Review: Vittoria Randonneur Pro Bike Tire

If anything is going to bring your bike ride to a halt, it will probably be a flat tire. Given this, investing in a high-quality bike tire is a no-brainier. The sheer volume of puncture-resistant tire options can be overwhelming, but I've found an extremely well-rounded and reliable tire that I absolutely swear by: the Vittoria Randonneur Pro. I've had a pair of these (700x35c) on my touring bike, Amelia, since I built her. I have been so happy with my Randos that, when it came time to replace my well-worn rear tire, I didn't even bother looking at alternate options. If you need an affordable, durable, flat-resistant bike tire that is good for all-around use, I don't think you can do any better.

First, let me just say this: I put over 4 years and 3,500 miles on these tires before needing to replace the rear and, in all that time, I never got a single puncture. Not once. In fact, I only got a single flat in all that time, and it was a pinch flat because I was stupid and hopped a high curb with an under-inflated tire. Rider error aside, these things just can't be stopped. I love them.

Puncture Resistance

Puncture-resistance was the top selling point when I bought these tires because the roads here frequently have sharp debris on the shoulders. I got more flat tires on my mountain bike in the first couple months of living in Charleston than I did during 2 years of bike commuting in Fort Wayne. When I was building my touring/commuting bike, I knew I couldn't be dealing with flat tires every month on the way to work, so I researched the best puncture-resistant bike tires and settled on the Randonneur Pros. They have double-shielding and a Kevlar lining. After putting several thousand miles on mine, I can confidently say that it works exceedingly well. For comparison, my other bike has Mr. Tuffy tire liners inside of regular mountain bike tires. They have helped, but a couple really sharp objects have still caused flats. Not so with my Vittorias.

Ride Quality

I've been very happy with the ride quality of the Randonneur Pros. They are maybe a touch on the firm side, but not in a way that detracts from the riding experience. From what I've read, this is pretty common with puncture-resistant tires. That's part of why I spent a few bucks extra on the Pros versus the regular Vittoria Randonneurs. The Pros are 120 TPI (threads-per-inch) with a folding bead, whereas the regular Randonneurs are only 30 TPI, which by all accounts provides a much harsher ride, albeit the same great puncture resistance. Other than TPI, the regular and Pro versions are identical.

The tread is simple, attractive, and provides great traction on wet and dry surfaces. These tires strike a nice balance between traction, ride quality, and speed - I have never felt that they slowed me down or offered any form of resistance. Also, their width (35mm) is such that I can hop on a dirt trail, grass, or other bumpy surface and just keep going. They are also available in a 32mm width if you want something skinnier, and in a 26" option. I'm not one to focus much on weight but if you're wondering, the 35mm size weighs in at 460g.

Other Features

One of my favorite things about my Vittoria Randonneur Pros, aside from the incredible puncture resistance, is the fact that they come with an optional reflective sidewall. Why anyone would not choose this option is beyond me, because it provides excellent side-visibility in dark and low-light conditions. When headlights hit these things from the side, they light up and are immediately recognizable as bike tires. It's an added safety measure that I think works far better than the traditional spoke reflectors

Another minor but handy feature is that they have a color indicator to let you know when you need to replace them. It takes the guesswork out of the process, and is hard to miss. That said, I *may* have used them for a while even after the red wear-indicator stripe started to show...

Buying the Tires

My only real complaint about the Vittoria Randonneur Pros is that they're freaking hard to find for sale online! For whatever reason, it took me forever to find my replacement tire. Even BikeTiresDirect.com only had the regular Randos available in 700c, not the Pros! That said, when you can find them, the price is very reasonable - typically around $40 per tire. More than worth it for the peace of mind the flat protection offers, not to mention the overall quality. Vittoria also offers an online tool where you can find bike shops near you that sell their products.

Installation

These tires are pretty easy to install - they're a traditional clincher tire and, other than being a bit stiff, they went on without issue. After doing some research, I removed my (extremely worn) back tire, moved my still-good front tire to the back, and put my lovely new tire on my front wheel. The logic here is that, if you have to choose, it's better for your back tire to blow out than your front, because your front tire is what you steer with. You're a lot more likely to wreck if your front tire goes out, so you want to put the newest tire on the front wheel. So sayeth Sheldon Brown.

Conclusion

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough of these tires. The peace of mind from not having to worry about flats, and from not having to be late to work because of a flat tire, is well worth their surprisingly reasonable price. As long as they keep making Vittoria Randonneur Pros, they are the tires I will be using on my touring bike.