Vittoria Terreno Zero

What are your guys thoughts on the Vittoria's newish Terreno Zero?
https://www.vittoria.com/us/terreno-zero-cx-and-gravel.html

I'll be riding about 50% gravel 50% road. The gravel around here is fairly hard packed and these were recommended.

I just picked up a 2020 Giant Revolt Advanced 2 and was looking to get a second wheel-set, but if these can cover both for me fairly well I figure it's worth looking into. I have a mountain bike for the singletrack etc, but would definitely love to take this thing pretty far.

It's awful heavy for a narrow slick.

The Terreno Dry are awesome. If the the Zero has enough tread to manage the gravel that you're on, then I say go for it. 
The Dry are supple comfortable tires to ride. They handle gravel well and roll fast on pavement. I'm not sure how much "faster" the Zero will roll. And I'd rather have the extra shoulder of the Dry for the occasional patch of soft dirt.

As for weight - it's all relative. For me, an extra 100gm of weight in the tire buys me a comfier ride that I'm happy with, and the confidence that I'm not going to have a flat. If you'd rather carry an extra 100gm of CO2 cartridges so that you can roll a miniscule faster on your lighter tires, then go for it. 90% of the time it means you'll get to the finish faster. And 10% of the time it means you'll be one of those guys that I always see at every gravel race who's on the side of the road somewhere in the first 10 miles, fixing a flat. (Or you're a biking god and you run tubeless and you've never had a flat and you just don't know what all the fuss is about.)

Yup, hear nothing but good about these tires.

I have some light tires.  While I'm not a biking god - I've spend decades riding on tires that were to small and fragile and learned to avoid things that tear up my tires (for the most part, and I fail at that when drafting).  But these light tires are constantly weeping in the tread.  Nothing that sealant can't fix, but light fragile tires are not for everyone.

ChillyWilly wrote:The Terreno Dry are awesome. If the the Zero has enough tread to manage the gravel that you're on, then I say go for it. 
The Dry are supple comfortable tires to ride. They handle gravel well and roll fast on pavement. I'm not sure how much "faster" the Zero will roll. And I'd rather have the extra shoulder of the Dry for the occasional patch of soft dirt.

As for weight - it's all relative. For me, an extra 100gm of weight in the tire buys me a comfier ride that I'm happy with, and the confidence that I'm not going to have a flat. If you'd rather carry an extra 100gm of CO2 cartridges so that you can roll a miniscule faster on your lighter tires, then go for it. 90% of the time it means you'll get to the finish faster. And 10% of the time it means you'll be one of those guys that I always see at every gravel race who's on the side of the road somewhere in the first 10 miles, fixing a flat. (Or you're a biking god and you run tubeless and you've never had a flat and you just don't know what all the fuss is about.)

I'm glad you like the Torreno Dry. That may be a better fit for me as I'm a little worried how the Torreno Zero will handle some of the rougher roads and gravel. Would also like some grip around turns in the gravel. I'm just worried that they will be a lot slower on pavement compared to the Zero. How much slower would you say they are compared to a slick? Also what bike are you running them on and what size?

spencegill wrote:
How much slower would you say they are compared to a slick? Also what bike are you running them on and what size?

I can't really compare to a slick, since I haven't ridden on them in ages. I haven't ridden on anything less than a 32mm tire for a long time.

I'm on the 700x38mm, on a Salsa Cutthroat. I am running them tubeless, and this is the first time I've gone tubeless. "Supple" is the word everyone seems to be talking about these days, and this setup is that. They roll really well. Compared to? Well, the slickest thing I run would be the Randonneurs on my commuter bike. Also 38mm, and even heavier than the Torreno. When riding on pavement, I *think* they're slower than the Randonneurs. But it's not an amount that I can quantify. And they don't have any noisy buzz like some tires do, to tell you that they're dragging. I have a 12 mile commute, and I've done it on both my commuter bike (steel road bike) and my Cutthroat. It's a 50 minute commute. And I haven't noticed any time difference between the two bikes. That's not exactly a scientific study. 
I've run the Challenge Almanzo tires, which are a pretty classic file tread cyclocross tire. I'm perfectly happy running those on pavement too. But in that case, you can tell that they're slowing you down a little bit. They're just a bit draggy and noisy on the pavement.  

spencegill wrote:

I'm glad you like the Torreno Dry. That may be a better fit for me as I'm a little worried how the Torreno Zero will handle some of the rougher roads and gravel. Would also like some grip around turns in the gravel. I'm just worried that they will be a lot slower on pavement compared to the Zero. How much slower would you say they are compared to a slick? Also what bike are you running them on and what size?

In case you didn't noticed, there is another thread on the Terreno Dry/Zeros:
http://ridinggravel.com/forum/?p=post%2Fvittoria-terreno-zero-and-dry-700c-and-650b-10099587%3Fpid%3D1310078816

I only mounted the Zeros G2.0 700x35 for quick neighborhood ride when I noticed afterwards, they are for hooked rims only (I have hookless rims).  I didn't want to chance them blowing off, so I took them off and sold them.  But they feel like great tires for 80/20 pathed/gravel.

I ended up switching to the WTB Byways 700x40 (IRL: 700x38) and they are a great alternative.  IMO, it's covers the difference between the Terreno Dry and Zero, since it has slick center tread like the Zeros, but taller cornering knobs like the Dry.

Basically it rolls as fast (maybe even faster) than the GK slicks they replaced, but with added cornering confidence.  That said if you are 50/50 pathed/gravel the Drys maybe a better choice if the gravel is more loose or sketchy - otherwise the slicks tread+volume works great on smooth hard-pack gravel and corner knobs hook up well.

Two thumbs up for the Torreno Dry. I have them on my Single Speed and my geared Gravel rig. I had to take them off and was shocked I didn't have a bunch Stan's mounds where punctures were sealed. One set has more than 800 miles on them with little wear. I ride 90% gravel, but there are days where we hit some connecting roads to change it up. I'm a Clydesdale, so tire weight doesn't matter to me. They roll great, cross over the fluff very well and the hook in the corners!

I have been using Panaracer Gravelking tires for quite some time now (not the SK version - the slicks).  Looks like for the same diameter, they might be 100g lighter per tire.  Worth considering too.

DKeane wrote:I have been using Panaracer Gravelking tires for quite some time now (not the SK version - the slicks).  Looks like for the same diameter, they might be 100g lighter per tire.  Worth considering too.

How much mileage you get out of your GK slicks?  I only got 800 miles from mine, which I primarily used for commuting.  They are light, cheap, colorway options, and pretty reliable (until you wear it down to the casing) - but 800 miles for 80% commuting tire, didn't cut it for me.  I'm pretty sure both the Terrenos or the Byways will last significantly longer.  The extra weight hasn't slowed me down.  

I rotate through a bunch of tires, so I don't know exactly how many miles.  I would guess 600 or so (28 mm).  I have a riding buddy that rides his a lot more, and wouldn't be surprised if he has 1,000 miles or more.  Neither has worn out (so far).  I mostly do winter road riding (better on sand a slicker spots) and packed dirt roads during the other seasons.

I do suspect you are correct, that Terrenos or Byways will last longer, and also the compound they use may have better rolling resistance - which makes up for the weight differential.

Thank you for all the feedback guys!! I think right now my top choices are the Torreno Dry and the Byway from your guys suggestions. I'm going to talk with some local gravel grinders to see what they are using around here and compare that to what you guys have suggested.

I take your guys advice very seriously, and this forum was a huge influence on me purchasing a gravel bike in the first place. If anyone else has suggestions for mixed riding conditions with mostly hard packed gravel, I'd love to hear it!