We first noticed these new tyres method again in December final yr, the place they had been insufficiently blurred out in some Jumbo-Visma promo pictures of the group’s new gear. Since then we’ve been speculating about them, with extra data added as we noticed them in precise competitors use, however now the official line is out. The brand new Vittoria Corsa Professional, and Professional Management tyres (that we haven’t seen till now) are the standard mixture of quicker and extra grippy, but in addition with higher puncture resistance.
These are probably the most well-adopted set of tyres amongst the World Tour peloton, and with so many people amateurs making an attempt to emulate what the professionals do there’s a powerful likelihood that you just’ll think about stumping up the sizeable wedge of money to get rolling on a set, so let’s dive in and see if these look to have what it takes to affix the ranks of the finest street bike tyres in the marketplace.
Identical supplies, new development
The outgoing Corsa was constructed in the identical method as nearly all different ‘conventional’ cotton-cased tyres (see the Problem Gravel Grinder or Getaway for a bigger instance), in that the rubber tread is bodily bonded onto the cotton casing. With the brand new Corsa Professional and Professional Management, Vittoria as a substitute incorporates the 320tpi casing into the general development throughout the vulcanisation of the rubber tread itself, successfully making a seamless, glueless bond. This not solely appears to rectify a significant criticism that customers typically have with cotton tyres, in that over time the tread can raise away from the casing on the edges. When you’re interested in what TPI is and why it issues we’ve an explainer for that.
Aesthetics and longevity apart, this glue layer is much less supple than the rubber and cotton that it’s sticking collectively, and as such is claimed to have a detrimental affect on the general suppleness of the tyre. As such, eradicating it improves the power of the tyre to deform, thus apparently making it quicker. Additionally the perimeters of the tread, the place it meets the cotton, now function a smoother be a part of that’s claimed to supply secondary aerodynamic advantages too, although this could solely be over the outgoing mannequin as competitor tyres that are not cotton wouldn’t endure from the problem within the first place. As you could have gathered from the spy pictures, these are, as almost all top-end tyres are actually, tubeless prepared, although will nonetheless are available in a tubular model too.
Apart from a brand new methodology of development the tread sample and rubber compound, that includes a tried and examined graphene and silica components, stays the identical on the Corsa Professional as it’s on the outgoing Corsa. The tread on the Corsa Professional Management nevertheless is new, with a herringbone textured shoulder tread and extra sipes than beforehand to enhance grip on suboptimal surfaces. The tread itself on the Professional Management is thicker, too, to assist puncture safety. Each fashions have a puncture safety belt, which the outgoing fashions didn’t.
Whilst you could not give a lot thought to the tyre bead itself, it appears Vittoria has. Given the propensity for lots of the finest street bike wheels to be hookless these days, Vittoria has opted for a brand new, sq. profile bead in these new fashions to raised mate with the hookless partitions and help tyre retention. There are additionally road-sized tyre inserts out there that additionally declare to assist tyre retention within the occasion of a blowout, one thing that has been the reason for a lot debate amongst the professionals and commentators alike within the wake of some high-profile tyre points at Paris-Roubaix.
The important thing figures, and the worth tag
These are a efficiency tyre, so it will be remiss of each Vittoria to not embrace some quantification of how the tyre truly performs in opposition to the competitors. Do keep in mind that these are Vittoria’s personal numbers although.
Versus the outgoing fashions, the Corsa Professional is 12% quicker, with 18% higher puncture safety and 4% lighter within the tubeless mannequin, or 14%, 7% and, 4% in tubular. For the Corsa Professional Management, the pace improve is 2%, with a 19% enchancment in puncture safety and a 2% weight discount. The Management is tubeless solely, so no want for a second set of numbers right here.
Versus an unnamed, however closely implied competitor that rhymes with Shmontinental PP5000, the Corsas are apparently as quick, with higher puncture safety, higher consolation and grip, however are heavier.
For sizes, the Professional is obtainable in 24c as much as 32c in tubeless prepared, and 23c to 28c in tub format. The Management is obtainable in 26c to a plump, cyclocross UCI unlawful, 34c.
When you do need to equipment yourselves out with a set you may anticipate to pay €95 per tyre. World pricing is but to be forthcoming, however that places them within the area of £85 or $105 per tyre.
We did attend a launch occasion for these tyres in Italy, however to be completely sincere with you the take a look at circumstances weren’t conducive to getting an honest understanding of how these tyres carry out, and as such we aren’t bringing you a primary journey evaluation. We do nevertheless have our paws on a set of each the Professional and Professional Controls, and are within the strategy of seeing how they fare in the actual world alongside the rivals.
