The new Vittoria Corsa Pro tires build upon the already very successful Corsa range, and continue to be the Italian brand's flagship model. There has been a raft of improvements, upgrades and tweaks - which bears out in their performance on the road.
On the flipside, it's meant that what what already a very expensive model has seen yet another hike in its price. Does the performance justify the cost? We put them to the test to find out.
Vittoria Corsa Pro: construction
In contrast to the previous edition of these tires, the 320 TPI (threads per inch) cotton casing is now seamlessly connected to the tread, as a prior issue tended to be after extended use the tread could come loose from the cotton. There is also a new BeadShield for greater air retention alongside the Zylon bead.
They also promise a 12% improvement in rolling resistance, 18% better puncture protection, and 4% shaved off the weight. However, the tread pattern remains the same for a wide contact surface.
For reference, AeroCoach recently tested the rolling resistance of the new Vittoria Corsa Pros in 26mm and found them to be 12 watts faster at 45kph than the previous generation Corsa G+ 2.0.
The new tires are available in TLR (tubeless ready) or tubular, with TLR coming in 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32mm with the 28-32 being hookless compatible. Weight starts at 265g for 24mm and goes up to 320g for the 32mm. The packaging is also 100% re-used and recyclable.
Vittoria Corsa Pro: the ride
First it was the case of fitting the tires. They were significantly easier to get on than Continental GP5000 tires, but not as easy as the Pirelli P Zeros. A little bit of sealant was all that was required to get them up to pressure and ready to ride. Pressure stayed up nicely for several hours with no leakage. The tires came up as just a smidge over 25mm on the set of Prime RR V-50 rim brake wheels. I put 90 PSI in the rear and 80 PSI in the front, my go to for road riding.
Initial impressions from riding is that these tires might just be worth the cost. Firstly, they roll fast - very fast! It was noticeable that the bike ate up the tarmac in front of it with ease. Over my regular loops I was more often than not 1-1.5kph quicker than on my previous tires for, on average, the same sort of power output.
The next thing was how supple they are. The roads around where I live are not the smoothest, yet the Corsa Pros rolled over the bumps and ruts without being uncomfortable - even in a 26mm rather than 28mm.
Finally, the grip. Out of the saddle, even on broken road surfaces up steep climbs, there was no hint of tire slippage. I also had a few corners that I overcooked significantly (an off camber roundabout to name one) but the tires felt grippy and nowhere near their limit at any point. It helps that they form a nice uniform round shape, making the handling predictable when leaning into a corner.
After a few hundred kilometres, the tires are still looking pretty new, even after riding over some surface chipping road repairs for a few km. They certainly look better off than a pair of the older Corsas after the same sort of duration. As for exact range, that will depend on the sort of riding you do, weight, and how often you lock the brakes up.
I also have to say that I’m a huge fan of the tan walled tires, they may not be for everyone, but they get big style points from me.
Vittoria Corsa Pro: value and conclusion
There’s no getting around it, $99.99 / £90.00 for a tire is a lot of money, especially when you need two of them! By comparison, the top line offerings from Continental with the GP5000 S TR is $95.74 / £79.95, while the Pirelli P Zeros are $99.90 / £78.99 and the Schwalbe Pro ONE Evo TLE are $92.58 / £73.00. That makes the Corsa Pro the most expensive race tires in the UK from the big name brands.
However, I think I can safely say that these feel the fastest out of the top of the range road tires I’ve used so far. I would personally buy these for my race day/summer riding bike, and save some more durable tires for everyday riding. They aren’t the very lightest (still lighter than most), but lighter tires normally compromise in longevity and puncture protection. To finish first, first you need to finish.
The Vittoria Corsa Pro tires are probably the fastest tires that I’ve used. The grip is noticeably brilliant and they roll incredibly fast. They’re not too difficult to install either and hold they their pressure well with relatively little sealant to keep weight down for race day gains. At $99.99 / £90.00 they are probably the most expensive big brand tires on the market, but I would argue the speed they give you is worth the cost, especially over ceramic bearings and other far more expensive and far more marginal gains.
