scottfsmith

Hey I thought I would add a report on my new 34mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Control tires on my 32mm wide rims (Light Bicycle WR50s). I got them over a week ago but borked my brakes when I was changing tires.. a stupid move when trying to clean the disc brakes gave me a fluid leak which I had to take in to the shop to fix.

Anyway, based on an hour in the saddle today I can officially say I'm in love with these tires. I did my standard commute which I know every bump and turn on, and it was so nice not to have to work so hard to dodge every little grungy bit.. going straight through was so much smoother than before, so I didn't need to stare hard at that crappy pavement to pick out a line. One pleasant surprise I was not expecting is how much more control I felt when going fast and taking corners. They were just glued to the road, pretty amazing. They didn't seem any slower either. Since I have two sets of wheels maybe I will try to do one of those constant-power loop rides comparing my Conti 30s with my new 34s ..

I know little about Vittoria as I have always run Specialized or Conti tires, but these particular guys are very nice tires. They are the "pro cobbled classic" tires in their lineup, high tpi and super supple but a bit thicker in the main tread. They also have a herringbone pattern which helps the grip in turns (it also makes a sound like a high-pitched bee when turning). If your frame can take 34s I would highly recommend them. Hopefully there will be more 34mm performance road tires coming..

DaveSSS 

Selection of tire width can be affected by rider weight. At 135 pounds, I'm using 28 front and 30 rear, both at 55 psi or a bit less, based on the Zipp pressure calculator. I have 3 bikes with 25mm internal width hookless rims from BTLOS that require no rim tape. I'm sold on Pirelli P-Zero TLR tubeless, due to their small amount of bead stretch over time. If a tire unseats when the air is let out to check sealant level, it's probably due to bead stretch.

Note that rims have internal and external width, not diameter. It's IW, not ID.

rm -rf

A better test is Jan Heine's tire tests from some years ago. Yeah, I know, he's a retrogrouch to an extreme. But the tire tests are useful.

They did coasting tests downhill, with lots of repeats and using statistics. Wind variations are a big factor. Rider position too. Even tire temperatures affect the tire rolling resistance.

choddo

And installed. They are a hell of a lot easier to install than the TLs were. Although the TyreGlider still came in very very handy.

Look a tad balloony on my Hunt Mason-X wheels which are 19mm internal / 24 external but they will look far less anaemic in the front fork than the 25s did and I'm looking forward to trying them out. Got to clean the rest of the bike first though

genejockey 

(Though, of course, being round they DO have diameter. But that's not what we're talking about)
/pedant

PeteHski

My rims are a little wider at 22 mm internal, but you will be fine.

Trakhak

Don't know why this belief exists or how it got started, but:

Ricky Racers have always judged each other, but most regard the Chumps benignly, on the rare occasions that they think about them at all.

You're right, though, that some Chumps resent the Ricky Racers.

choddo

They were great. Really impressed. Only did 65k or so but some really poor surfaces after the winter and they ate it all up.
Mate with tubes had a puncture after 2km of course

PeteHski

Good to hear you like them. I’ve been using these tyres for 2 seasons now on everything from smooth tarmac to light off-road without issues. Still on my original front and second rear tyre. Not a single flat and only one small self-sealed puncture.

scottfsmith

This last weekend I did a ride in the county where roads are much better than in the city .. my Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 34s were excellent there as well, and also seemed to be just as fast, but also there was not really any advantage compared to my 30mm GP5000S TRs. So if your roads are good you may not need anything bigger. I am probably going to keep with 34s come summer since there it seems like all gravy with them, no real disadvantages. I did hit a few bumpy stretches on the county ride and it was nice to have the comfy 34s, and the control on turns at 30+ mph was appreciated.

Re: the 30mm GP5000S TR performance, I have been running them for a few years and have had quite a few punctures as there is a lot of junk on the roads in the city. They have all sealed to let me keep going with the tubeless sealant, but maybe three I had to use either a Stan's Dart on or a Dyna-plug or it would drop pressure over a few hours. These plugs lasted until the tires were replaced, on up to 1/8" / 3mm gashes.

Here is a picture of the 34mm Corsa Pro Controls on my bike, these are the first tan walls I have had and I used to hate them, but now I love them.. go figure.



These tires caliper to 33.7mm so a little shy of 34 on my 25mm internal width rims. They were super easy to mount tubeless.