Vittoria Corsa G+
No one likes it when a favourite is changed, even in just a name. Marathon became Snickers, Opal Fruits became Starburst and Datsun became Nissan and all without apparent change to the product. But when Vittoria changed the Corsa line up, removing such tyres as the Pave and my go to rubber the Corsa SC and replaced it with the Corsa G+, well I was upset. Not only did I think they don’t look as good, they also didn’t sound the same.
Now Vittoria have been making tyres since 1953 so they have a few, but why did they have to stop making my tyres? Well with the introduction of Graphene into their tyre making process and it’s use of four (that’s right four) different compounds on the one very thin tread strip Vittoria believed they have made one tyre to replace them all. If you read the info Graphene is a one atom thick carbon sheet used in the tyres for its strength to weight characteristics mean that the tyre should be more damage resistant and last longer, as well as making the tyre grip better under cornering and breaking yet reduces rolling resistance.
All said and done the 320tpi
Corespun casing is just as plush as ever, even if I am more of a fan of the old gold side walls of the SC. On my wheels (H plus Son Archetypes laced to DT240 hubs) the 25mm came up at 27mm and the 23mm comes up as a 25mm, the latter are the only ones that fit with clearance on my Colnago M10. Now the Colnago gets used a lot so as you should be able to guess the 23mm got the most use, and with the obligatory front to rear swap I’m happy to say they lasted a few more miles than the old Corsa SC, about 500 miles more so just over 2,000 miles to a pair (that’s about 5.5 pence per mile). These are a race tyre so longevity isn’t what you get them for, what you get them for is light weight, great road feel and grip and they deliver this in spades. As with all none black side walled tyres they will look a bit second hand after a few wet rides if you don’t clean them well, but a grey side wall option is available.
Sad to say it’s not all candyfloss and unicorns, I had a few runs of bad luck with the dreaded punctures (twice on one club ride, once in each tyre) and a cut sidewall on the 25mm option. A spot of good news is there is now a Corsa G+ control out now with a bit more rubber around the tyre and a slightly thicker tread for me to try and all for the same price of £55 and for the tubeless market a new arrival at £60. All in all, a great race tyre that’s smooth and comfortable for everyday use.
Casing 320tpi polycotton
G+ 4c compound
Weight for a 23mm 245g
Weight for a 25mm 255g
Weight for a 28mm 270g
Price £55 each
https://www.vittoria.com/tire/corsa-open/