I need some tires

[Birddog]

I need to order some tires and after changing one yesterday I'm wondering if there is a tire comparable to my Michelin Pro Race 4's in ride and durability. My aging arthritic hands are finding it more and more challenging to fix a flat because the Michelins fit so tight on my rims (both Campy and DT Swiss). Specifically, I'm curious about the Vittoria Corsa G+. Is it a comparable tire? Easier to mount and dismount? I've been happy with the Michelins in their various iterations for about 10 years except for the mounting issue.
TIA

[Johnnysmooth]

I need to order some tires and after changing one yesterday I'm wondering if there is a tire comparable to my Michelin Pro Race 4's in ride and durability. My aging arthritic hands are finding it more and more challenging to fix a flat because the Michelins fit so tight on my rims (both Campy and DT Swiss). Specifically, I'm curious about the Vittoria Corsa G+. Is it a comparable tire? Easier to mount and dismount? I've been happy with the Michelins in their various iterations for about 10 years except for the mounting issue.
TIA

Riding Corsa G+ currently and really like them - nice grip in corners, smooth riding. And the are far easier to mount than those Michelins and IMHE, wear better.

[mudhead]

+1 for Corsa G+

While I can't compare to michelins, I found the G+ very easy to mount and they ride very well in the 25c size IMO.

[vqdriver]

i rode on the open corsas for a long while before the corsa g replaced it. a big part of that was that they were so easy to mount compared to the tires before. easy to handle, great grip, light weight. only trade off for me was a myriad tiny cuts in the tread, but that's the tradeoff for soft rubber at hi pressures. dunno if the corsa g are better in that regard.
fwiw, i had them on shimano something, dt rr1.1, campy eurus, and a23 rims. easy peasy. the only wheelset i had problems mounting them on was kinlin rims, but that was absurdly tight, and i suspect the rim.

i would suggest also sizing up one if your frame can fit it. i don't see the night/day ride quality differences that some people mention, but there's definitely a benefit when mounting.

[eBAUMANN]

i rode pro4's for a few months and was not really impressed, the actual profile of the tire was just odd, kinda egg-shaped. seemed like too much rubber laid into the center strip of the tire without much of a transition into the sidewalls...vittoria corsa g+ or conti gp4k's are better, pretty much across the board.

better tire profile on the rim, mounting ease can vary from wheel to wheel but generally not all that difficult (technique makes a big difference, using the center channel of the rim for instance).

g+ corsa maybe gives up a little in durability/lifespan vs pro4/gp4k but they have a noticeably nicer ride quality.

[AngryScientist]

for me, michelin lost the script on racing tires after the PRO3. i really liked those tires, but the pro4's, just something about them does nothing for me, especially compared to the competition. the PRO3's wore pretty quickly, but they were a fast, grippy tire.

anyway, yes, the new vittorias are superb IMO. obviously the rims matter as far as ease of mounting too. i just changed some tires last night, the vittorias go on TB14's easily with fingers only (no levers).

[echappist]

I need to order some tires and after changing one yesterday I'm wondering if there is a tire comparable to my Michelin Pro Race 4's in ride and durability. My aging arthritic hands are finding it more and more challenging to fix a flat because the Michelins fit so tight on my rims (both Campy and DT Swiss). Specifically, I'm curious about the Vittoria Corsa G+. Is it a comparable tire? Easier to mount and dismount? I've been happy with the Michelins in their various iterations for about 10 years except for the mounting issue.
TIA

try spraying soapy water on the rim before mounting the tire. Works great in situations where the tire fits really tight on the rim. Out on the road, carry a small squirt bottle of soapy water

[OldCrank]

I like the cush of the Michelins.
Went with Endurance; they last longer on these nasty potholed glass-filled roads.
Messed with 25s out back, 23s up front. Not a big diff.
Give Michelin Power a try, they've been running fine for me.

For mounting, aside from wrist exercises, maybe try warming the tires in the sun.

[gary_a_gooner]

I've had really good luck with Schwable One (V-guard). My front has about 3,500 miles on it and I haven't flatted on it once. I'm about to replace it with the same tire this week. I replaced my rear a few months ago and had one puncture, which didn't even occur during a ride.

