Tires (for racing) Open Corsa vs. Open Pave

[Nooch]

I'm apparently inquisitive today with race season just days away...

I've been running open pave's all winter and have really taken to them. resiliant and roll well, i've been really happy. got then from a friend of mine with some life left, not a ton, so i've been wearing em down.

Now with the season about to start i'm playing around with tire options. Since i've become such a fan of the open pave's I started looking at the Open Corsa Evo CX in a 25mm. I've read good things about the feel and grip, but also that they wear quickly. Compared to the open pave's they're both 320 tpi, similar tread, different puncture belt.

The question really is, would I be doing myself a disservice to go with another set of Open Pave's and use em for everything, or should I go ahead and get the open corsa's and only use them on race day?

[Ramjm_2000]

IMO it depends on the roads. I rode Open Corsa's as everyday tires for a few years and had pretty good luck until I moved to an area with worse roads. I now only ride them if I know the roads are going to be clear or even for a race, if not I use Open Paves. The Paves ride nice but the Corsas are faster.

[nightfend]

Pave's are heavier. If you only use your Corsa's for racing, and stick with a different set of wheels for training, the Corsa's will last a long time.


I'm apparently inquisitive today with race season just days away...

I've been running open pave's all winter and have really taken to them. resiliant and roll well, i've been really happy. got then from a friend of mine with some life left, not a ton, so i've been wearing em down.

Now with the season about to start i'm playing around with tire options. Since i've become such a fan of the open pave's I started looking at the Open Corsa Evo CX in a 25mm. I've read good things about the feel and grip, but also that they wear quickly. Compared to the open pave's they're both 320 tpi, similar tread, different puncture belt.

The question really is, would I be doing myself a disservice to go with another set of Open Pave's and use em for everything, or should I go ahead and get the open corsa's and only use them on race day?

[Nooch]

anybody else have $.02 to throw in for me?

[AngryScientist]

i have the pave 24mm on one bike and open corsas (23mm) on another with very similar wheels. the ride and handling are very close, i dont think you'll be giving up anything perceivable sticking with them. i think the 24mm size is very reasonable too, and a good compromise between 23 and 25.

consider that (though tubular) the pros race on pave's over rough roads all the time, especially the spring classics. the open tubular pave's are as close to a tubular as you're going to get, especially in 320 tpi.

so extrapolating that

a)the pros race on paves over rough roads and cobbles
b)90% of NJ roads can be considered "pave" in the spring, including branchbrook park

i'd say stick with them.

[avalonracing]

Well there is NOTHING fast about getting a flat.

As for a tire wearing out fast, well that means you've been riding and that's a good thing.

[gone]

I use 700x25 Corsas pretty much exclusively on roads in Texas (ranging from OK to really crappy) and in the midwest (Wisconsin and Iowa). Decent enough mileage out of them and I love the ride.

I buy them in bulk whenever somebody has them on sale. Performance had them for $39 a while back and I bought a dozen.

[tv_vt]

This is pretty subjective, but I think the Pave's are slower/have more rolling resistance. I use them, Corsas (23mm), and Continental 4000s. After using the Conti's a lot last season, I put on the Pave's for a late fall ride. All day long, the bike just felt slow. I put it down to the tires. Nothing else had changed.

OTOH, I think the Corsas and Contis roll really well. Would give the Contis a slightly higher rating for comfort, but I like both of them.

T

[Nooch]

now with a poll!

[firerescuefin]

not being a smart @ss, but I've never been beat in a race by a guy on faster tires. Within reason (and your comparison is)...ride what you got.