# Conti 4000s vs. Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX 320 tpi



## Nickbee (Nov 16, 2009)

Looking for my 1st road tire for my 1st road bike. It’s going to be a steel Soma Smoothie frame with EA90 aero wheels. I was going to go with the conti’s since I like conti on my MTB and their black chili compound. But then I read how the 320tpi’s have a more subtle feel. I’ll be riding not so perfect NJ roads so that is intriguing to me. 

Two other questions… I need a tube recommendation. And if I go with the Open Corsa’s should I bother with black/white tires (the frame will be white). How long before the white is gray? 

Thanks!


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## JulesYK (Jul 2, 2007)

Personally, I'd go with the black GP4000 (which also have the Black Chili compound) in the 25c size. I've ridden the Open Corsa EVO CX's once, and it was a wonderful ride. But, they are expensive and apparently are not very durable. (But if you have a lot of money to spend on tires, just replace them regularly....) I use the 4000s on my rode bikes, and they have been very reliable and durable, and I will put the 25c tire on my commuter. As for tubes, I suspect any lightweight butyl tube will do that has a long enough valve stem for your rim. Latex tubes are supposed to be nice and light, but who wants to constantly pump up their tires?


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

The Vittorias will ride better but the GP 4000s sound like a better match for your riding conditions. GP 4000s are reasonably light, durable and flat-resistant. Count on getting a lot more flats and less tread life with the Open Corsas.


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## EDUC8-or (Jan 2, 2009)

I've got the Continentals on my bike and have been very happy with them. They are a good option for a fast training tire you can race on and are quite durable. I've ridden some other tires that offer a more supple ride and feel like they roll a bit better (Michelin Pro Race 3 comes to mind) but they didn't last as long and weren't as flat resistant as the Continentals. That being said, if you nick the sidewall on the 4000s there's a good chance you could have a blowout and ruin the tire.


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## Nickbee (Nov 16, 2009)

this is great feedback guys. Thanks!


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## fontarin (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah - I like the 4000s, but the sidewalls are very weak. I've replaced two due to fairly large sidewall tears.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Flip a coin*



Nickbee said:


> Looking for my 1st road tire for my 1st road bike. It’s going to be a steel Soma Smoothie frame with EA90 aero wheels. I was going to go with the conti’s since I like conti on my MTB and their black chili compound. But then I read how the 320tpi’s have a more subtle feel. I’ll be riding not so perfect NJ roads so that is intriguing to me.
> 
> Two other questions… I need a tube recommendation. And if I go with the Open Corsa’s should I bother with black/white tires (the frame will be white). How long before the white is gray?


Despite all the praise you might hear about one tire vs. another, there is not enough difference between comparable tires to spit at. Pick what you like for color and price (or whatever else your priorities might be). For tubes, I'm a fan of Michelin because the valve stems aren't threaded and therefore won't tear up your pump head.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Kerry Irons said:


> Despite all the praise you might hear about one tire vs. another, there is not enough difference between comparable tires to spit at. Pick what you like for color and price (or whatever else your priorities might be). For tubes, I'm a fan of Michelin because the valve stems aren't threaded and therefore won't tear up your pump head.


there's a lot of difference between these two tires in terms of durability - the Vittorias wear very fast.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

I was formerly riding Michelin Pro3Race, but my new "favorite" all-around tire is the Vittoria Open Corsa CX II (320 TPI) + Michelin latex tubes.

Vittoria is at least as durable -- and probably more -- than the P3R. I've had just 1 rear flat in c. 800 miles of riding & racing. I'm guestimating i will get 1500-2000 miles wear on my rear tire ...

Vittoria + latex tube is in the top 10 of lowest rolling resistance tires of ANY tire type, tubular or clincher ... the best flimsy tubular was only c.1 watt better (!). http://www.biketechreview.com/tires/AFM_tire_crr.htm

Extremely supple, smooth ride. Very good dry corner grip, confidence inspiring (haven't tried wet).

With careful shopping, Vittoria cost about $40-45 each, from England internet retailers.

BUT ... since you will mainly be riding Northeast roads (NJ) ... the Conti tires do seem a lot more practical. Maybe ride the Vittoria tires from late Spring to early Autumn ? ;-) 

CAVEATS:
-- I ride mainly on decent condition So Calif roads, with relatively little road debris.
-- I am not extremely price sensitive.
-- I like training on what I will race, or group ride hammerfest ... I don't enjoy riding heavy clunky stuff "just because" it is "only training".

PS: I am the same way with cars ... tires on my "hobby" car only last 10K miles, if that.


