire feels like. I'm pretty light maybe around 125lbs and ride a 2020 Bianchi Infinito endurance frame that I love. I'll figure it out. Purchase experience was first rate, that I'm ordering a new Kask helmet today.
This tire is essentially a clincher version of the Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR. I used the TLR version and found it very smooth on the road. But I got tired of the mess and maintenance of tubeless. So this spring I went back to clincher tires. When Vittoria released this tire I was all in. I have paired with Vittoria latex tubes. The ride is amazing. The ride feels faster and smoother than the Corsa Pro TLR. I know that's subjective, so take it for what it's worth, but for me it is the best combination I have come across. For you old schoolers, it reminds me of how tubulars felt on the road.
