Vittoria claims its new Corsa Speed tubeless-ready open tubular tyre is the fastest in the world, supposedly posting the lowest rolling resistance figures ever recorded by the folks at Wheel Energy in Nastola, Finland. The Corsa Speeds absolutely feel super fast on the road, even when ridden back to back with typically good competitors. But when Vittoria says that these should be reserved for time trials and other race day applications, it’s a warning you’d best heed.
The Corsa Speed is built with a 320TPI cotton casing and tubeless-compatible beads in open tubular fashion – meaning the tread cap is glued on separately as opposed to a vulcanised tyre where liquid rubber is injected into a mold and the whole thing cures all together.
In general with open tubulars, the result is less rubber mixed in with the cords and a noticeably more flexible casing. That suppleness yields lower rolling resistance plus a generally smoother ride – all other things being held equal, of course.
ADVERTISEMENT
Related: Vittoria bets heavy on graphene for 2016 tyre range
The soft and flexible open tubular construction is just one piece of the puzzle, however.
Graphene infusion
According to Vittoria, the other major component to the Corsa Speed’s exceptional lab test results is the graphene-infused rubber tread material, which the company says absorbs less energy than conventional compounds while still providing improved grip and wear. Vittoria even claims that the stuff gives the tyre high-rebound characteristics under low load (meaning a faster roll when just cruising along) but lets the material soften under stress for better cornering grip – heady claims, indeed.
Paper-thin performers
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1KAezFc
No comments:
Post a Comment