The unfortunate colour clash generated by fitting bright red Vredestein Fortezza Tri Comps to the wine red Test Rig generated scathing looks from a few members of the chaingang, but we rode on regardless.
First impressions gained after our ‘first look‘ are good: the slight weight increase over our usual Schwalbe Ultremo ZX has not been noticeable. Inflated to 115psi, the tyres roll well, and feel very supple, even mildly floaty: a touch like a tubular tyre. This may, of course, be due in part to the change of inner tubes to the recyclable Voss offerings smugly encased in new rubber treads. A return to the Ultremo ZX’s will be required to see if this is indeed the case.
A generally dry ride over grubby country roads and through larger towns did not throw up any great surprises. The grip level was good and there was no noticeable difference in traction through corners as the tyre transferred from the black rubber central band to the coloured side section. A greasy climb up a county lane under tree cover did surprise us. The rear gave up grip much quicker than we were expecting. A fluid pedal stroke out of the saddle resulted in a fair number of small slips; more than we would expect from a tyre billed as an ‘all season’ race tread. We let out a little pressure to increase the contact patch and while that increased the grip level a fraction, it raised concerns for pinch flats.
Showers are not usually welcomed, but precipitation suited our test purpose, and while at lower pressures the Fortezza TriComps gripped well, we retained a degree of anxiety about really pushing hard into the corners due to the earlier incident.
At this early stage, we’d say the TriComp’s rubber is balanced more towards durability and longevity than grip and outright performance. We know that the Ultremo ZX is super grippy but short in life, and in our experience the Continental 4 Season lasts well but requires lower pressures and consideration in the damp. With the Fortezzas, Vredestein have struck a pretty good balance.
We’ll continue to experiment before delivering our final verdict.
