Nat Bromhead
One year on from the global launch of their popular P-Zero Velo range, Italian tyre company Pirelli have announced a new addition to the Velo family, the Tubeless ready Cinturato.
A belted tyre, Pirelli say the new offering features protection, safety and sturdiness across a range of conditions thanks to the two rubber coated fabric plies that form a belt around the carcass.
“Cinturato Velo banks on Pirelli’s experience as a specialist in tubeless tyre design and manufacture,” said the company in the product release. “(The tyre) embodies the best technical solutions and patented designs fine-tuned by the company during the course of its long history as a tyre maker for two and four-wheel vehicles, while it also benefits from technologies specially developed for the cycling sector.”
The Cinturato is a reinforced tyre that can be used with and without an inner tube, offering maximum reliability in any road conditions.
Described as a “multi-purpose” tyre suitable for on-road racing through to training, from cycling on light gravel paths – a fast growing trend – to fast commuting.
“Cinturato Velo fears nothing,” say Pirelli. “(Good) mileage, bad weather, irregular road surfaces, unpaved and bumpy roads, cobblestone. It is the only tyre in its class that is easy to fit and at the same time ensures long-lasting performance, even in aggressive riding conditions.”
Pirelli engineers have conducted extensive studies on the development of bead shapes, conducting dynamic tests on clincher tyres with and without inner tube.
The tyre is manufactured with ‘Armour TechTM’ with extra powerful SmartNET as featured in the existing P-Zero Velo range. Armour TechTM is a new technology specially developed for cycling applications – the tyre carcass reinforced with a layer of nylon and one of aramid.
In the new tyre Pirelli’s patented SmartNetTM Silica compound has been further strengthened by the presence of aramid fibres in different concentrations. Known for their high tensile strength and low specific weight, these fibres ensure excellent cut-through and impact resistance – they are also used in bulletproof vests.
The fibres get thicker from the outermost layer of the tread to the layers underneath. The first layer of the compound (Cap) ensures the tyre’s performance in terms of grip, rolling resistance and mileage, but does hold on to pebbles or granules, which, as the wheel turns, may penetrate through the carcass and cause punctures. The next layer is enriched with a greater quantity of aramid fibrils to improve its structural characteristics and at the same time ensure excellent rideability and outstanding puncture resistance.
Cinturato Velo will come in a wide range of widths from 26mm to 35mm to meet the needs of a wide range of end users and market segments.
Cinturato Velo Key Features
– Road racing and training sessions, in adverse / difficult road conditions
– Fast commuting on city roads / trekking paths
– Light gravel or adventure riding
– Nylon protection from bead to bead + central layer reinforced with aramid fabric and aramid fibrils distributed throughout the compound.
– Sizes: from 26-622 to 35-622, for a wide range of uses, with and without an inner tube, rim brakes or disc brakes
Australian availability and pricing will be made available shortly.
