Veloflex Extreme on rough roads

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victorduraace
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:10 pm

by victorduraace

Hi! what does the following tubular hold up like on poor roads with some crappy sections and dirt? Will it cut quickly?
I can get one at bargain price...
I only intend to run in up front, 70kg rider, mountain rides ;)
I have heavy clinchers for every day tasks...

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sugarkane
in the industry
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by sugarkane

If it's new it should be ok.
The gravel will be the worst thing.
I've ridden very rough roads and a bit of gravel with mine and got punchers on the gravel with a rear carbon that was really close too it's end of life..
The front extreme was fine.. Is it aged at all? ( they have a date stamp inside them ) 6-12 months is desirable

audiophilitis
Posts: 479
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:49 am

by audiophilitis

Switched to Velo Extremes (front and rear) towards the end of 2013 season and have put about 200 or so miles on them. One my last ride, there was a 2 mile section where the road was being prepped for a fresh layer of asphalt, and was therefore scraped and roughened with a lot of loose and sharp gravel. i was almost certain I'd get a flat but to my surprise upon inspection of the tires when i got home, not a single cut on the tread, not even on the rear tire.

fdegrove
Tubbie Guru
Posts: 5894
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 2:20 am
Location: Belgium

by fdegrove

Hi,

Been using the same Veloflex Extreme on the FW (Carbon on RW) for a couple of years. Although it's ever so slightly leaky it holds up very well on the rural roads in my area which are mostly concrete slabs with lots of loose sylex chips etc.
They still look like new.
They were pre-aged in the cellar for about 8 months which makes a lot of difference.
I feel the 350TPI cotton treads help to protect the sidewalls rather well.

As you can get them for a good price, do not hesitate. Can't think of a better tyre really.

Ciao, ;)
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

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micky
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by micky

fdegrove; I asked once directly to Veloflex owner if it would make a different to store them for a while, his answer was "no". :?

fdegrove
Tubbie Guru
Posts: 5894
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Location: Belgium

by fdegrove

Hi,

Does he actually ride their tyres? :D

Seriously though, there a perfectly logical basis for ageing them properly. Especially so for handmade tyres and even more so if Veloflex is too busy and allows them to leave the door before the glue has had time to cure. :mrgreen:

The difference in puncturing rate between riding a factory fresh one and one that has had time to age is (disregarding the risk of tread letting go of the casing) is enormous. Factory fresh lasts about 500Km at most whereas a properly aged one (with a bit of luck) simply won't puncture until it's truly worn out.

We've had tis topic for at least five times already, I'll stick with what I know for a fact that works and I'm certainly not the only one.

Give it a try yourself, it doesn't cost a single dime. 8)

Ciao, ;)
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

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kaaos
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 5:34 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

by kaaos

fdegrove wrote:Give it a try yourself, it doesn't cost a single dime.


I agree... I always use the same brand (Continental Competition) and I buy my tubular tires in bulk when I see them on specials. This happens at higher rate than I am wearing them off so I ended up with a nice little stash of about 20 tires. All these tires have to be stored for a while (aged) before they see the road. So in a way I didn't plan to age them, it's just that I couldn't resist buying them at great price so often.
The result is the same... they've been aged.

I remember puncturing the fresh tires at the beginning but not any more. Now I wear them until the rubber completely wears off and I start seeing small patches of fabric layer below.

You will probably not believe me but my front tire is still looking good after being used for 14 months and over 21.000km in total. This is not guess, Strava doesn't lie... I just checked, it's little bit over 21.000km since I got my new bike and I haven't replaced or punctured front tire yet. Rear one will last about three months or approximately 5.000km before they get replaced as I don't feel too confident going out for a very long ride if I can see patches of fabric coming through.

I ride only tubulars, so after years of using them I learned that with aging and right air pressure your tubulars will be trouble free and will last very long.

G

LionelB
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Location: Aix en Provence

by LionelB

fdegrove wrote:We've had tis topic for at least five times already, I'll stick with what I know for a fact that works and I'm certainly not the only one.

No you are not!

barsook77
Posts: 105
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:17 pm

by barsook77

Ride chip sealed roads exclusively. These tires hold up until the rubber delaminates and falls off the casing!

Plus...they're a great ride.

record
Posts: 943
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:02 pm
Location: EU

by record

How do you guys age tubulars? Just put them in a cold and dark place?
A light bike does replace good fitness.

barsook77
Posts: 105
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:17 pm

by barsook77

I hang mine in the closet. They sit there for years.

Gunjira
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Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 11:41 am

by Gunjira

Blew a veloflex carbon on a downhill going into a gravel section where the road was prepped for fresh concrete. Braked, went in at ~25km/h and instantly flatted the rear.
Huge sidewall cut, that cost me the race win. Can't say if they were aged, sponsors wheels.

elSid
Posts: 254
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:59 pm

by elSid

Veloflex tubulars are nice on any road surface, in my experience.

Also, in my experience, aging makes absolutely no difference in terms of susceptibility to punctures for Veloflex or any other brand of tubular tire.

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mrowkoob
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Location: Middle of nowhere, EU

by mrowkoob

They are great for normal gravel free roads. They have very sensitive sidewalls as all high end tires/tubbies do because suppleness, speed and weight are prioritized before resistance to cuts and punctures.
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by Weenie


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stl516
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:45 pm

by stl516

how do you deal with flats? spare tire or sealant or perfectly smooth roads?

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