In this article I’m going to give my list for the best tubular road bike tires.
In the industry there are a few well known brands who’ve been at the top of their game for many years, and their tires you can find on this list.
The tires vary with the intended use. I’ve added a number of Vittoria tires. The standard Corsa, and the Corsa Control and Corsa Speed, which are meant for harsher conditions and time trials respectively. You can find that decision with other items as well. So depending on your personal preference, allround, speed, endurance, you might opt for one over the other tire.
All are excellent choices. So here’s my list of the best tubular road bike tires.
Continental Competition
The Continental Competition is a very different tire than the Grand Prix TT. More of an allround race tire, only the extremely narrow 19 mm get’s below the 200 grams at 195. Should you move up to either 22 or 25 mm the weight increases as well to 230 and 245 respectively, which is still very respectable for an all-round road bike tire.
With a TPI of 180 it does pack far more rubber making this tire far more durable. Furthermore it does have the same vectran breaker and just the tiniest of tread to maximize rolling resistance.
The Continental Competition is a tubular tire, which means that these tires may very well be lighter than the Grand Prix TT which needs tubes.
- Light, allround race-oriented tire, durable
- None
Continental Podium TT
Another Time Trial entry, the Continental Podium TT sits at 195 grams for a 19 mm width version.
It’s extremely similar to the Continental Competition. Same weight, both are tubulars, same TPI of 180, same vectran breaker. Only the tread pattern looks slightly different, almost turning the tire into a slick, which might be the reason Continental puts this tire into the time trial section.
- Extremely light, meant for racing and TT
- Race tire
Continental Sprinter Gatorskin
If you’re looking for puncture protection that comes in a tubular package, the Continental Sprinter Gatorskin is your best bet.
It offers the same DuraSkin layer wrapped all around the tire as does the Continental Grand Prix 4-Season. Where it differs is both the breaker and the compound.
The Sprinter Gatorskin has a 3-layered 180 TPI all-weather casing and the SafetySystem breaker is made from kevlar reinforced nylon.
The tire is available in a black 22 or 25 mm width.
- The most puncture resistant tubular tire on the market
- It's a somewhat stiff tubular tire meant for off-season riding
Vittoria Corsa
The Vittoria Corsa tops many lists as one of the best road bike tires in general. And lucky for us, they also offer a tan-wall version of this beauty of a tire.
The Vittoria Corsa is a tire for the current generation of road bikes. At 290 grams for a 25 mm width it’s not lightweight. But the combination of that weight and an extremely high 320 TPI carcass means this is one of the most comfortable road tires on the market today, and an obvious choice for many road cyclists.
Not only is this an extremely comfortable tire, grip, handling, and cornering confidence is also at a maximum with this tire. And for years the Vittoria Corsa has set the benchmark of being the tire with the lowest rolling resistance. All of these characteristics combined make the Vittoria Corsa a failsafe option for sure.
- Stunning tire, very comfortable, great grip and handling
- None
Vittoria Corsa Control
If you want a bit more puncture protection but still have Vittoria emblazoned on your sidewall, the Vittoria Corsa Control will suit your needs.
It’s obviously heavier than its other namesake, but with it comes extra protection. It has an extra tread inserted into the tire, which adds control and durability for less than optimal road conditions like cobblestones and rougher roads.
It’s also a perfect companion for those who don’t mind riding in wet conditions. So choose this tire over the normal Corsa if rough and wet is what you like.
The Vittoria Corsa Control is also the only tan-wall road bike tire on this list that comes as a tube. So if you have a very premium vintage road bike or a very premium set of modern-day wheels you can take advantage of everything tubes have to offer as well.
- Added puncture protection, tan option available, tube
- None
Vittoria Corsa Speed
The Vittoria Corsa Speed is basically Vittoria’s time trial version of its regular Corsa. A tubular tire where a considerable amount of rubber has been shaved off to create a 23 mm width 200 gram tire in either black or tan.
All that reduction in weight does of course come with a penalty, so this tire is best reserved when you really want to go really fast. Or else the 140 dollar price tag for a tire that isn’t all that durable might not be the best option for the average rider.
But if you do decide to go for this tire, just to experience what it feels like, you can rest assured that the 320 TPI count will provide both a very smooth and very fast ride, which will hopefully make you forget how much money you spent for that ride.
- Very fast, lots of grip
- Meant for race day, very pricey
Road Bike Tires Weight Rating
I’ve always been fascinated by bicycle tires, and road bike tires offer some of the most premium pieces of rubber you can put on your rims. It’s a good place to save quite a bit of weight without paying a really large amount of money. It’s not like there are titanium or carbon tires, which are traditionally materials to make bicycle products lighter that are very expensive.
The lightest 700C tire I’ve looked at is the Veloflex Record, which is a track tire sitting at 135 grams for a 23 mm version. The heaviest tire I’ve taken into account is the Schwalbe Lugano II Endurance weighing 490 grams for the same 25 mm tire width.
In the following graph you can find the weight ratings for each tire. The weight ratings represent a relative percentage irrespective of tire width and only looking at 700C versions of the respective tire. The numbers are compared against each other resulting in a percentage of 0 for the relative heaviest tire and 100 for the relative lightest tire.
Road Bike Tires Puncture Protection Rating
Nobody likes a flat tire. It’s one of the most jarring things to break the flow of a ride. That’s why puncture protection is an important factor when considering a certain bicycle tire.
Puncture protection sits at the other end of the tire weight, suppleness and possibly grip. The more rubber you add to a tire, and the more layers of protection sit underneath it, the more weight you add, and the stiffer your tire gets. That’s why racing tires have the most minimal protection, and touring or 4-season tires the most.
The puncture protection ratings you see here are a function of TPI, in combination with tire weight, and puncture protection technology added to the tire. From sidewall protection, multiple breakers and tire belts.
Specifications tubular road bike tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Challenge Strada Pro | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | Black | Tan | SuperPoly | PPS2 | tubular | 300 | ||
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 290 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 360 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 295 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 350 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Continental Competition | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 245 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Continental Competition | 700Cx22 | 22-622 | 230 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Continental Sprinter Gatorskin | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 275 | Black | Black | BlackChili | DuraSkin / SafetySystem Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Continental Sprinter Gatorskin | 700Cx22 | 22-622 | 265 | Black | Black | BlackChili | DuraSkin / SafetySystem Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Continental Podium TT | 700Cx22 | 22-622 | 225 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Continental Podium TT | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 275 | Black | Black | BlackChili | Vectran Breaker | tubular | 3/180 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 275 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 275 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 290 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 360 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx30 | 30-622 | 375 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa | 700Cx30 | 30-622 | 375 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 295 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx28 | 28-622 | 350 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx30 | 30-622 | 370 | Black | Black | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Control | 700Cx30 | 30-622 | 370 | Black | Tan | Corespun K | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Speed | 700Cx23 | 23-622 | 200 | Black | Tan | Corespun T | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Speed | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 205 | Black | Black | Corespun T | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 | |
Vittoria Corsa Speed | 700Cx25 | 25-622 | 205 | Black | Tan | Corespun T | Protection Belt | tubular | 320 |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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