For those in a hurry Veloflex tires are great for those looking for a very smooth ride, high traction, reasonably low rolling resistance and a road feel that is more akin to a tubular tire. In particular, its the smooth feel, and the confidence I feel while cornering on them, that really stand out. They're also extremely quiet. I've ridden them on only a few short shake-down runs to check handlebar and brake lever positioning, so I'll update this later, after I check the tire's wear, traction and puncture resistance. But I can say without reservation that they are the most comfortable and confidence-inspiring clinchers Ive every ridden on, even in a 23 mm tire size that runs true to size.
A bit more detail They were difficult to mount (Veloflex cautions against using levers) on my old-school Mavic Open 4 CD rims (inside width of 13.2 mm). I didn't want the light-bulb effect and poor aerodynamics of combining a narrow rim with a wide tire, hence my choice of a 23-mm width. I used Schwalbe's high-pressure fabric rim tape, and Michelin's Airstop A1 butyl tubes. (Sorry, latex fans.) One of the tubes had a small leak in it after mounting - my fault, Im sure - and I used the Pedros to make safe removal easier. When I remounted the tire with a new tube, I used the Koolstop Tire Bead Jack, which I HIGHLY recommend for safely mounting hard-to-mount tires in seconds. I used 116 pounds in the rear, and 107 in the front, (using an Accu-Gage analog tire gauge).
So, how'd the Veloflex Corsa tires perform and feel on the short runs I took them on? They were superb! Id read that tires make a significant difference - possibly the biggest difference - in how a bike handles and feels, and I certainly believe that now. I would literally have noticed in a few yards - blind-folded. My bike, which has a frame of Tange OS 4130-tubing, now feels like a French-made Roold bike with tubular tires that I had many years ago.
I often tried to analyze why that Roold felt so good, and concluded it was due to its sew-up tires - there really is a difference. Thats what prompted me to try the Veloflex tires - reviews often mentioned that the feel was akin to tubulars. The reviewers were right! The Corsa tires make cycling more fun, and isnt that what its all about?
For someone who is looking to lower a PR by a tenth or two, or who cycles over broken glass and road construction, there might be somewhat better choices out there. But for enthusiast riders who cycle on decent roads for exercise, fitness and fun, and who value a soft, smooth ride, even at high pressures, the Veloflex Corsa is a superb choice. The $30ea sale price I got mine for from Bike Tire Direct made them a steal, but Id be willing to pay full price, if necessary.
I tried the Veloflex Open Corsa 23 tires after wearing out my Vittoria Rubino Pro 3 Slick tires that had a little over 4,000 miles on them. These tires are amazing there is a distinct improvement in road feel, especially on smooth, paved roads it's almost like gliding. I'm accustomed to hearing a certain buzz where rubber meets the road, but it's very faint, if not inaudible, on these tires. I don't race, but I can see why these are preferred by aggressive sprinters or fast riders.
The downsides
- durability is average at best, especially in terms of puncture resistance. They stand virtually no chance against goat heads, but can take a little bit of abuse from less thorny objects.
- They wear out fairly quickly. I can get about 1,300 miles when mounted on the front. I would try for more but...
- On very bad days (such as heavy rain, or a day after a heavy downpour), the tire's casing is far too soft to handle sustained abuse from debris. In my case, a portion of the casing was chewed out you can see the fibers and a tire liner tube showing in the photo I've attached.
I'd buy these again, but would definitely reserve them for Sunday best-type of rides (group rides, training rides), but not for everyday (especially commute) use.
These are, by far, the nicest clincher's I've ever ridden. Though they are very tight mounting the first time (at least on my DT RR465 rims), once the casing stretches a bit from use, they are very supple and easy to wrangle. As for comfort, they're like riding on pillows, I'm 6'4 190lb, and inflate the 700x25 to 85F 95R, and they still feel really fast. The rubber is super grippy, you can lean hard into a turn with confidence, even in wet conditions.
