question regarding veloflex corsas

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fatmike
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:16 pm

by fatmike

I am a big fan of the Veloflex. It's all I run. I probably have a stash of about 6 of them right now.


I find the ride quality to be excellent. They are sticky and I am very confident cornering with them. I find they offer terrific road feel. By comparison, the Michelin Pro's are vague and the Continental 4000's are just hard. The Velo's feel soft and communicative. They have character.


They don't last as well as some other tires, but I don't care. I regularly get 2000Km from the fronts, and somewhat less from the rear. The sidewalls tend to get soft after some use, and typically it's sidewall failure that does them in. After some use, you can mount them with your hands (no tools at all) very easily. They can be a fight when new.


I had an issue with one of the tires (I wouldn't stay mounted when new). I contacted the company. They graciously offered to send me a new tire, but sadly it never arrived. That hasn't stopped me from running them, although it would have been nice to receive the warranty tire...



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fdegrove
Tubbie Guru
Posts: 5894
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Location: Belgium

by fdegrove

Hi,

They don't last as well as some other tires, but I don't care. I regularly get 2000Km from the fronts, and somewhat less from the rear. The sidewalls tend to get soft after some use, and typically it's sidewall failure that does them in.


No idea why this happens to you but typically you should at least 3.000 km out of the front tyre and 2.000km out of a rear tyre.

Personally, I've been running Veloflex tyres for decades and judging from my experience you could easily get much more mileage out of them by aging them properly prior to use for about six months. Maybe you do this already?
It will make the rubber a little harder and you'll have much improved puncture resistance as well.
It's free too. 8)

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

reippuert
Posts: 120
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Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by reippuert

JKolmo wrote:I just mounted my brand new Corsa 25s on a pair of Ambrosio Excellights. They measure exactly 23.8mm. So I wouldn't worry too much about the aerodynamic penalty to be honest. I assume working on your riding position, tucking your elbows etc would help you a lot more in that respect. ;-)


thank's - 23,8 a little less than what i had hoped for - perhaps they will meassure wider on Open Pro's, i'll post when i get mine.
--
mvh. Morten Reippuert Knudsen @Merlin Works CR, Chorus 15, Reynolds 46/66

nspace
Posts: 308
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:08 am
Location: Milton, Canada

by nspace

I will say, the salt/grimey/sandy roads haven't been too kind to my Masters. 2 flats yesterday. I am thinking of getting a beefier tire to get me through until end of April, and then go back to Veloflex Corsa in May.

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

by fdegrove

Hi,

Veloflex tyres aren't what you'd call winter tyres.
In those periods of the year when there's plenty of debris on the roads I'd consider something more along the lines of a Conti tyre.

Ciao, ;)
Last edited by fdegrove on Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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markyboy
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by markyboy

Lovely tyres, and slow not.
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reippuert
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:18 am
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by reippuert

reippuert wrote:
JKolmo wrote:I just mounted my brand new Corsa 25s on a pair of Ambrosio Excellights. They measure exactly 23.8mm. So I wouldn't worry too much about the aerodynamic penalty to be honest. I assume working on your riding position, tucking your elbows etc would help you a lot more in that respect. ;-)


thank's - 23,8 a little less than what i had hoped for - perhaps they will meassure wider on Open Pro's, i'll post when i get mine.


My Corsa 25 arrived to today, they too measure only 23,8mm on a OpenPro ceramic rim - quite a difference to my old Pro2 25 which measures a whopping 26,4mm. a difference of minus 2,6mm. In regards the height of the tire the difference is 2,1mm.

Mounting without any tools was easy although initial fitting of the inner tube was annoying. The tire fits very secure to the OpenPro rims. I kind of hope that the kevlar beard over time will move up a little on the rims and increase the volume of the tire.

Like most 25mm clinchers they undermeassure quite a bit, just like the 25mm Conti GP4000 and Vredenstein Fortezza TriComp i have tried out durring the past 7 years. In fact the only true 25 i've found was the Krylion Carbon (Never mounted Pro3's but they should be smilier to Krylion Carbon).
I'll see if 23,8mm is big enough for me, otherwise i'd might use the Corsa's as front only and get something larger like Vittoria Open Pave or Challenge Parighi-Roubaix for the rear.

