For over a year now my go-to tire has been the 23mm Continental Gran Prix 4000 S. However, recently Continental has been increasing their prices for all tires they produce and now GP4000S are a staggering $70 a piece. If you happen to be crazy enough to pay retail on these and get roughly 2,000 miles on them like I do — that comes out to about $0.035 a mile (rear tire). That’s more than I pay for track rubber for the S2000 ($0.03 a mile). Furthermore, to offset this cost, I usually waited until ProBikeKit had their seasonal sale on GP4000S. They’re usually about half the price shipped when they are on clearance — however I’ve had some increasing number of lengthy shipping times coming from the UK — and there is always the risk of being hit with tariffs, ending the overseas pricing advantage. This lead me to try something new — I wasn’t looking to beat the GP4000S, but maybe find a nice compromise.
A friend of mine recommended I try something in the Veloflex line, said they ride really well. I found them for $48.99/tire. Prior to purchasing these tires I had never heard of an “open tubular” or “tubular style clincher”. Apparently these tires are created with the same materials, techniques, and construction quality that enthousiasts praise tubulars for.
Construction Quality
Absolutely of the highest quality tire I’ve ever seen — even from the real tubulars I’ve tried in the past. The tire is sewn together perfectly straight and has a very supple feel when touched.
Installation
Painful, frustrating, and tiring. My Reynolds DV3K Clinchers have some pretty tall rim walls — and I thought the GP4000S were difficult to mount. These are considerably more difficult to mount. I broke a lever just trying to get one side of the bead into the rim — that is simply ridiculous! Don’t even TRY to mount these on with a tube, you’ll just tear your tube open trying to get the rim bead in. If you’re familiar with glueing tubular tires — you know that you need to stretch the tires out first, so I did exactly that. I simply stretched the tire onto the outer edge of the wheel rim without trying to put the bead into the wheel (yes even this was difficult to do). I then left it overnight and to my surprise, mounting them the next morning required just as much effort as the GP4000S. They’ve gotten a little bit more relaxed with some mileage but still securely hold the bead.
Ride Feel
Just as smooth as the tubular tires I’ve ridden on. Superior in comfort, rolling resistance, and feel to the GP4000S. I can’t express how smooth and fast these tires feel, you’ll just have to try them to find out.
Weight Weenies
They’re pretty light, not the lightest clinchers on the market, but you can’t complain for less than $50. Veloflex claims 180 grams, a bit less than the GP4000S.
Grip & Control
When it comes to dry grip, the Veloflex and the GP4000S are pretty equal, however in the wet, the Veloflex is actually pretty bad. The Continental’s Black Chili compound is really hard to beat here. Wet traction is a night and day comparison unfortunately, I’d only recommend these in the summer. The breakaway characteristics of the Veloflex however take some getting used to, the progression from grip to lack of grip is very sudden compared to the GP4000S.
Puncture Protection
I usually get a puncture or two with the GP4000s due to glass within their lifespan. I has of yet not had a puncture with the Veloflex, although the specs on the Veloflex would suggest that they are not as puncture resistant. I do however notice that the Veloflex handles glass much better than the GP4000s. Whereas by now the GP4000S would be covered in small 1-2mm glass cuts at 1000 miles, the Veloflex has absolutely none! Perhaps the suppleness of the tire construction and rubber lends to less cuts when running over small bits of glass.
Life Expectancy
So far, I’ve got 1000 miles on a set, and I don’t see these lasting too much past 1,500 or 1,800 miles. They won’t last you as long as the GP4000S. They come out to $0.033 / mile (rear tire) when you take the lower of my mileage estimates. So in terms of price per mile, they’re pretty close.
So while I won’t be saving any money any time soon with the Veloflex Corsas, I am enjoying a smoother more supple ride.