As for durability, I've had 2 flats in my first 1200 miles on these tires one front flat after rolling over a large piece of glass, and one rear flat after rolling over a big construction staple. Either situation would have proven difficult for even the toughest tire, so I don't fault the Veloflex. But I will admit, I'm a bit more paranoid about road debris with these tires, and sweep them with my hands a lot. In any case, both of those tires are still going strong, though the rear shows significantly more tread wear than the front, as expected. I figure I'll need to replace the rear in another 400-500 miles.
I now recommend these tires to all of my riding buddies.
I have put about 700 miles on these tires with only one flat due to a glass shard. There is starting to be a slight flat spot along the center but the slight bumpy tread is not smooth. I don't expect these to last as long as the Conti 4000s that I used before but they aren't supposed to be the longest wearing. The Velos are really smooth and corner well. I've been running the pressures lower (80-85f and 90-95r and I weigh 170ish) in the 25c than I did in the Conti 4000s in a 23c, however, I'd say the profile and width is really similar between the 2. I'd only be able to make a full review if I go back to the Continentals with the same latex tubes. They sometimes feel slower, but I don't know if that is because they are smoother and road buzz can give the impression of speed. Overall I've been really pleased with these and bought another to rotate later in the season. I only wish they came in a 28c. They can be a real bear to mount the first time. Some forum posts recommend putting them in the dryer under low heat to soften them before mounting. Others recommending aging them for better wear, but they might given a firmer ride. They really are awesome tires.
I just put these bad boys (25mm width) on three weeks ago and have about 370 miles on them thus far. Paired with latex tubes. I highly recommend latex for those who haven't tried them, especially with this tire. The ride quality is superior and I can't imagine running butyl with this tire.
So far, I'm wowed by these tires, and there are not many products that wow me. I've only ridden Conti GP4000s tires prior to these, so unfortunately, that's my only comparison. Really good tires as well, but in my results, the Veloflex Corsa beats it in all categories.
- Roll super fast and get up to speed quickly and easily maintains speed
- Descends and corners exceptionally well, even in wet conditions. Amazing grip. This is where the tire is far superior to the Conti. Not even a close comparison. I personally did not like the feel of the Conti tires in the corners, and I spend a lot of time climbing and descending.
- Durability I was initially concerned about the durability of these tires, due to other reviews. However, after 370 miles, both front and rear tires still look brand new with no signs of wear. I live in San Francisco - the roads in the area suck big time - potholes, cracks, choppy, glass, rocks, etc. I've had no issues (knock on wood).
- Incredibly smooth ride paired with the latex tubes. I run these at the same PSI as I did with the Conti - 100-105 in the rear, 95 in the front. I'm a male 140lbs.
- Installation The tires were fairly straight forward to install. I was able to install them on my 23mm wide HED Belgium C2 rims with only my hands and a little muscle. Certainly a little tighter than the Conti's, but I didn't experience the difficulties installing as some other reviewers noted.
- Light weight
Overall, I'm highly impressed with these tires and hope they continue to deliver as the miles add up. Give them a shot!
These tires are as close to racing sewups as you can get with current clincher technology. They are light (actual wt. 190 grams) and they corner really well. They are thin and soft, so don't expect to get 8,000 miles from a set.... more like 3-4,000, but they are soooo nice to ride on. Also, these aren't Kevlar, steel belted, armor plated tires. You can get flats with them, but no more than with other fast tires, I've actually had great luck with them.
These are, by far, the nicest clincher's I've ever ridden. Anytime you can get 320tpi tires, get them. It doesn't matter to me if reviews state they don't last long, I like the suppleness of a high thread count tire. They are very tight mounting the first time but most good tires are. As for comfort, they're like riding on tubulars, I'm 6'2 190lbs, and inflate them to app 100 psi. The rubber is super grippy, you can lean hard into a turn with confidence.
I now recommend these tires to all of my friends.
Got these on-sale, super good deal! A bit hard to get on the first time as others have stated, but if you leave them in the sun for a bit it isn't too bad to get on. They are a fast ride! And really grip the corners. I have only ridden then a hand full of times so far so cannot speak to long-term durability.