The profile of the Corsa's is very close to the profile of a classic tubular, much more than the late 90th's Vittoria Open CX, Open Extreme and Open All Weather i rode back then (last time i rode handmade open tubulars).

Looking forward for the snow to melt and try them out... and se if they are as smooth as the Open Extreme 21mm i rode 15 years ago (smoothest rolling clincher i've tried)
--
mvh. Morten Reippuert Knudsen @Merlin Works CR, Chorus 15, Reynolds 46/66

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carlislegeorge
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:13 pm

by carlislegeorge

The 23s definitely seem to run a little small. This is a new one is freshly mounted on a 20.5mm rim.
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nspace
Posts: 308
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:08 am
Location: Milton, Canada

by nspace

fdegrove wrote:Hi,

Veloflex tyres aren't what you'd call winter tyres.
In those periods of the year when there's plenty of debris on the roads I'd consider something more along the lines of a Conti tyre.

Ciao, ;)


Do you have a decent Conti tire you would recommend for not great road conditions. Wouldn't mind picking up something more durable and saving my Corsa's until the nicer weather. I know PBK always seems to have the Gp4000's on blowout, but I don't know how the durability compares.

ultyguy
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:35 pm
Location: Geneva

by ultyguy

GP 4 season (25) from Conti, their best clincher IMHO. For tubs, I train on sprinter gatorskins (22 or 25), also tough as nails as well as having good grip.

nspace
Posts: 308
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:08 am
Location: Milton, Canada

by nspace

Thanks! Just ordered a set of those 4 season 25c tires!

reippuert
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:18 am
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by reippuert

Just took my new Corsa 25 out for a quick spin, they er defenatly faster than my old Pro 2's, i think faster and very turbular like in the ride than any clincher i'd ever tried.
As regarding ride quality, they are even smoother than expected. I rode them at full 9bar just to se how comfortable they where at high pressuere.

Fastest and especilly the smothest tire ive ever had, i dont expect them to run a high milage.
As regarding to punkture resistence, we'll se, In scandinavia flint is used for our tarmac. Tiny flint particles after rain causes 99% of all punctures here, i some how dont expect the Veloflex to be any whorese than michelins. Michelins punctures just about every time it rains here, when i ride them in southern france or in spain they are imposible to flat.

Amnd a quick note, the sound (or the absence) is awsomme.
--
mvh. Morten Reippuert Knudsen @Merlin Works CR, Chorus 15, Reynolds 46/66

Privateer
Posts: 360
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:28 pm

by Privateer

Unless you weigh >90kg do yourself a favour and reduce the pressure to 7-8 bar.

reippuert
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:18 am
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by reippuert

Privateer wrote:Unless you weigh >90kg do yourself a favour and reduce the pressure to 7-8 bar.


i'm 83kg. I just wanted to try them out with 9 bars. Max pressure is usually a good indicator for how plush a tire is, at 9 bars the Corsa 25 are surprisingly rideable - low pressure has always been the plan, i usually decrease the pressure by 0,5 bar at a time.

My second reason for starting out with 9 bars is that i hope that the high pressure will reseat the beards a bit higher on the rim and expand the air chamber a little. The difference in air chamber size from my Pro2 is quite significant (with:2,6mm ; height 2,1mm). I've be riding my stockpile of Pro2Race 25mm at 6- 6,5 bars for the past 7 years.
--
mvh. Morten Reippuert Knudsen @Merlin Works CR, Chorus 15, Reynolds 46/66

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reippuert
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:18 am
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

by reippuert

Did 30k and 350m elevation today on the Cosa 25's with 8,5bar at 5 degree celcius- compared to my Pro2race at 7 bar they are either ridiculously fast or my winter training on MTB has really paid of. It's properly a combination of both - on todays route my average speed was 4,5 km/t higher than usual i may-august at 15-20 degree celcius.
--
mvh. Morten Reippuert Knudsen @Merlin Works CR, Chorus 15, Reynolds 46/66

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