Here we have an expensive clincher tyre. As always with expense, the question for many potential buyers will be “is it worth it?” And, as ever, the answer will depend on several factors. Some, for example, will baulk at spending that kind of money no matter how fine the tyre.
Which would be a shame in the case of the Open Pave Evo CG because it is a very fine tyre indeed. It is the clincher version of the fabled Pave Evo CG tubular, which has something of a reputation for excellence when it comes to racing on the pave of the northern spring Classics. The tub and clincher share the same tread compound, green rubber and old-school file pattern as well as the 320 TPI (threads per inch) polycotton casing introduced in late 2008 on the Open Corsa CX.
As with the Open Corsa CX, the introduction of the new lighter, more flexible casing has improved an already impressive tyre. So supple is the ride that we ended up running an extra 10psi (100/110 front/rear) over the original inflation pressure just to get a feel of the road surface. This suppleness is desirable because, for what feels like the same suspension effect, rolling power losses through carcass flex are lower and this is a tyre that does like to roll.
Added to exceptional ride comfort is a tread compound and pattern designed to grip wet, greasy cobblestones. Their performance on the greasy road surfaces left in London by recent weather conditions has been more than reassuring, so much so that it might have encouraged more aggressive riding in poor conditions…
Perhaps the only reservation regarding the Pave Evo tyres is longevity. Not that they don’t last reasonably well, but that cost per mile is high enough to make them for most riders more of a luxury occasional fitment rather than an everyday riding or commuting tyre.
Weight is a claimed 240g and the official size is 700x24c.
Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG clincher £52.99
