Open Corsa CX vs. Pro-Race vs. ??

[BumbleBeeDave]

I'm contemplating a change from my longstanding dedication to Open Corsa's.

I've had Open Corsa's on the Queen Bee for 8 years and while they're silky smooth, they sure don't seem to last very long. They also accumulate small cuts with alarming swiftness. In fact, I often end up changing them out before they're really worn out because they've gathered so many cuts and outright holes.

I got some Bontrager Race-X-Lite tires for my Specialized at the beginning of last season, and while the rear tire has gotten pretty squared off--time to replace--when I inspect them really closely there's nowhere near as many cuts as the Corsa's.

I'd like to switch to something that isn't as susceptible to cuts but is still available in colors to coordinate to the bike frame. Anybody have direct comparative experience between the Vittoria's and, say, Michelin Pro-Race, Vredestein's, Conti's, etc. The Pro-Race seem especially inviting . . . lots of colors, and they're cheaper than the Vittoria's.

Thanks for any feedback anyone can give me!

BBD

[SoCalSteve]

I'm contemplating a change from my longstanding dedication to Open Corsa's.

I've had Open Corsa's on the Queen Bee for 8 years and while they're silky smooth, they sure don't seem to last very long. They also accumulate small cuts with alarming swiftness. In fact, I often end up changing them out before they're really worn out because they've gathered so many cuts and outright holes.

I got some Bontrager Race-X-Lite tires for my Specialized at the beginning of last season, and while the rear tire has gotten pretty squared off--time to replace--when I inspect them really closely there's nowhere near as many cuts as the Corsa's.

I'd like to switch to something that isn't as susceptible to cuts but is still available in colors to coordinate to the bike frame. Anybody have dircomparative experience between the Vittoria's and, say, Michelin Pro-Race, Vredestein's, Conti's, etc. The Pro-Race seem especially inviting . . . lots of colors, and they're cheaper than the Vittoria'sThanks for any feedback anyone can give me!

BBD

I found them to be really soft and also get cut up-flats pretty easily. I have found the Conti GP 4000 S to be much more impervious to flats and cuts...But, they only come in black....

The GP 4000 comes in many colors, but I have no experience with them. I can only imagine that they would be as good or better though.

ProBikeKit.com usually has some pretty terrific deals on them as well.

Good luck!

Steve

[sbornia]

Here is my 2 cents:

I've been riding the Open Corsas almost exclusively for the last 3-4 years, and liked their ride better than the Vredstein Fortezza Tricomps I used before then. But I find the Vittorias very puncture prone; that nice sticky rubber just attracts tons of small cuts, and I'm not so diligent about picking out the shards.

Anyway, I recently decided to try a pair of Pro 3 Race 700x23, in part because they were about $10 cheaper than the Vittorias and I was in the mood for a deal and a change. I'd heard mixed stories: great ride, but wear quickly and prone to flats. So far, they are terrific. No flats, and the rubber is wearing very well. They're confidence inspiring in sweeping downhills, maybe even more so than the Vittorias. I only have about 500 miles on them, so I can't comment on their long-term durability. If they hold up this well for another 1500 miles, I'd get another set.

[JonB]

To me, the Michelins are 90% of the ride quality of the Vittorias, but are at least twice as durable.

The other tires I've had good luck with and REALLY like are the Veloflex clinchers.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I'm not so diligent about picking out the shards.

Going over the Vittoria's with a magnifying glass and picking out shards to make sure they don't end up going through. :crap:

BBD

[mgm777]

BBD - Here's my personal assessment, based on my own experience, of the tires you're considering:

Note: I weigh 160 lbs and run my tires 95/100 F/R psi.

Veloflex Pave: Beautiful riding tire - simply supple - don't last long - maybe 1000 miles per set.

Open Corsa CX - Great riding tire..very supple...susceptiple to cuts, punctures, etc. The 320 tpi version seems to last a bit longer than the older 290 tpi version - I get roughly 1200 miles per set on these.

PR2 and PR3s - I have owned several sets of both versions. In my opinion, the PR3s are a bit grippier than the PR2s. Some have said they don't last as long, but my sets have lasted about 1500 miles per. I prefer the PR3s slightly over the PR2s. The PR3s inspire confidence in the corners. Also, some have reported their PR3s have prematurely cracked. I haven't experienced any of those problems with the three sets I've owned.

Conti 4000S w/ Chil - These were my least favorite tires. They are hard riding tires and they definitely don't inspire confidence in corners. On the plus side, they seem to last forever. In fact, I disliked my set so much, that I yanked them off my bike before they were worn out and replaced them with Open Corsa CXs. I've heard that heavier riders don't mind/feel the hardness of this tire. That has not been my experience.

