Vredestein Fortezza Senso Xtreme Weather Clincher Tyre Review

When I initially heard I was going to be testing the Vredestein Fortezza Senso Xtreme Weather Tyrethe first thing that came to mind was surely this could only tempt fate! Whatever the weather, I was looking forward to getting these tyres on and seeing what all the fuss was about.

Straight out of the box the Senso Xtreme's looked tough and as a big fan of the Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp tyre I was keen to see how these 'all-weather' tyres would compare. On my first ride, the weather was anything but Xtreme! Sunny, warm and dry, maybe not the perfect conditions to test this tyre but I wasn’t complaining too much.

First impressions were good as the Senso’s soon got up to speed. Often with winter or all-condition tyres, the added protection can be of detriment to performance. They did feel slightly slower than the Fortezza Tricomp’s but still felt a lot faster than other foul weather tyres such as the Continental GP 4 Season tyre. 

Throwing it around a few tight corners these tyres felt like they were glued to the road- assured and grippy, they encouraged me to go faster and faster. 

I was planning a 1000 mile test and after a couple of hundred miles in the dry, I was secretly hoping for a bit of rain to really test out these tyres’ wet weather capabilities. 

I didn’t have to wait long, as sure enough, the rain came. Off I headed on a stormy, early morning ride around Richmond park, the perfect testing ground, with rough, potholed roads up to the park, swooping corners and rapid descent.

The Tricomp technology found in a lot of Vredestein tyres adds traction and improves durability, paired with the new XWS compound this made for a seriously tough and grippy tyre. 

However bad the road surface was the tyres seem to take all the man-hole covers, gravel and potholes in their stride. No scary moments on wet drains or drifting out round wet, greasy corners. To coin a well-used phrase- these tyres gripped like they were on rails. 

This immense grip is surely down to the new Curve Control System®. This- along with the 25c width- adds comfort and durability (the tyre is also available in 23c and 28c widths). 

After a week of riding in the rain, I was soon ready for some dry roads again! Once I had clocked up 1000 miles I headed to the garage to inspect the tyres. Expecting cuts and wear, from what had been a tough few weeks riding, I was amazed to find nothing more than a single very small cut in the top (see image below), amazing considering the abuse and roads I’d ridden over.

A tough, durable, wet weather tyre can often feel sluggish. Vredestein has produced a tyre that is just as at home on a wet, autumnal training ride as it would in a race. They clearly feel confident in this tyre's wet weather credentials as they say you can run these up to 174 psi, ideal for fast, wet criteriums or sportives.

Approaching 1500 miles on these tyres I can say, without doubt, these are the best all-around tyres I’ve ever used. Not one single puncture! No scary moments in the wet and they still look like new! I am so impressed in fact, I have just swapped them from my carbon fibre machine onto my winter bike. Bring on the next 1500 miles! 

Let us know your thoughts on the Vredestein Fortezza Senso Xtreme Weather Tyre or if there are any products that you'd like to see us test in the comments section below.

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