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## zedfoto (Dec 2, 2007)

I have used both.
I'm a flyweight so I use lower tire pressures than most. I also use latex tubes.
The wear rate on the GP4000s was very good, and so is puncture resistance (I had lots of cuts in the tread, but never a puncture), and they rolled reasonably well. However I found that the ride was quite hard and cornering grip was not that great. Personally I found the much cheaper Vittoria Rubino Pro to be more confidence inspiring than the Continentals.
I traded the Conti's for 320tpi Open Corsa CX. They do seem to wear faster but they roll very fast and the ride and grip is sublime. Unless cost is no issue the Corsa is definitely a 'race only' tire.

IMO you should look at the Vittoria Open Pave in lieu of the Open Corsa. That's what is replacing my Rubino Pro's after I ruin them this winter.


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## real stonie (Mar 30, 2006)

Contu 4k's....the red ones...they're fastest.


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## Nickbee (Nov 16, 2009)

tom_h said:


> With careful shopping, Vittoria cost about $40-45 each, from England internet retailers.


$103 for a pair of them from wiggle with free shipping. At that price I think it's worth a try. :thumbsup:


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

Nickbee said:


> $103 for a pair of them from wiggle with free shipping. At that price I think it's worth a try.


In last few weeks, Wiggle has some good sales (eg, GBP 15 off orders of 75 or more, etc).
I bought 2 more Open Corsa tires at an effective price of about US$ 39 each!


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## Siv (Aug 2, 2009)

What about the Conti 4000"s" model? Supposed to be better than the regular 4000 but no 25cc.


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## tlc4bikes (Dec 31, 2009)

Vittoria all the way (my favorite are the Torelli tires @ 240,260 and 320 tpi and cost of $35-$60 are the best). The Conti/EA90 combo will be fast but with the Vittoria/EA90 combo the wheels will be fast and comfortable. BIG difference between the ride feel on these two tires.


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## 11.4 (Mar 2, 2008)

My anecdotal experience is that the 4000S is a much better roller and more comfortable tire than other Conti road tires. It's still stiffer than a Vittoria Corsa CX, but the stiffness means you get a more consistent tire profile in a turn and the tire turns and handles slippery conditions with a tad more predictability. I have a section of road where some idiot embedded some railroad rails lengthwise between the lane of the road and the bike lane. Of course, if you hit them (and they stick up about 5-10 mm) they send you all over the place. It's a good place to test tires in the wet. A Vittoria Corsa CX 25 mm 320 tpi clincher wants to slip sideways like crazy, while a Conti 4000S rides right up and off again. 

The 4000S does not cut from small bits of glass or rock chips, but I've found the 320 tpi Vittorias are extraordinarily resistant to such cuts as well (at least compared to the 290 tpi version). I simply like both tires. The 320 tpi is a cushy ride; the 4000S is a bit firmer. Think of the difference between a tire on a Lexus and a tire on a BMW -- you'd want a firmer tire on the BMW. If you buy an extremely stiff frame and need to soften the ride, the 320 tpi is a good way to do it, but you also give away some stiffness because the casing will now flex more. You can make up for the softness with higher pressure, but then you're back to the firmness of the 4000S. Thus, you can basically ride either tire and enjoy them both. They both wear flat spots -- the 4000S (like most Contis) doesn't have much tread so you don't see the flat spot as fast as on the Vittorias. I get approximately the same mileage on both tires. I'll pick the tire for the roads to a degree, or go to a 4000S clincher for the rain (and ride a 320 tpi Vittoria for dry roads), but honestly I can't say I see a statistical difference in my own tire use. Individual experience is so anecdotal because one or two riders on a team or in a paceline will ride through more crap that others will steer around, so they flat more. It's more a user issue than anything else. All these tires are very good. Just ride and enjoy. The time spent on this forum should be used on the road. That being said, I'm taking my bike and signing off.


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## Nickbee (Nov 16, 2009)

11.4 said:


> My anecdotal experience...


Great write up! Thanks for all the great input...


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## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

The 320 tpi Vittoria open corsas were a PITA to mount to my wheels. The 4000s was a bit easier but not by much. I would also get almost twice as much miles on the rear tire with the 4000s.


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## ChunkyMC (Jun 16, 2004)

As most have said above the vittoria's (my favorite) offer a better ride ,but wear out fast while the conti's are more durable, but I think ride so-so. I ride vittorais, but also veloflex (who took over vittora's production in italy after vittoria moved to thailand) which are a bit more durable and ride almost as well. I also use Veredestien tri comps which are better riding than conti and more durable than vittoria. Most of my riding is in semi-wet NorCal. Tires are like shoes, very personal preference. Good Luck


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## mephist0r (Jan 7, 2010)

i have the exact same setup.... ea90 aeros with conti 4000s. beautiful!


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

I was amazed when I first put on Corsas. They are so smooth and roll so well.
My standard of comparision is below Conti 4000s though.....so I'm not necessarily recommending Corsas over them but I'm pretty confident anyone would like the ride of the Corsas.
I haven't have any issues with wear or flats.....but I ride pretty good roads.


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

I got a ton of miles on my Corsa's last year.
I think they are great and the ride is better than any tire I have used.
25c is my choice.