Mounted these on my road bike to see how they roll and to my surprise it rolls fantastic!! Very good feel and traction on dry roads with supple bumps! Flat protection??!! It depends on where you live and ride your bike!! I live where I can ride all year long in Rain or Sunshine!!
These are great tires that have an excellent feel due to the high TPI count. The grip is excellent on dry roads. For a clincher, they are very light (195 gm) and nimble. However...they get tread cuts and flat easily. I have not had them long enough to accurately assess wear and durability. Get them on sale and they're a good deal.
Veloflex tires have a great reputation. I have not used them before but the price was too good to pass up. I put them on a new Lynskey Ti bike I recently built and so far they are exactly what I expected, great rolling tire and not flats.
Rode 6,000 Miles with only 3 Flats. Only buy tires with a 320 TPI . And I Ride in the City a Lot with lots of Glass. Only tires I use .
Originally I saved these for race days because they are very supple and the soft rubber wears out rather quickly. However, I now stock up when they go on sale and use them everyday because they are so pleasant to ride and I'm worth it!
These tire are as close to tubulars as you can get. Time and money made me hang up my tubular wheels. I tried dozens lightweight clincher tires, but these tires are the only ones that have the response and secure cornering feel of tubies. I use these tires mostly for hilly rides. I would not recommend these for commuting.
I'am a tire junkie, have tried many brands. I have my fix with these, what I like is ride feel, don't care about miles, flats or cost. If cost, longevity& flat protection are your priorities look else where, if you want a smooth riding, light weight, fast tire, wet or dry this is it. My every day tire, I ride 6,000 miles a year, hot, cold, wet or dry.
I use a tire liner& light butyl tube, works fine,(not as nice as latex) still have a few flats a year, just fix it , never bums me out, part of biking. Used latex for a few years may again, but this set up is fine. Buy when on sale.
These are really nice tires. They feel great on the road and are pretty fast as well. The only downside is that they wear out pretty fast. Recommend them for racing or events. You can use them for training, but they aren't going to get you too many miles.
They run small. My 25's are actually 23.4.
I have used tubulars and, until these clinchers, used the Continental Grand Prix 4000s clinchers. I switched to these after I got a hole in a Continental. These have a very high TIP count and with a latex tube, which I always use, give an incredibly smooth ride plus can easily carry a very big pressure. I believe it is up to 175 lbs. They are flat as packaged so, as opposed to some tires that come shaped and are a bit easier to put on. They also are tough to get on meaning they are a very tight fit. I found that putting them in a warm dryer for a couple of minutes is enough to make the job easier. IN a hot car would probably also work. All of that is well worth it for the ride. Cracks in the road that shook my body with the Continentals, are very comfortable with these tires. They aren't cheap, actually no good tire is, but for the ride quality, I think they are a steal.
I've been using the 25mm for about 2 years. They are really supple and certainly give a tubular like ride when paired with a latex tube and you can really rail corners with them. I weigh 155 lbs, ride them at 85 - 90 psi and have had very few flats (and most of the flats that I've had were due to debris that would flat any tire.) They are soft and they will get cuts in them, most of which have little effect. I also replace my rear tire twice as much as the front if I use them for training because it will wear out much quicker. Use these as your race tires and you'll enjoy them for a long time. If you use them as a daily training tire you need to understand that they are going to wear out much sooner than many other tires because ITS A 195gr RACING TIRE! Don't get pi**ed if they don't last as long as your Specialized Armadillos. My guess is that most people over inflate their tires which,in my opinion, is a big no-no with Veloflex. IF you are a heavy rider or tend to bash through everything on the road you should probably choose something a little more sturdy.
I really liked the way the tires ride. Unfortunately they don't hold up well to the roads in Oklahoma. After just 400 miles of riding I started experiencing flats on a regular basis. Although I gave a 2 star rating on price its not because they cost too much but if I'm replacing them after 400 miles than the cost efficiency is poor in my opinion. I liked the ride but I wont buy them again due to the poor durability.
