MTB Tire Test: Vittoria Mezcal XC Race
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 22.4 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 38 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 68 Points
- Conclusion: 4.3 / 5 Highly Recommended
- Comments
- Vittoria Mezcal XC Race
The Vittoria Mezcal has been around for a long time, and it's the Vittoria mountain bike tire that we've tested most over the past 10 years. The latest version of the Mezcal is the "Mezcal XC Race," it comes with an updated Graphene +Silica compound optimized for speed and grip, and Vittoria claims it's their compound that gets you fastest from point A to point B.
Ad Buy Vittoria Mezcal XC Race at Amazon.com
The Mezcal is a typical "allround" mountain bike tire that can be used for a wide range of terrains and weather conditions. It comes with a near-continuous center tread and a more open tread pattern along the edge of the tire that provides grip on hard, slippery surfaces.
The Vittoria Mezcal XC Race is similar in construction to the Vittoria Peyote XC Race (read our review) that we tested a couple of months back, and it showed very strong performance in our tests. From our experience with testing tires, the construction and compound are more important than the tread pattern, so we expect big things from this new Mezcal.
The Mezcal XC Race is only available in the 29x2.4 size, which looks like a good choice as we're seeing the 2.4 size become the preferred size over the 2.2/2.25 size. You can also choose between brown or black sidewalls, with the brown sidewalls coming in 10 grams lighter than the black sidewalls. We've tested the black sidewall version and compared it to the 2023 Mezcal (read our review), 2024 Peyote XC Race (read our review), and a range of similar tires from competing manufacturers.
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specs | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Vittoria |
| Model | Mezcal XC Race |
| Year | 2024 |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | high |
| Buy At | Ad Amazon.com |
| Manufacturer part number | 11A.00.711 |
| EAN | 8022530035637 |
| TPI | 60 |
| Compound | Graphene +Silica |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 60-622 |
| Size Inch | 29" |
| Width Inch | 2.40 |
| Specified Weight | 740 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 40 |
| Made In | Members Only |
| Available Sizes | 29x2.4 |
Vittoria Mezcal XC Race Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 740 grams |
| Measured Weight | 731 grams |
| Measured Width Carcass | 57 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Width Tread | 57 mm |
| Measured Height | 56 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Knob Height Center | 2.6 mm |
| Measured Knob Height Edge | 3.9 mm |
| Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs) | 2.7 mm |
| Measured Total Thickness Sidewall | Members Only |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | None (40 ml sealant) |
| Rolling Resistance 55 PSI / 3.8 Bar |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3.1 Bar |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance 35 PSI / 2.4 Bar |
20.6 Watts CRR: 0.00618 |
| Rolling Resistance 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar |
22.4 Watts CRR: 0.00671 |
| All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load. |
|
Puncture Resistance Test Results
| Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better) | |
|---|---|
| Total Puncture Score Tread | 38 Points |
| Total Puncture Score Sidewall | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Total Tire Thickness | 2.7 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Members Only |
Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 68 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Members Only |
| Wet Grip Edge | Members Only |
| Measured Knob Height Center | 2.6 mm |
| Measured Knob Height Edge | 3.9 mm |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm |
|
| Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info) | |
Conclusion
- Vittoria Mezcal XC Race
(100% is fastest - lightest - highest - strongest)
The Vittoria Mezcal XC Race performs well in our tests and is a small upgrade over the previous edition of the Mezcal that we tested in 2023. Although it's a different tire, the Mezcal XC Race doesn't show the spectacular performance of the Peyote XC Race that we tested a couple of months back, and we maybe expected a bit more of a change in this regard.
The allround XC mountain bike tire category is a very crowded place, and the competition is extreme here. If you want the best tire in this category, you'll have to look into your specific requirements to decide which tire fits best under those conditions.
Jump over to our MTB Overview and start comparing mountain bike tires.
Ad Buy Vittoria Mezcal XC Race at Amazon.com
RATING:
4.3
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended