If you hopped in your Time Machine and headed back to the 1980s, coloured bike tyres were all the rage. But back then, the performance benefits of coloured tyres couldn't keep pace with the aesthetics. Heading back to the current day, Vittoria has just announced a new line-up of Terreno Pro gravel tyres where the novel colour is more about green credentials and improved performance than about how the tyres look. 

Anyone who has been keeping an eye on professional level gravel racing recently will probably have spotted Vittoria-sponsored pro riders like Tom Pidcock, Alison Jackson and Lachlan Morton rocking what appeared to be brown-coloured tyres. It's not uncommon for manufacturers to "hide" their products in plain sight by fitting out a few top-level pros with them - it's a great way of generating good media coverage after all. Tom Pidcock in particular used his new Terreno Pro tyres at both the recent UCI Gravel World Championships and the Gravel Burn stage race, recently held in South Africa. Whilst he didn't make the overall podium in either of those events, his win on Stage 5 showcased the new tyres to perfection. So the obvious first question - what's with the new colour?

Vittoria say that the colour of their new tyres comes from a combination of the ingredients used in the tyre's casing (organic cotton, recycled nylon from discarded fishing nets and natural latex) and also from what they've excluded from the tyre - carbon black, a chemical created from incinerating end-of-life tyres which increases the tyre's strength, durability and UV resistance, but which has been linked to increased risk of lung and bladder cancer.

Described by Vittoria as "Naturally Fast" their new range of tyres have some impressive green credentials - "Terreno PRO tyres are made with 92% renewable and recycled materials. They feature an organic cotton casing (cotton is the magic in Vittoria’s most high-end and technologically advanced products) delivering an unmatched ride feel. The casing also includes recycled nylon from discarded fishnets (Seawastex®), creating a unique and highly resistant blend. Add soybean oil and rice husk ash silica, and you have a tyre that is Naturally Fast. They are also produced in the world’s only CarbonNeutral® operations certified tyre factory. Compared to the Gravel Endurance construction, the new PRO one achieves an average carbon footprint reduction of 35%"

While the environmental credentials of Vittoria's new tyres are admirable, does the performance of the tyres warrant the investment that they've put into the R&D and the production? The answer seems to be yes - "The new PRO level tyres provide measurable gains in key performance areas: 5% faster construction, 19% more grip and 18% more puncture resistant than the already tough Terreno Endurance range. Terreno PRO even delivers a more comfortable ride."

“This is the future. And we’re laying down the track so everyone can ride toward it. As a company, we want natural brown tyres to become the norm in a few years, while the old-school black ones, with carbon black, start to look outdated." says Stijn Vriends , Chairman & CEO of Vittoria

Vittoria offer the new Terreno Pro tyres in four different versions - T10 for hardback, T30 for fine/loose conditions, T50 for hardpack/mixed conditions and T60 for mixed/loose conditions. They are currently available in sizes from 700x35 up to 700x45mm, with larger 50 and 55mm variants being available in the "near future". Prices are from €88.95 per tyre, but you can get a 15% if you sign up for their newsletter.

Full details can be found on Vittoria's website.