The smoothest ride since tubulars – Vittoria Corsa Pro

I was actively looking for new tires that would allow me to ride till the end of the 2023 road season. I recently had small issues with my Pirelli tires, who are affected by a recall.

As it often happens at the end of the summer, shops and distributors have very little in stock. And I was not going to settle for some third tier tire as I knew these would probably stay on my bike until late next season.

So of course, I went out looking for a pair of Continental GP 5000 TR, in 700×28. And no luck: it’s out of stock. Everywhere!

I was maybe going to consider a pair of 700×30 but then I saw a nice box with the Vittoria logo on it. A quick web research about the new Corsa pro confirms what most of the experts predicted when that tire made its first appearance on Jumbo-Visma Bikes. They are supposed to be fast, comfortable and reliable.

The last set of GP 5000 (clinchers) I had were… boring. Efficient? Sure. Comfortable? not really. Did they feel fast? Not so much either. I know they are great tires. But I was looking for tires for my casual ride bike. The bike I take out when I ride with friends, on fast group rides or the casual ones. I wanted tires that would make my bike feel great! Not just be the most efficient and fast.

Of course, I had Vittoria tires in the past. And honestly, I was never impressed. The so called ride quality of the open tubular tire never really convinced me. The first generation of open corsa, way back mid 2000’s, was fun to ride for maybe 200km until you started getting punctures after punctures. Then, I probably tried each iteration of those tires, either through sponsorship or by curiosity. And my opinion never really changed.

So I was holding the box in my hand, thinking of my history with those tires and I was not sure I was ready to take a 200$ gamble. But reading about the new tire construction, and after getting some feedback from friends, I decided to show up at my local bike shop’s cash register and spend my money.

Before Talking about the ride quality, I have to mention a few things.

The packaging.

Some of you may know, I criticize packaging a lot. For many reasons, but I generally judge packaging on those elements:

• Is it somewhat ecological / eco friendly?
• Is it easy to merchandise/market in store?
• Does the packaging display all the important features of the product?

Vittoria FINALLY moved away from those terrible Hexagonal shaped boxes, that kept opening from the bottom, quickly becoming a nightmare for bike shops to market on their sales floor. Those boxes were a small step in the right direction; ditching the previous plastic sleeves used to wrap the tires.

Anyway: the new box is great! And here is why:

• It’s made of recycled materials and is recyclable again. (depending on the facilities in your area, the packaging is even compostable.)
• Displays all the pertinent info about the tire and even more!
• It’s got a nice little handle so shops can easily hang it on their walls.

I was so excited to get the tires out of the box that I forgot to take a picture of the Unopened box.

Technical information

One thing that tire manufacturer are trying to do is to come up with some sort of Tubeless standard, even more so since a lot of wheel manufacturers have implemented (for better or worse) the hookless rim technology into their lineup of products.

Well, Vittoria did their homework and are displaying a lot of technical info on the box and the tire itself. You can now easily determine how safe it is to ride this tire depending on the rim you own and potentially avoid all the possible nightmares caused by the road tubeless technology.

In my case, I knew that the ETRTO specification of 700×30 on 21mm width rims was perfect for my Hollogram wheels. Plus, Vittoria clearly indicates the maximum tire pressure recommended depending on your wheel setup, which makes it easier for anyone to inflate their tires safely.

Tire Technology

Of course these tires benefit from all the latest technology Vittoria has to offer.

If you are into buzz words, you can look up all their spiel on Graphene (from which comes their obsession with the hexagonal shape) and Silica compound.

The ride

Alright! here we are.

Until I get punctures after punctures, and cuts in the sidewall of this tire (if ever); I will say this:

This is the most satisfying road bike tire you can ride, right now, on the market.

Here’s why:

• It feels absolutely fast (even the bulkier 700×30)
• It is very comfortable and supple. ( keep in mind I am riding tubes for now)
• I suspect this tire would be even more fun, supple and comfortable in a tubeless setup.
• It has a similar grip feel than the GP 5000.
• It feels light, fast, comfortable. (Yes! I am repeating myself)

A few things to consider before purchasing:

• There is only 1 sidewall color. It does not fit well with my bike. But it is what it is.
• The price. This is definitely a high end tire with a premium feel.
• Some might say it is hard to install. I personnaly thought it was in the ”easy to medium” range of how hard a tire can be to install.
• Be sure to never use Amonia based Sealant if you are planning on riding Tubeless.

Verdict:

Possibly the best road bike tire on the market right now.

I rode this tire for… 200km. Yup, that’s it. And it was enough to convince me.

And I can tell you this: on a nice sunny, warm day, this is the best road bike tire I ever rode. It feels spectacular. It’s not dull, neutral, boring. It has some flair and it makes you feel great on the bike.

What I also mean is that I have not yet had the chance to test the tires in wet conditions and I doubt I would even report on that in the future as riding in the rain is generally a ”mid” experience and tire performance is definitely not the first thing I have in mind. (unless I get a puncture of course)

If you are looking for amazing, high end, high performance tires for next season, go to your local bike shop now and pre-order them. Keep in mind to verify with your wheels/rim manufacturer if the tires are compatible with them especially if you have hookless rims.

* I purchased thee tires with my money, from my local bike shop and my opinion is based on my riding experience alone.