Dec 28st, 09. Ben Christian reviews the new Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX tyre and finds a new favourite tyre for race day.  With 320 tpi and unique assembly process these tyres are top performers.

Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX mounted on race wheels ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Vittoria tyres have been the tyre of choice on the RoadCycling.co.nz bikes for a while now.

Cycle Sport NZ, the New Zealand distributors of Vittoria tyres, recently gave Ben Christian the opportunity to try out their new top of the line tyre, the Vittoria 320 tpi Open Corsa Evo CX.

These are expensive tyres retailing at over $120 per tyre, but given the money invested in other "go fast" gadgets, training, and gels, it seems wrong to skimp on tyres for that one big race of the year when going fast is important.

The new tyres were quickly and easily fitted to my race wheels and taken for a couple of training rides before they were tasked with getting around the lake in the Wattyl Lake Taupo Challenge.

Details

Unlike cheaper tyres made of 100% natural rubber, the Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX is a top of the line compound tyre made of natural and synthetic rubbers. It's a package designed for high performance on the road.

One of the most important factors to determine the performance of a tyre is the casing. The higher the Threads Per Inch (TPI) of the casing the more supple, faster and lighter the tyre will be.

The reason the casing is the most important factor is due to the surface contact.   If the casing is supple it provides a higher surface contact with the road which is faster.  More surface contact also provides more grip and therefore better handling.

The Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX is 320 TPI, significantly higher than many other tyres available in New Zealand. To compare other brand's race tyres:

• Continental GP4000 – 110 TPI
• Michelin Pro Race - 127 TPI
• Vittoria Diamante Pro - 220 TPI

Tread pattern on the Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX

The Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX is also different in how it is assembled.  

Many tyres are made by putting the flat casing (the side walls of the tyres) and the tread into an oven and melting them together before shaping them into the round tyre.

A tyre which is made flat and then shaped later will put a lot of strain on the rubber tread when it is inflated, not allowing the rubber surface to work as well as it could.

With the Open Corsa EVO CX, on the other hand, the casing is inflated to full shape and then the tread is hand glued to the casing.

Being hand glued to the casing means the Open Corsa EVO CX has a tread strip that is not under pressure and more supple.

This takes longer to create and generally costs a little more, but the benefits are significant.

You can often tell the difference by looking carefully at the tread area to see if the tread area looks like it's part of the side casing, or if the tread sits on top of the casing like the Open Corsa EVO CX is.

Ride

The ride of these tyres can only be described as outstanding.  They just feel fast.  In addition, the suppleness of the casing makes every ride very comfortable.  

The great cornering ability of these tyres surprised me.  Their handling gave me benefits as if I was riding on the even more expensive, tubular tyres.

Since the first outing at the Taupo Challenge and a number of other rides, these lightweight tyres (220gm) are holding up well with very few cuts and no visible signs of wear.  

Their next race outing is at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide (fun ride not the pro ride!) where they will be tested under the extreme heat of the Australian sun.

Verdict: The Open Corsa EVO CX  are worth the investment.  They'll put the final finishing touch on your pre-race buildup.

Find out who sells these tyres from the NZ distributor's website - Cycle Sport New Zealand.