When you’ve been following the early highway season, you’ve positively observed cotton-side wall tires float across the peloton. Cotton often means tubulars, and for a lot of groups on the World Tour, that’s enterprise as traditional, however not for lengthy.
For groups like Staff Jumbo Visa, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Schooling First-Simple Put up, Staff DSM, and lots of others, the cotton facet wall tires are tubeless. This thriller tire has been unveiled to be the all-new Vittoria Corsa Professional.
Vittoria has usually used ” Corsa, ” however that is the primary to have “Professional” connected. What does that entail? The stories are in, and the brand new Vittoria Corsa Professional line is quick, harnesses a tubular really feel, and rethinks tubeless highway. This tire is similar model the pro-tour groups have used over the classics and the earlier yr, now obtainable for shoppers.
What’s it — Vittoria Corsa Professional Pace and Management Tires
Vittoria calls these tires “probably the most superior cotton highway tire ever made,” They’re amassing fairly a palmares; 22 stage wins and 12 one-day races on the World Tour degree because the begin of the 2023 season…so they could be on to one thing.
What makes this tire and casing totally different is the up to date casing. When Vittoria set off to replace the Corsa, they wished to extend pace, moist and cornering grip, puncture resistance, and luxury.
The brand new Corsa Professional line makes use of Vittoria’s newest developed graphene and silica compound, and a brand new electrical vulcanization course of, permitting a seamless tread software to the casing. This software is paired with a slight thickness change within the tread because it fades to the facet wall, giving the Corsa a superb corning really feel.
The brand new Corsa Professional line is now the top tire on the highway for Vittoria; the road can be obtainable in tubeless clinchers and tubular tires.
Vittoria Corsa Professional Two Treads to Rule
The brand new Vittoria Corsa Professional tires are available two tread choices; Corsa Professional Pace and Corsa Professional Management. The names are very clear in regards to the software, however let’s dive in additional.
The Corsa Pace tread is almost equivalent to the present Corsa Pace, providing predictable grip in dry and barely damp circumstances, emphasizing pace and minimal rolling resistance.
The Corsa Professional Management presents a slight tooth to the Corsa Professional line. This new tread mixes what appears to be like to be the older Vittoria Pave tread and an up to date advanced chevron design. I spent probably the most time on this tire in my moist assessment rides and may attest to the moist cornering high quality — however extra on that later.
Casing for Consolation
It’s no shock that tire producers chase the experience high quality of an expertly crafted tubular. Most of that experience high quality comes from cotton, and has superior experience qualities in comparison with nylon. It delivers that supple, extra versatile, and springy really feel we consider when contemplating race tires.
Vittoria went all in, seeking to seize the experience high quality of its tubulars in a clincher (tubeless) mannequin. Vittoria engineers included the rubber tire tread with the cotton casing by way of a brand new and extra sustainable electrical vulcanization.
The rubber (tread) is totally embedded with the casing on this course of. This course of creates a 100% seamless tire, giving this clincher tire a tubular experience with out the glue. The casing is 320 TPI cotton, however now with a beefed-up building that doesn’t have an effect on the experience high quality.
Added Safety
All Corsa Professional tires function a puncture safety belt. It’s a high-density/low-weight layer between the tread and the casing. This casing is utilized bead to bead to protect from flats and enhance safety.
Hookless Compatibility
The brand new Vittoria Corsa Professional tires are hookless suitable, BUT the narrowest model is NOT. So the Corsa Professional Pace 24mm tires will not be hookless suitable, however 26-32mm sizes are. The identical goes for the Corsa Professional Management, the 26mm dimension isn’t tubeless suitable, however the 28-34mm sizes are.
Vittoria Corsa Professional Particulars
- Sizing: Corsa Professional Pace (24-32mm), Corsa Professional Management (26-34mm), Tubular (23-30mm)
- Weight: Corsa Professional Pace: 260g Corsa Professional Management: 312g
- Casing/TPI: Cotton 320 TPI
- Pricing: $100 (clincher, tubeless) and $136 (tubular)
- Availability: Now at your native bike store
Vittoria Corsa Professional — First Impressions
I’ve ridden the predecessor to the Vittoria Corsa Professional for some time now. The experience high quality is great, the tubeless compatibility was at all times not the very best, and puncture safety may enhance. Many others appeared to be in the identical headspace, and Vittoria obtained to notes; this tire addresses all that and extra.
The setup was okay, however I wanted to place extra air within the tires initially to maintain them inflated the primary time round. After a sturdy seal was created with a spin in hand, the tires have been good to go.
For many of my driving, I used the Corsa Professional Controls tires, the climate has been tremendous wet, and I preferred the thought of rolling on a efficiency moist climate tire. On the pavement, the Corsa Professional Management doesn’t really feel like a moist climate tire; it looks like a quick tubular. It’s pressure-sensitive, very like a tubular however even at increased (75 PSI) pressures, it nonetheless has some bounce. I attribute this experience really feel to the casing and the cotton building.
We’re at the moment driving the 28mm model, and it’s an important dimension for normal highway driving with superb gravel. The tire carried out flawlessly on the open highway and thru the unmaintained facet roads. Within the corners and down sweeping descents, the grip was wonderful. Now — I wasn’t pushing like a madman, however I did let off the brakes in a method that I trusted the tire, and I had the feeling of extra rubber on the highway.
I look ahead to extra time on the Corsa Professional Speeds now that the rain has subsided. Look again for a full in-depth assessment of the Vittoria Corsa Professional Pace and Management tires shortly.
For extra info, take a look at: Vittoria.com
