xiaoman1 

Hello, if there is a thread on this, please post the link (i could not find it) and i will delete this post:
I am looking for some good skin walls and saw the veloflex masters and would like a few opinions from those that have used them...
I have seen that there are a bit difficult to get on the wheel, but how is the ride and the puncture resistance....mainly for light training on Gios Torino.I have been riding verdenstien tri-comps.
If there is another skin wall at a similar price point that is as good or better I would be happy to hear about it.
Regards, Ben

Chrome Molly

Ride and overall speed are fantastic. Puncture resistance is ok but not as good as a conti 4000s ii and not nearly as sturdy as a gator skin. The 25 measures as a 23 so old school narrow but fast. Probably my favorite skin wall

toavii

Currently have them (23) on one of my bikes. Very fast and smooth rolling tire. Looks the part. I'd be leery of riding over any sort of rough stuff or sketchy areas but have yet to have an issue. Will be using them on more bikes in the future.

Buy the Crank Brothers Speedier Tire lever and it makes the tire (or any tire) extremely easy to mount on your rim. It's a good tool to have at home and under $10.

xiaoman1 

Chrome molly,
So sizing is more narrow than listed.... I like a narrow tire, they list a 23 so is that more like a 22 or? How easy to mount the tire? Puncture resistance OK will you elaborate?
Regards, Ben

Otis

The Master's in 25mm are a fantastic tire in my opinion. I put a pair on My Bishop when I built it up in May and have quite a few miles on them. They wear a bit fast, but for a tire that works so well it's worth it. The UK retailers have good prices on them as well.

RobbieTunes

I actually have Veloflex Masters in 23 on a bike that had Vredestein Tri-Comps on it before.
The Tri-Comp is a better tire. The Tri-Comp is quicker, and more puncture-resistant, and a bit more durable.
I like the Masters better on a steel bike. I moved the Tri-Comps to a carbon bike, a little more appropriate.
I still have some Tri-Comps on a set of wheels, in a wheel bag. I simply like the Masters better.
I'll try a 25 next time around, but I hope it's a while. This is my opinion.

Otis

Mine measure out to 25mm, but just on. A lot of 25's measure 26+.

I find them easy to mount. They're a little tight first time on, but just work them around and do some thumb exercises first. After they've been mounted and ridden they come off and on easily. I never carry levers and have never needed them.

Chrome Molly

No experience with the 23's, but they are average difficulty to mount up. Workable with a set of levers. Wouldn't want to try it on a tubeless rim though. On clean roads they don't puncture often but expect a puncture or two over a 800 to 1000 mile life on rear, 1.5x that on front.

Michael Angelo 

I have the 25's on my Carlton Pro. They ride great. They are not backwards, the rotation arrow is on the correct side.

jeirvine 

I have 25's on my Coppi and love them. I'll measure actua size shortly... I wish they made them in a 27 or 28.
-J

cb400bill

I have the Master 23's on my Trek. I just measured them at exactly 23mm wide. I find them to be a very well built tire that rolls true and smoothly. Look great, too.

After struggling to get them mounted, I asked my vintage friendly LBS do it. They used a Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack to mount them. I bought one from them that day.

Kactus

Be advised that Veloflex say to NOT use tire levers when mounting their tires. I'm sure much of that is for their protection against ham handed installers and a careful person will have no issues, but anyone buying them should take that into consideration.

Kactus

This still has to be my favorite bike on C&V.

xiaoman1 

o.k sounds like a winner.....robbie, elaborate on better.
ben

gomango

True enough, but one hasn't lived until they try to mount a Master 23/25 on a Campy Neutron.

Not for the faint of heart without the Crank Brothers lever.

The Kool Stop works great as well.

KonAaron Snake 

There's really nothing else to say; this nails it. They're more puncture resistant than you'd think...especially for the weight...but if you hate flatting, go Conti gp4 seasons or 4000. I get less life than I'd get from a Conti. Is the ride worth it? I think so...they're supple. Like tubular good. I've found them easy to install.

I have 22s...they measure at 22...and 23s, which measure 22. The 25s measure 24 on my OPs.