The rear was wearing a little thin before a century towward the end of last year and I reaplaced it. Sure glad I did because 9 miles into the century I flatted with a cut through the tread. Bam-60+ bones gone and had to buy a new tire to finish the century.

Telling the story because I really like the Corsa's. It was a fluke thing and will buy them again. People say certain tires don't last. Yada, yada, yada.


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## nor_cal_rider (Dec 18, 2006)

I've had nothing but good luck and durability with the Conti 4000's. 2500-3000 miles on a mix of smooth pavement and nasty county chip seals, in the furnace-like summer temps of northern California. Decent grip in the wet weather, as well as during high speed mountian descents.

YMMV.


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

I'll give my 2 cents (again). The Conti 4000 S tires (or the black 4000) wear better than any tire I've ever used, easily beating the Michelin Krylion. They seem to be quite puncture and cut resistant also. They are outstanding in grip and cornering feel, and test very well in Crr tests. They are subpar in smoothness... at least compared to the Michelin Pro3s, and likely any of the "open tubulars"... but outstanding in every other category.


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## Todd_H (Nov 20, 2009)

I used Conti 4000s all last year. I put a ton of miles on them and they rarely flatted, held up well. The problem with them is getting them on my rims. I have a set of custom wheels with DT Swiss RR1.1s. It really is almost impossible to get them on which sucks if you are on a group ride and folks are standing there waiting. But, they rarely flat. This year I am going to try either the Vittoria EVO CX, Vedrestein Fortezza TriComp or PR3s. I have a set of Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slicks I am going to use for weekday (by myself) early season rides and use the lighter more race oriented tires for fast group rides and crit practice.


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## BATMAN (Aug 15, 2005)

I like my Yellow 4000


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

BATMAN said:


> I like my Yellow 4000


*holy canary batman*


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## BATMAN (Aug 15, 2005)

pigpen said:


> *holy canary batman*


I know, I know.......


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## JulesYK (Jul 2, 2007)

*Zipp Rim Strips*



Todd_H said:


> I used Conti 4000s all last year. I put a ton of miles on them and they rarely flatted, held up well. The problem with them is getting them on my rims. I have a set of custom wheels with DT Swiss RR1.1s. It really is almost impossible to get them on which sucks if you are on a group ride and folks are standing there waiting. But, they rarely flat. This year I am going to try either the Vittoria EVO CX, Vedrestein Fortezza TriComp or PR3s. I have a set of Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slicks I am going to use for weekday (by myself) early season rides and use the lighter more race oriented tires for fast group rides and crit practice.


Not sure what rim strips you are using, but I have these rims, and with Velox rim tape, I thought I'd never get a tire mounted. Zipp rim strips made it manageable.


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## mattotoole (Jan 3, 2008)

Kerry Irons said:


> Despite all the praise you might hear about one tire vs. another, there is not enough difference between comparable tires to spit at. Pick what you like for color and price (or whatever else your priorities might be). For tubes, I'm a fan of Michelin because the valve stems aren't threaded and therefore won't tear up your pump head.


Ditto on the Michelin tubes. Plus they have the least flashing of any brand, so patches go on better. Nowadays I won't buy anything else.

Thanks for sharing all your mileage data! Nothing like shedding some light on the subject.


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

BATMAN said:


> I like my Yellow 4000


A) WTF?
B) Different tire than the 4000S
C) Your front tire is mounted in the wrong direction
D) You ruined those Mavic brakes
E) WTF?


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## mimason (Oct 7, 2006)

flip wheel around, change skewer side, squash banana.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Siv said:


> What about the Conti 4000"s" model? Supposed to be better than the regular 4000 but no 25cc.


The 4000"s" is simply a black GP 4000 with a different label. Both the 4000"s" and black 4000 have the Black Chili compound. The Black Chili compound is not available in any other color.

I have 4000"s" on my bike now and am waiting for my black 4000, 25's to show up for spring. I am looking forward to a little more comfortable ride. (Not that the 4000"s" were bad)


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## fetus19 (Sep 14, 2009)

JulesYK said:


> Personally, I'd go with the black GP4000 (which also have the Black Chili compound) in the 25c size. I've ridden the Open Corsa EVO CX's once, and it was a wonderful ride. But, they are expensive and apparently are not very durable. (But if you have a lot of money to spend on tires, just replace them regularly....) I use the 4000s on my rode bikes, and they have been very reliable and durable, and I will put the 25c tire on my commuter. As for tubes, I suspect any lightweight butyl tube will do that has a long enough valve stem for your rim. Latex tubes are supposed to be nice and light, but who wants to constantly pump up their tires?


Were you riding the EVO CX's with the 290 TPI or the 320 TPI? The reason I ask is because I'm looking into a set of Vittorias but I've heard mixed reviews. Some people have said that the new 320 TPI tire is supposedly more resistant to flats than the 290 TPI.


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