Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed ​​TLR 28 tire Review

The Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed ​​tires are very high-end, and probably the fastest on the market, while providing fluidity and grip. They are also very expensive and should be reserved for special occasions. The investment is still well worth it if you are looking to gain the last watts on the route, as we were able to see during this test over a few hundred kilometers.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The new range of Vittoria Corsa Pro tires comes directly from the Corsa family, widely acclaimed for several years by those nostalgic for tubular tires.. The construction type with a 320 TPI (threads per inch) cotton carcass has always given Corsa tires a touch of route silky and responsive that allowed many users to call them “open tubulars” (for inner tubes).

More specifically intended for a montagand tubeless, The Corsa Pro range adds top-of-the-range performance, with one of the lowest rolling resistances on the market, according to the website of tests independent bicyclerollingresistance.com, And even Absolute best result for the Corsa Pro Speed ​​TLR 28 that we are trying here. Concretely, and according to their protocol, this tire allows to save 1,5 watts at 29 km/h (per unit) compared to the previous high-performance tire at Vittoria (the Corsa Speed ​​G+ 2.0 from 2019), or 4 watts compared to a “normal” Corsa Pro, and up to 8 watts compared to multi-purpose tires from different brands. An advancetagand which therefore becomes frankly significant for those looking for performance, even if this Corsa Pro Speed ​​is primarily intended for time trials, or at least to maintain a limited duration of use.

Significant improvements

Compared to the old Corsa range, The Corsa Pro and Pro Speed ​​benefit from a tread that now seems perfectly amalgamated with the cotton carcass, so as to avoid any risk of detachment, as could sometimes happen before. Vittoria also highlights TLR technology (tubeless ready) even better controlled, in order to limit pressure losses in mytage tubeless. The brand also announces better puncture protection than the previous time trial tire, the Corsa Speed ​​G+ 2.0, as well as a lower weight.

I was able to check the weight of my two copies of test at 248 and 249 g in 700×28, which is actually very light for a tire of this section, and even more so for a tubeless compatible tire. This light weight is obtained at the cost of a thin and flexible tread, which leaves little doubt as to its low endurance. The fact remains that everything is a question of reference, and some will consider that a montage only on a pair of racing wheels may still be justified, given the sale price of the tire, 95,95 € per unit.

The Corsa Pro Speed ​​is available in 24, 26, 28mm sections, with possible compatibility with hookless rims for the larger dimension. At 700×28 the tire is actually 29mm wide on a rim with an internal width of 21mm, which allows its sides to be placed in continuity with those of the rim.

Speed ​​and grip

After a monthtagand relatively easy on rims Shimano Dura Ace C50, I was impressed by the first sensations given by the pair of tires on good tarmac.. I found the fluidity (and the noise!) of the famous "whistlers", these very light tubulars that were still on the market thirty years ago. In the dancer, and with a big gear rolled up, the bike behaves as when it is equipped with the Specialized Turbo Cotton, seeming to give off a kind of elasticity that encourages you to constantly restart. But what is most striking here happens when you settle into a regular pace sitting on the saddle. The Corsa Pro Speeds race along the route with very little rolling resistance. Enjoyable!

This efficiency is not at the expense of poor grip. On slightly damp asphalt, I never had the sensation of the rear wheel spinning, even when restarting frankly. The tread always seems to be in contact with the ground, even when lightening the rear wheel as much as possible when dancing. And In bends, whether fast or tight, the grip is perfectly reassuring. The soft rubber of the Corsa Pro Speed ​​bites the route, but without clinging to it.

In terms of comfort, these tires remain high-performance models. They are not intended for routes the most dented and besides, given their supposed fragility, there is no question of throwing them on the cobblestones of Roubaix. The flexibility of the cotton sides greatly limits the bouncing on granular bitumen, but big impacts like cobblestone pedestrian crossings shake it quite a bit, at least more than with many so-called multi-purpose tires.

Finally, if Vittoria classifies its Corsa Pro Speed ​​among the tires dedicated to time trials, There is no doubt that you will be able to travel several hundred kilometers with this machine.tage. Of course, I'm not talking about winter training on routes wet and dirty every day, but let's say that in the middle of summer they can easily withstand the distance of four or five cyclosportives. It all depends on your weight, the type of route and pilotage, but I was rather pleasantly surprised by the relatively low level of wear on these very high-end tires intended for pure performance.

The thorny question of price remains, which is very high for this type of product.. For high mileage riders, this is clearly not a deal, and they will head without hesitation towards multi-purpose tires that can be found for around sixty euros, and capable of accumulating 5 to 6000 km without any worries. But the investment can be worth it in the context of a search for ultimate performance, for a time trial, a triathlon, or even a nice event of mytagnot in summer. Because the gain in terms of efficiency is real, and undoubtedly greater than that provided by other much more expensive accessories.

=> Buy the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed ​​TLR for €74,99

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