CV-6 

I like the ride of the 25s but I find them fragile in comparison to Conti 4000 tires. Experienced a blowout on the rear today. I will carry a spare tire with these in the future. Two spare tubes did me no good at all. Less than 100 miles on the tires. I think I will not buy them again and opt for tubulars if I want a tubular like ride.

gomango

Wish they would do a 28 or a 32.

I would buy them ahead of Compass ELs.

Especially with the generous pricing of the Veloflex tires.

FWIW I'm finishing my 2nd season with these on this Chris Kvale.

One of the nicest cornering clinchers I've owned.

They wear faster than I would like, but I recently bought a pair for $59.

That's el cheapo pricing in my book.

[IMG]DSCN5866 by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

xiaoman1 

Nice looking bike....59.00, wow that's a great price...special, where?

lasauge 

I have two bikes setup with Veloflex 23's. I would agree with most of the comments that have come before, they're like slightly fancier GP4000s - they roll a little faster, feel a little cushier, but are slightly less puncture and wear resistant. The best way I can describe the difference is that if you inflate both a Veloflex 23 and GP4000 23 to 85psi, both tires will roll equally fast on smooth pavement, but the Veloflex will ride softer, like a GP4000 at 75psi, making it slightly more comfortable and faster when you encounter rougher pavement or gravel roads.

Obligatory picture:

Michael Angelo 

I inflate my Veloflex 25's to 110-120 psi.

jimmuller 

I'm running Veloflex Master 23s on my Gazelle mounted on Torelli Master rims. The ride is tubular-like. Hard to mount, probably due to the rim. A tire jack makes it easy. They have NOT been prone to flats.

My bad. I don't always type what I am thinking.

gomango

Thank you.

Ribble has them and the prices fluctuate.

Right now I saw $30 for the 23s and $32 for the 25s.

Not too shabby.

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/roa...re/velxtyrf300

gomango

I hear you on the flats.

While I have very few, a guy I ride with uses Masters and he gets one a week.

We ride about the same total miles.

Who knows why?

RobbieTunes

The Veloflex are what I want in a traditional tire. This is evident when you get them in the mail, in a box about 1/2 the size of most folding clinchers. They're pliable, with a high thread count, and ride great. The face of the tire has no unnecessary tread, putting it simply, and the term fabric comes to mind. The sides are not exactly made for cornering but I know of few people whose riding would test that ability. I do have one corner, nearly every day, that makes me wonder about it, but I can easily go slower on that and carry less speed out of it. For a century ride, you are not going to find many smoother tires, at 110-120 psi, than the Veloflex. They're the best looking and best riding century tires I've been on, and perfect for steel bikes, appearance-wise. Their ride matches up well to the smoothness of a steel frame, so the combination is very good. I have no proof the high thread count and thin, pliable tire is more or less prone to flats, but it's not a tire I'd take on a hard day's gravel ride.

The Tri-Comp is a performance tire, and seems, for lack of a better word, more ballistic than the Veloflex Master. You don't look at a Tri-Comp and think "this is close to a very good traditional tubular." It it is a light, spartan performance tire that lasts longer than it weighs out. It's light, and somewhat pliable, but pumps up round and ready. The ride is not quite as smooth as a Veloflex Master. After riding them for quite a while, at 120 psi, I have confidence in their ability to carry me through the same high-speed 100-degree corner that kind of "ends" my workout ride, as far over and as fast as I dare to try. The Master may, as well, but I'm not taking that chance, which, in a nutshell, defines the Tri-Comp for me. I like it on a modern or carbon bike for it's performance and appearance, and would drop my short-wearing Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tubulars in a heartbeat if I came across a Tri-Comp in tubular that was affordable. One of my cycling friends, a past state road champion, is hooked on cornering, but not flats. He recommended the Tri-Comp after I told him how much I hated the ProRace tires that flatted if you looked at them. In my opinion, he was right. If I wanted more durability with almost the same performance, the GP4000S would be my choice, but I just like the Tri-Comp better. Another way of putting it, is the Tri-Comp is like a Continental Supersonic that actually lasts a while.

Again, this is my opinion.