Vittoria Corsa Control Road Tyre
Having experienced the high level of performance provided by the Vittoria Corsa G clincher, the opportunity to ride the new Corsa Control was an exciting proposition.
The Corsa Control is designed to perform in challenging conditions, when surfaces are slippery and uneven. To achieve this, the Corsa Control does not have the appearance or feel of a tyre that you would usually associate with these conditions, as it feels light, supple, and has a subtle tread pattern (the 25mm clincher is listed as weighing 265 grams).
When trying a new tyre, one of the first things I take note of is how easy it is to install. Should the need arise for the tyre to be changed quickly, or be removed when the conditions are cold and wet, the last thing I need is for this to be difficult and time consuming. Although I am aware this may vary depending on rim type, I personally found the Corsa Control was easy to install and remove. The tyres were being used in conjunction with a Vittoria Quarano 60 wheel set; Vittoria wheels incorporate a Perfect Match or Speedlock design, to ensure secure seating of their tubular, clincher and tubeless tyres.
When out on the road, the tyres performed extremely well. The ride was smooth, and they were a superb pairing to the wheel set, as increasing and holding speed was readily achieved. To understand the performance of the tyres, I rode in as many varying conditions as possible. This ranged from mountainous to flat terrain, wet and dry conditions, temperatures from around zero to fifteen degrees Celsius, intervals sessions to 100 mile plus days, and covered approximately 1500 miles. The Corsa Control was superb throughout (this includes incurring no punctures).
Vittoria utilise a number of their technologies to achieve this performance. Their 4c Graphene G+ compound for speed, grip, durability, and puncture protection, and a Reinforced Corespun K casing for increased sidewall protection, low weight and rolling resistance, whilst being resilient. These properties are readily apparent when using the tyre. The high level of grip and braking performance in wet and dry conditions was something I really noticed, as it gave the potential to descend quicker in harsh conditions, on challenging roads. This is complemented by the tyres’ low rolling resistance and compliance, as it enabled speed to be carried through rough and broken sections of surface. I also experimented with tyre pressures, and preferred how the tyres performed when using a lower pressure.
The Vittoria Corsa Control is a highly versatile tyre. Its performance and characteristics seem extremely well matched to the diversity we are seeing in modern cycling, in which both professional and amateur riders are contending with the challenges of course design, distance, conditions and terrain. The demands and expectations of equipment are extremely high, and manufacturers are having to search out and create ways of meeting these. Vittoria’s Corsa Control is certainly a reflection of this.
The Corsa Control is a high performance tyre, without comprise. It enabled me to ride quicker in challenging conditions, and definitely prompts a 5 star rating.
