On a recent gravel trip to Scottsdale, we spotted these Vittoria Mezcal 700×35 tires aboard a key dealer’s personal bike. They’re new, in that there’s no such size currently offered on Vittoria’s website. The Mezcal is the brand’s fast rolling, dry conditions XC mountain bike tire. The design uses small knobs with a near continuous center line to reduce rolling resistance, which should make it perfect for fast, dry dirt and gravel roads.
Currently, the smallest sizes offered is a 52 width (2.1″), so this 35 is coming closer to cyclocross sizes, but we suspect they’re working on a complete range. Why? Because word on the street is they won’t be available until late summer 2020, possibly even into fall. So they have time to develop the other sizes now that 42 and 47 are the more popular widths for gravel bikes.
Currently, their entire CX and gravel lineup is the Terreno series, which has four options in plenty of sizes, including a a 650Bx47 and 700c with 31, 33 and 38mm widths. So, the 35 is a new option for them, which (to us) suggests they’re looking at the right sizes for the discipline.
The sidewalls indicate they’ll have Vittoria’s latest Graphene 2.0 tread compound, which they say carries the triumvirate of benefits: High grip in both wet and dry conditions, low rolling resistance, and durability.
Vittoria’s official statement on these? “We have no idea what you’re talking about ;-)” Take that as you will, we take it as an indication our source is spot on.
