Vittoria's new Corsa N.EXT tyre swaps cotton for nylon, but why?

A close up of the hot-patch on the Vittoria N.EXT tyre
(Image credit: Vittoria)

Vittoria has today announced the launch of a new road tyre, the Corsa N.EXT, which swaps the existing cotton casing for nylon. It claims that in doing so, it offers competition-level performance while offering better puncture protection and increased grip.

In the conversation of what makes the best road bike tyres, cotton casings are usually considered king thanks to their ability to keep the weight low and offer supple ride quality. Vittoria's existing Corsa range uses a core-spun cotton casing, with a 320 TPI (threads per inch) construction, onto which the tread is subsequently glued into place. 

Josh Croxton
Associate Editor (Tech)

Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. 

On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.