In summary, choosing tires is always a tradeoff. It depends on what your ride priority is...ride quality or durabilty. For me, I have found that I value ride quality over durability. I will accept less durability for a better ride. Of the tires mentioned above, I feel the Veloflex and Conti's represent opposite ends of the comfort/durability spectrum. In the middle are the Vittorias and Michis. I believe the Open Corsa CX has a slightly more supple ride than the PR3s, at the expense of a slight decrease in durability. Now, I have one bike with PR3s and the other has Open Corsas. They're both great tires, just depends on what your ride priority is.

Good luck.

[SoCalSteve]

BBD - Here's my personal assessment, based on my own experience, of the tires you're considering:

Note: I weigh 160 lbs and run my tires 95/100 F/R psi.

Veloflex Pave: Beautiful riding tire - simply supple - don't last long - maybe 1000 miles per set.

Open Corsa CX - Great riding tire..very supple...susceptiple to cuts, punctures, etc. The 320 tpi version seems to last a bit longer than the older 290 tpi version - I get roughly 1200 miles per set on these.

PR2 and PR3s - I have owned several sets of both versions. In my opinion, the PR3s are a bit grippier than the PR2s. Some have said they don't last as long, but my sets have lasted about 1500 miles per. I prefer the PR3s slightly over the PR2s. The PR3s inspire confidence in the corners. Also, some have reported their PR3s have prematurely cracked. I haven't experienced any of those problems with the three sets I've owned.

Conti 4000S w/ Chil - These were my least favorite tires. They are hard riding tires and they definitely don't inspire confidence in corners. On the plus side, they seem to last forever. In fact, I disliked my set so much, that I yanked them off my bike before they were worn out and replaced them with Open Corsa CXs. I've heard that heavier riders don't mind/feel the hardness of this tire. That has not been my experience.
In summary, choosing tires is always a tradeoff. It depends on what your ride priority is...ride quality or durabilty. For me, I have found that I value ride quality over durability. I will accept less durability for a better ride. Of the tires mentioned above, I feel the Veloflex and Conti's represent opposite ends of the comfort/durability spectrum. In the middle are the Vittorias and Michis. I believe the Open Corsa CX has a slightly more supple ride than the PR3s, at the expense of a slight decrease in durability. Now, I have one bike with PR3s and the other has Open Corsas. They're both great tires, just depends on what your ride priority is.

Good luck.

At 6' 5" 220 lbs, I really like the GP 4000 S. It does not ride harsh at all IMHO and they seem to last forever and I have not had ONE puncture in a few thousand miles! (of course, tomorrow I will).

For me, its the perfect tire!

Just sayin'

Steve

[MarcusPless]

At 6' 5" 220 lbs, I really like the GP 4000 S. It does not ride harsh at all IMHO and they seem to last forever and I have not had ONE puncture in a few thousand miles! (of course, tomorrow I will).

For me, its the perfect tire!

Just sayin'

Steve

As a dissenting opinion... I don't plan to purchase another Conti GP 4000 S within this lifetime. I experienced three nasty cuts on tires with extremely low mileage -- like nothing I've ever seen before. My previous go-to tires were Schwalbe Stelvios or Pro-Race2's. Since PR2's are no longer manufactured and Schwalbe keeps coming out with some seriously bad graphics I don't yet know what my next goto tire will be, but I do know that it won't be Conti GP 4000 (a tire I used to like). YMWACY (You're Mileage Will Almost Certainly Vary).

--Marcus

[caleb]

I think the Conti GP4000s fit your requirements best (super long life, colors, resistant to cuts). I've worn several out (150 pounds) without a puncture, and I usually get at least 3000 miles out of the rears.

[Likes2ridefar]

Tires are like saddles. You'll read greatly varying opinions on each tire based on a few experiences with said tire.

If you accumulate enough data you can maybe draw a reasonable conclusion that such and such tire tends to do this or that.

So, without further adieu, here're my experiences:

My standard use tire is the Continental 4000s 23c. I live in Manhattan so you could maybe argue I'm exposed to somewhat worse conditions than the typical rider. The 4000s has proven itself time and time again. I never flat, I've gone through quite a few pairs the past few years and still have yet to flat. I just toss them out when the rear wears out. Some claim this tire ride is not as nice but it's my opinion they are not using the correct PSI. In my experience, I run about 10psi less with the 4000s compared to the pr3 and a lot less than the 320tpi corsa.

I weigh 163lb's right now and run 95-100 (all are on my gauge so who knows what yours is:)) in the front and 100-105 in the rear. With the pr3 I had to go 105 and 110 otherwise the tire would cut and flat. With the 320tpi corsa I ran 120 and 125 but have only used these tires for about 16 hours total. The corsa felt the best of the 3 but I can't say it was significant. Any of them work for me.

