Vittoria Zaffiro Tyre Black - 700x25

I have used Zaffiro tires for many years. I think that they offer the best value and performance of any economy tire. Very durable and also light weight. They last thousands of miles on the front, and very respectable on the rear. Best value I have come across.

I love Vittorias. The Rubino Pro has been a great staple for training and racing over the years. That's why I'm really disappointed in these tires.I bought these Zaffiros (I have owned other, higher TPI versions and they were great) only because MEC was sold out of everything else the weekend I went looking for rubber. Knowing Vittoria, I expected a tough tire to last the summer and fall seasons of commuting 8 kilometres to and from work. However, after a month or so, the rear has a blown sidewall. There is a tear about 6 inches long along the seam just above the rim.Upon closer inspection, there almost a missing thread on the other side of the rear tire just below the Zaffiro name.The front tire appears to be okay for now.However, a failure in the sidewall ... MoreI love Vittorias. The Rubino Pro has been a great staple for training and racing over the years. That's why I'm really disappointed in these tires.I bought these Zaffiros (I have owned other, higher TPI versions and they were great) only because MEC was sold out of everything else the weekend I went looking for rubber. Knowing Vittoria, I expected a tough tire to last the summer and fall seasons of commuting 8 kilometres to and from work. However, after a month or so, the rear has a blown sidewall. There is a tear about 6 inches long along the seam just above the rim.Upon closer inspection, there almost a missing thread on the other side of the rear tire just below the Zaffiro name.The front tire appears to be okay for now.However, a failure in the sidewall can make for a very bad crash and I will be replacing both tires ASAP.

I've never written a review before but my experience with these tires prompted me to advise others.As a budget-minded (read: cheap) adventurer, I was naturally attracted to the low, low price of entry on these tires and the mostly positive reviews left by other purchasers. However, my experience with these was poor. On my second ride with these (60-80k use?) I experienced a massive blowout on the rear, with a fingernail-sized cut. Now I realize tires get punctures, but I've never seen anything cut clean through the cords like this in tens of thousands of km riding. Moreover, the experience with the rear prompted me to examine the front, which I then found to have two rather large, disconcerting sidewall bulges on either side of the tire right where the coloured ... MoreI've never written a review before but my experience with these tires prompted me to advise others.As a budget-minded (read: cheap) adventurer, I was naturally attracted to the low, low price of entry on these tires and the mostly positive reviews left by other purchasers. However, my experience with these was poor. On my second ride with these (60-80k use?) I experienced a massive blowout on the rear, with a fingernail-sized cut. Now I realize tires get punctures, but I've never seen anything cut clean through the cords like this in tens of thousands of km riding. Moreover, the experience with the rear prompted me to examine the front, which I then found to have two rather large, disconcerting sidewall bulges on either side of the tire right where the coloured branding is screened on the tire - as if the heat (?) or process of applying the label weakened the sidewall. I'm a relatively light guy (170lbs) and run ~115 psi (far less than the listed max 145), so don't feel like I was abusing these by any stretch of the imagination . For reference, my previous MEC budget tires (Continental Sport 1000's, no longer sold unfortunately) lasted 6k+ kms without anything like either issue - just a few flats.I don't usually return things either (except for fit issues) - I consider these to be wear items. But given the sidewall issue and the fact that these were basically new, figured I'd ask the MEC staff. They agreed and offered me store credit, which I gladly accepted towards some Gatorskins.So unless you're just looking for something to do cool skids with on your fixie, I'd steer clear of these. I realize it might have just been bad luck, but I'm not convinced.