Vittoria Corsa 2.0: Icons never tire.

With the ubiquity of tan-walled tires, you might be picking up a pair of Corsa 2.0 tires and asking yourself, should I? That depends on the roads you ride.

Every time I grab my bike and look at the Corsa tires on black ceramic DT Swiss rims, I can’t help but get a little drunk on the casings. At the risk of being sycophantic, these are best looking tires in cycling. But are they worth the spend? And what’s the experience riding them?

Corners beautifully on hairpins.

Corsa’s were first introduced to pros in the early 90’s, gaining popularity right away, particularly the tubular versions. They were redesigned in 2015 with a new compound and thread pattern and have become an icon as tan walls have become increasingly popular thanks to their heritage aesthetic. The Corsa’s however are much more than eye candy.

From the get go, Vittoria knew they had a winner when they starting selling the long awaited update. Teams loved them. They offered pro-grade performance on dry and wet roads. And the tan walls look cool AF. It’s okay. It’s Impossible not to stare.

Pictured here on the Klausen pass. Even more stunning against snow walls.

Honestly I I never really got it until I moved to roads suitable enough for riding them. Two cities I lived in over the last five years had roads that resembled Dresden after the War. A move to central Europe finally revealed their intended stomping grounds and ride potential.  

Lotto Soudal, Lotto Visma, Trek, CCC, Dimension Data, Education First Drapac and a slew of other pro and pro-conti teams ride the Corsa 2.0’s. A company spokesperson we met at the Ridley HQ last year ahead of Liege Bastogne Liege, says that riders dig the cotton casings specifically. They are more flexible than standard tires, and the thread, built from four different rubber compounds, create the kind of grip, endurance and low rolling resistance that yields a perfect tension between speed and control.

So much of cycling is emotional and people will fall into different camps on the look of these (not to worry, they’re available in all black, too). But there’s something about the Corsa’s that offer sustained interest. The aesthetic is one thing. But the ride on them is completely another. It’s a soft, smooth experience that’s hard to translate. They are iconic for many reasons, but the ride quality is foremost.

The bead installs easily (we were sent clincher versions for this content) and strike a steady balance between suppleness, durability and speed. You could look around for other options, but why would you.

The first ride on fresh rubber from the box seen above was up and over both sides of the Klausen pass (1952m) in central Switzerland. Even with a little rain, the ride quality makes a compelling case for why so many people prefer them. Call it the result of expectation, but these are entirely justified.

Also offered in a tubeless version in 25, 28 and 30mm widths. Find out more at www.vittoria.com