Highly recommended.

[Willy]

I like the cush of the Michelins.
Went with Endurance; they last longer on these nasty potholed glass-filled roads.
Messed with 25s out back, 23s up front. Not a big diff.
Give Michelin Power a try, they've been running fine for me.

For mounting, aside from wrist exercises, maybe try warming the tires in the sun.

Honestly, for me, the Michelin tires are very easy to take off and put on. I have Zipp 202 wheels and most of the time I can get them on without having to use tire irons.

[HenryA]

Panaracer Type D. Pretty much no flats to change because of the casing material and still a very nice ride. Been riding them for about ten years now and one flat. Sounds exaggerated but its true and I’m big and ride pretty rough roads. Easy enough to put on too.

[Ken Robb]

try spraying soapy water on the rim before mounting the tire. Works great in situations where the tire fits really tight on the rim. Out on the road, carry a small squirt bottle of soapy water

SPIT works too.

[coreydoesntknow]

The Corsa g+ have been great for me. A nice improvement in durability and tread wear over the old Corsa Evo while retaining the ride quality. The initial mount for an open tubular is often troublesome but it gets easier as they break in

[Seramount]

Out on the road, carry a small squirt bottle of soapy water

you can't be serious about this...

[Mzilliox]

I am shocked people ride the michelin pro 4 tires. my former riding buddy here rode them and flatted twice with me. I rode his bike for a while once and it was the first time ever i had a bike slip on a painted road line. those slick tires are the least grippy tires i have ever been on, and fragile too. I would say veloflex, Vittoria, or panaracer will do you better, and some people like the continentals too, i never really did. I also like the sworks tires, or turbo cottons, or whatever they are these days.

[skouri1]

I think the pro4 endurance and krylion 2 (basically the same thing) are great tires, EXCEPT that they are tough to mount.
I have ridden many miles on them for the past 5 or so years, and preferred their feel to the continental GP4000S and 4 seasons, and found them harder wearing than the Vredestein sensos...

You guys do have me curious about the vittoria G line. I may actually try the smooth gravel kings as well, as I have the SKs and find them pretty good on my CX. my ideal tire would be 30-31mm actual and a bit higher volume, easier mounting. not sure what fits the bill...

[VTR1000SP2]

Schwalbe Pro One or Hutchinson Fusion 5 Galactik, haven't needed tools so far. I've also tried the Corsa G+ and didn't really like them because the sidewalls held dirt and weren't easy to clean like a regular rubber sidewall but also because they were quite prone to cuts.

[veloduffer]

I found that Schwalbe and Vredsteins are easiest to mount on any rim. Plus they wear well and are fairly supple.

[PSJoyce]

I've been really happy with the Corsa G+. Really nice ride, great grip in corners. My 25 Corsa G+ measure 28mm on Bontrager XXX carbon wheels

[tlittlefield]

Been riding the Continental GP 4000's for years and really love the ride. Extremely durable getting about 4000 miles out of a pair rotating them every 1000 miles

[Birddog]

Thanks all for the insight and suggestions. I went ahead and ordered the Corsa G+ in all black 25's. It was helpful that a couple of you pointed out that the 25's measured 27 or 28.

Over the years I've developed biases (no pun intended) about certain tires. I've never had good luck or liked Continentals, so they weren't in the running. Before I switched to Michelins some 10 years ago I had some Hutchinsons that were terrible in wet conditions and not very good in dry. Vredesteins were just so so in my experience and I had some Panaracers that had bad sidewalls. OTOH, I've had pretty good luck with Vittorias and they have always been easy to mount/dismount, though mileage was sometimes sketchy. Time will tell how this experiment goes. BTW, all the tires mentioned were premium models, not low end. Thanks again.

[deechee]

I don't think you'll have a problem with the Corsa G+, but if for whatever reason its tight, use zipties. I learned about using them for the tightest ever friggin tubular once and it worked like a charm. Just ziptie the tire bit by bit and just pull over the last part. So much easier than tearing up your palms. Yes, its a bit of a waste, but when you're ready to throw your Enve out the window...