Review of the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR 28 Tires

Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tires are top-of-the-line and arguably the fastest on the market, while also offering a smooth ride and excellent traction. They’re also very expensive and best reserved for special occasions. That said, the investment is well worth it if you’re looking to squeeze out those last few watts on the road, as we discovered during this test over several hundred kilometers. By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The new Vittoria Corsa Pro tire line is a direct descendant of the Corsa family, which has been widely acclaimed for several years by those nostalgic for tubular tires. The construction—featuring a 320 TPI (threads per inch) cotton casing—has always given Corsa tyres a silky-smooth and responsive road feel, leading many riders to describe them as “open tubulars” (for tubed tires).

Specifically designed for tubeless installation, the Corsa Pro line delivers top-tier performance, with some of the lowest rolling resistance on the market, according to the independent testing site bicyclerollingresistance.com, and even the absolute best result for the Corsa Pro Speed TLR 28 that we’re testing here. In practical terms, and according to their testing protocol, this tire saves 1.5 watts at 29 km/h (per tire) compared to Vittoria’s previous high-performance tire (the 2019 Corsa Speed G+ 2.0), 4 watts compared to a “standard” Corsa Pro, and up to 8 watts compared to all-around tires from various brands. This advantage becomes quite significant for those seeking performance, even though this Corsa Pro Speed is primarily intended for time trials—or at least for limited use.

Notable improvements

Compared to the previous Corsa line, the Corsa Pro and Pro Speed feature a tread that now appears to be perfectly integrated with the cotton casing, thereby preventing any risk of delamination, as sometimes occurred in the past. Vittoria also highlights an even more refined TLR (tubeless-ready) technology to minimize pressure loss in tubeless setups. The brand also claims better puncture protection than the previous time trial tyre, the Corsa Speed G+ 2.0, as well as a lower weight.

I weighed my two test samples at 248 and 249 g in 700×28, which is indeed very light for a tire of this size, and even more so for a tubeless-compatible tire. This light weight comes at the cost of a thin, flexible tread, which leaves little doubt as to its limited durability. That said, it all comes down to personal preference, and some may feel that mounting them exclusively on a pair of race wheels is still justified, given the tire’s retail price of €95.95 each.

The Corsa Pro Speed is offered in 24, 26 and 28 mm widths, with the largest size potentially compatible with hookless rims. In 700×28 size, the tire actually measures 29 mm wide on a rim with an internal width of 21 mm, allowing its sidewalls to sit flush with those of the rim. Speed and Grip

After a relatively easy installation on Shimano Dura-Ace C50 rims, I was impressed by the initial feel of the pair of tires on smooth asphalt. I was reminded of the smoothness (and the noise!) of the famous “whistlers”—those very lightweight tubular tires that were still available on the market some thirty years ago. When riding out of the saddle and in a high gear, the bike handles just like it does when equipped with Specialized Turbo Cotton tires, seeming to provide a sort of elasticity that encourages you to keep accelerating. But what’s most striking happens when you settle into a steady pace while seated in the saddle. The Corsa Pro Speed tires glide along the road with very little rolling resistance. Pure joy!

This efficiency doesn’t come at the expense of traction. On slightly damp asphalt, I never felt the rear wheel spinning, even when accelerating hard. The tread always seems to stay in contact with the ground, even when I take as much weight off the rear wheel as possible while standing up on the pedals. And in turns—whether fast or tight—the grip is perfectly reassuring. The soft compound of the Corsa Pro Speed bites into the road without clinging to it.

When it comes to comfort, these tyres are still designed for high-level competition. They aren’t meant for the roughest roads, and in fact, given their supposed fragility, there’s no way you’d want to ride them on the cobblestones of Roubaix. The cotton sidewalls do a good job of damping out the chatter on grainy tarmac, but bigger hits—like rolling over a dry cobblestone crosswalk—are still quite jarring, more so than with many all-round tyres.

Finally, while Vittoria classifies its Corsa Pro Speed tires as time-trial tires, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to cover several hundred kilometers with this setup. Of course, I’m not talking about daily winter training on wet and muddy roads, but let’s just say that in the middle of summer, they can easily handle the distance of four or five cyclosportives. It all depends on your weight, the type of road, and your riding style, but I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively low wear on these top-of-the-line tires designed for pure performance.

That leaves the thorny issue of price, which is very high for this type of product. For high-mileage riders, this is clearly not a bargain, and they’ll undoubtedly opt for versatile tires priced around sixty euros, capable of covering 5,000 to 6,000 km without any issues. But the investment may be worth it if you’re seeking ultimate performance—for a time trial, a triathlon, or even a challenging mountain race in the summer. The gain in efficiency is real and likely greater than that provided by other, much more expensive accessories.

=> Buy the Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR for €74.99

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