Road Bike Tire Test: Veloflex Record (silica compound) 23

NOTE: From November 1, 2022, the road bike category has been updated to support multi tire sizes. Because the measured width of this tire is wider or narrower than the original values, the rolling resistance test results have been revised.

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NOTE: Veloflex renewed all their tires in Q3 2020 and the Record now makes use of a "natural rubber and silica" compound instead of the "natural rubber exclusive" compound that was used before Q3 2020. The use of silica increases wet grip but it comes at the cost of a 10-15% increase in rolling resistance.

NOTE: We added wet grip test data on 2021-11-26. The rating of the Veloflex Record (silica compound) has been upgraded by 0.8 points because of very good results in the grip test.

The Veloflex Record is a time-trial/track tire made with only one goal in mind: break records. The specifications, weight, and thickness measurements immediately make it clear that breaking speed records is indeed the sole intention of the Veloflex Record; this is the lightest and thinnest tire we've ever had in our hands.

Although the Veloflex Record is the lightest and thinnest tire we know of, we know from experience that simply making a tire thinner and lighter doesn't automatically result in the fastest tire on earth. What's more important is that the actual materials the tire is made of have a low rolling resistance; if you start with high rolling resistance materials it won't be enough to beat the competition.

The Veloflex Record consists of a thin 350 TPI corespun casing with a very thin (~0.5 mm) tread glued on without any anti-puncture strip or other protective materials. This tire has just the bare minimum of materials to function as a tire and last for a couple of 100 miles when ridden on asphalt. You definitely should not expect this tire to last 1000's of miles.

We usually test the 25 or 26 mm wide version of road bike tires but the Veloflex is only available in the 23-622 size. Keep this in mind when comparing as a 25 mm wide version probably would have performed a bit better in the rolling resistance tests (~ 5%).

Even though the Veloflex Record has a total thickness of just 0.9 mm at the center of the tread, which is less than the sidewall thickness of some other tires, it isn't able to outperform heavier, thicker, and more puncture-resistant tires in the rolling resistance tests. We must add that the 23 mm size is a bit of a handicap, the 25 mm will probably perform somewhere around 5% better at the same air pressures.

The standard test of clincher road bike tires is done with a 100 grams Continental Race28 inner tube which is the fastest "standard" butyl tube out there. We also tested the Record with a 78 grams Vittoria Latex tube, and rolling resistance came in at 7.3 watts at 120 psi / 8.3 bars. 7.3 watts isn't enough to beat the tubeless Corsa Speed G+ 2.0 (read our review) or Michelin Power Time Trial (read our review) with a latex tube (both 7.0 watts). A 25 mm wide version of the Record would probably be on par with those tires when fitted with a latex tube.

We feel the Corsa Speed G+ 2.0 and Michelin Power Time Trial are much more robust tires for outdoor use. We only recommend the Veloflex Record if you somehow need the absolute lowest weight or for indoor track use.