Road Bike Tire Test: Veloflex Corsa Race TLR 25
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 10.6 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 58 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 66 Points
- Conclusion: 4.3 / 5 Highly Recommended
- Comments
- Veloflex Corsa Race TLR 25
(100% is best)
Veloflex is a small tire company that designs and manufactures its handmade cotton tires in Italy. Veloflex revamped a lot of their tires in 2020 and also released their first tubeless-ready road bike tires with the Corsa Race TLR and Corsa Evo TLR. The Corsa Race is the fastest of these with the Evo version being oriented a bit more towards durability.
The Veloflex Corsa Race TLR comes with a 350 TPI Corespun casing with an extra layer of "Air Lock Membrane" that, together with sealant, minimizes air loss. Under the tread section, we find an extra layer of "RKB (Resilient Kinetic Belt)" that helps reduce punctures of the tread. The rubber compound is a "natural rubber and silica exclusive compound" that is designed for high grip and low rolling resistance.
For a tubeless-ready road bike tire, the Corsa Race TLR is an exceptionally light tire given that it still includes an anti-puncture belt and a reasonable amount of tread thickness. Our sample even came in a couple of grams below the specified weight which is always nice.
If you're into cotton tires and like the look of the light-colored sidewalls, the good news is that even the tubeless versions of the Veloflex Corsa are available with both black as well as light-colored sidewalls. If you want that cotton tire look and tubeless tires, this is the real deal.
Mounting the Corsa Race TLR was relatively easy as it went onto the rim very easily. Inflation was a bit harder as we couldn't inflate it with a simple floor pump but needed to use our compressor. With the compressor, it was easy as we could still leave the valve core in place. Sealing wasn't very good for the first 2-3 hours as this tire definitely needs some time for the sealant to do its work. After testing and about 5 hours later, the tire held air really well.
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Veloflex |
| Model | Corsa Race TLR |
| Year | 2021 |
| Tire Type | Tubeless |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | High |
| Buy At | |
| Manufacturer part number | TR25B |
| EAN | 8033959675359 |
| TPI | 350 |
| Compound | Natural rubber silica |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 25-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Specified Width (mm) | 25 |
| Specified Weight | 225 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 116 |
| Made In | Members Only |
| Available Sizes | 25-622 (700x25c) |
Veloflex Corsa Race TLR 25 Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 225 grams |
| Measured Weight | 222 grams |
| System Adjusted Weight (tire + valve + rim seal) |
242 grams |
| Measured Width | 26 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 22 mm (un-round) |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 2.2 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Members Only |
| Unmounted Casing Width | 67 mm |
| Unmounted Tread Width | Members Only |
| Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) | Members Only |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 100 psi / 6.9 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | None (20 ml sealant) |
| Measured Width | 26 mm (un-round) |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 132 psi/9.1 bar 25-27 = 120 psi/8.3 bar 28-29 = 108 psi/7.4 barUltra High Air Pressure (120 psi / 8.3 bar) |
10.6 Watts CRR: 0.00318 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 110 psi/7.6bar 25-27 = 100 psi/6.9 bar 28-29 = 90 psi/6.2 barExtra High Air Pressure (100 psi / 6.9 bar) |
11.4 Watts CRR: 0.00342 |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 88 psi/6.1 bar 25-27 = 80 psi/5.5 bar 28-29 = 72 psi/5.0 barHigh Air Pressure (80 psi / 5.5 bar) |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 22-24 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 25-27 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 28-29 = 54 psi/3.7 barMedium Air Pressure (60 psi / 4.1 bar) |
Members Only |
| The Road Bike section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load. |
|
Puncture Resistance Test Results
| Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better) | |
|---|---|
| Total Puncture Score Tread | 58 Points |
| Total Puncture Score Sidewall | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Total Tire Thickness | 2.2 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Members Only |
Static Grip Test Results
NOTE: Grip test data is only available on tires tested after November 2018. You can find more information about our grip test here: Introducing Grip Testing
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 66 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Members Only |
| Wet Grip Edge | Members Only |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Veloflex Corsa Race TLR 25
(100% is best)
The Veloflex Corsa Race TLR is a remarkable tire as it offers an exceptionally low weight yet still performs very strong in the puncture tests of the tread. Rolling resistance isn't the absolute lowest but still very strong, especially at the lower air pressures. Tread thickness isn't at the levels of some other tires but still better than tires that are made for the absolute lowest rolling resistance.
We really like the Veloflex Corsa TLR as it is an original design for a tubeless tire and uses some stuff that we haven't seen before. If you're looking for tubeless-ready cotton tires that offer enough puncture resistance for most situations and even are available with the classic light-colored sidewalls, the Veloflex Corsa Race TLR would be our recommendation.
RATING:
4.3
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended