Vittoria Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0 tyre

Vittoria's new Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0 tyres are designed as an all-rounder to tackle most road conditions, and they do a decent job. Durability and grip are impressive although they aren't the quickest rolling against some of the tyres in this price range.

• Pros: Great wet weather grip, no visits from the puncture fairy (yet)
• Cons: Not as fast rolling as some

Graphene has been touted as the latest wonder material over the last few years and if you do a bit of research you can see why. Having incredible strength and stiffness is only part of its benefits, it is also one atom thick, or should that be thin.

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It can be added to many applications, increasing various performance metrics, and that is why Vittoria says it has used it in these tyres. Apparently the graphene interacts with rubber by filling the space between the rubber molecules, giving better durability for higher mileage and protection against punctures. There should also be an improvement to wet grip too.

I'll start with that. The Rubino Pros use a triple compound for the main part of the body, which Vittoria calls 3C. It has quite a tacky feel to it. Banking the bike over hard for corners and roundabouts found plenty of grip, and after a short bedding in process I was happy just to really let the bike go and keep pushing towards the tyre's limits.

Traction on steep, damp hills was pretty good too. With the roads properly wet I was impressed with how similar the behaviour of the Vittorias was compared to riding in the dry.

For quite a low thread count tyre (150tpi) there is a decent bit of feedback coming from the rubber and carcass, so you can feel what the tyre is up to beneath you.

When it comes to rolling resistance, they are quick enough but you can feel that they aren't a full race tyre. They seem to take just a little more effort to keep spinning than the tyres that normally sit on my race bike, the Panaracer Race C Evo 3s. For the same 25mm width, the Rubinos are about 40g heavier too.

With a mix of riding on main A-roads and jaunts out into the country lanes, I haven't picked up any damage on the Vittorias: no cuts or slices and certainly no punctures, and while not the most scientific test they seem to be pretty robust for day to day riding.

And should you pick up a flat, they seem to be easy to remove and refit at the side of the road.

With an rrp of £39.99 they are the same price as those Panaracers I mentioned, and I'd say they have a slightly better ride quality than the Maxxis High Roads, which are lighter but a tenner more.

> Buyer's Guide: 33 of the best road cycling tyres

Overall, the Rubino Pro G2.0s are decent fast training tyres, ideal for high-tempo club runs or sportives where the added advantage of having a slightly tougher tyre outweighs the higher rolling resistance.

Verdict

A good all-round training tyre that'll work for wet races