So for me, the corsa is better than the pr3 in the ride quality category but by such a miniscule amount I can't say I'd consider that a factor. I've not used the 320tpi enough to comment on it's durability and also the usage was not in my normal environment. I used them for an endurance race and a few training rides all on roads with very little debris.

As far as everything else goes like grip, etc. perhaps I'm not sensitive, but they all work for me. And I like to go really fast and ride hard. All 3 tires I've had over 50mph and over 60mph with the 4000s. They all feel the same going fast. Going hard around corners they all feel stable and safe.

Hope that helps a bit!

[gforce]

I got my first flat on my PR2's today at about the 2200 mileage point. I have these on two bikes and prefer the ride quality over the conti 4000's. The PR2's also seem to wearing more round then the squared off wear of the contis.
Nice cornering, ride and decent durability.

[gearguywb]

I had my first flat today on a Vittoria 320TPI 25mm. Riding along at about 23 in a paceline and pssssht. Tire went flat immediately. Pulled over and took it apart to find a nasty cut about 1/3" long through the tire. Used a dollar bill to patch it, put in a new tube and finished the ride. By the time I got home (40 miles later) there was a heck of a knot where the tube was trying to come through. These tires have less than 600 miles on them. Can't blame the tire because I have no idea what I ran over, just hate seeing that kind of money go down the drain.

[Avispa]

As a dissenting opinion... I don't plan to purchase another Conti GP 4000 S within this lifetime. I experienced three nasty cuts on tires with extremely low mileage -- like nothing I've ever seen before. My previous go-to tires were Schwalbe Stelvios or Pro-Race2's. Since PR2's are no longer manufactured and Schwalbe keeps coming out with some seriously bad graphics I don't yet know what my next goto tire will be, but I do know that it won't be Conti GP 4000 (a tire I used to like). YMWACY (You're Mileage Will Almost Certainly Vary).

At 6' 5" 220 lbs, I really like the GP 4000 S. It does not ride harsh at all IMHO and they seem to last forever and I have not had ONE puncture in a few thousand miles! ..... For me, its the perfect tire!


Over the years, I've noticed that bike tires are almost like bike saddles... People either love them or hate them!

I have come to the conclusion that one should have different tire brands and/or different models of the same tire brand...

As for me, I used to love Veloflex and Gommitalia... These were one of the most supple and slick clinchers I've ever ridden on. But like Dave, after a while, I became frustrated with the constant cuts and flats... So I returned to Continental... I have heard plenty of horror stories about continental side walls defects, but personally I have never had a problem with these tires. I'd like clarify that I do wipe clean my tires and inspect them almost after every ride and certainly when I get the occasional flat. Since I returned to use Conti's I have been a happy rider for years: long lasting, nice race (clincher) feel, few flats...

I use the Attack/Force, the 4000s, and on real fancy wheels, or when I want to play weight weenie, I use the GP Supersonics.... After Continental started using the "Black Chili" Compound, I think they have improved these tires greatly....

I have experienced almost every hazardous situation a cyclist encounters, when riding Conti and the others.... But the Contis have never disappointed me; for instance, I busted a spoke and the tire rubbed strongly on the frame... no real damage to the tire (or sidewall). I have ridden in treacherous weather over holes and road grime.... no flats, no slipping.... I could go on an on...

I agree with Steve, Contis are almost the perfect tire!

..A..

[tv_vt]

Gee, I just bought my first set of Vittoria Corsas and now you've all got me worried. Got a pair of the 320 tpi version. I've heard of sewups being aged - can you 'age' the open corsa tires to help with their softness/stickiness? Hoping I haven't just thrown away 120 bucks.

Thanks,

Thom

[BumbleBeeDave]

Gee, I just bought my first set of Vittoria Corsas and now you've all got me worried. Got a pair of the 320 tpi version. I've heard of sewups being aged - can you 'age' the open corsa tires to help with their softness/stickiness? Hoping I haven't just thrown away 120 bucks.

Thanks,

Thom

It's just been my experience that they do seem to attract a lot of small cuts. The ride is very supple, though. I guess the real question is if I switch to Conti's or Pro-Race's, will the same still be true or can I still get the supple ride without the cuts?

BBD

[RaleighComp]

I've only logged a few hundred miles on my first modern road bike, so I can only comment on comfort and ride. At 180lbs I ride my GP4000 blues at 120psi and find them very comfortable and confidence inspiring, even on 50+mph descents on less-than-perfect NE roads. I'm guessing my switch from steel to Ti gets some credit for the ride quality, too.

[endosch2]

I got about 2200 miles from my last PR2 pair, I just switched to PR3 which are fine but they seem like 22c tires instead of 23C. I think it is a little lighter because it is narrower. I was worried because I ride terrible roads a lot but they seem great after 270 miles. Time will tell.