Road Bike Tire Test: Veloflex Record TLR 25
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 7.7 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 27 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 74 Points
- Conclusion: 5.0 / 5 Highly Recommended
- Comments
- Veloflex Record TLR 25
(100% is best)
With the increasing popularity of tubeless road bike tires, even the small tire manufacturers are rapidly expanding their tubeless tire lineup. Veloflex is one of those small tire manufacturers, and their ultra-thin and fast Record has been regarded as one of the fastest road bike tires out there. With the introduction of the TLR (tubeless-ready) version of the Record, we now have a tire with all the ingredients to take the number 1 position in the rolling resistance charts.
The Record TLR is not Veloflex's first tubeless road bike tire, as they introduced the Corsa Race TLR (read our review) and Corsa Evo TLR (read our review) in 2020. We've already tested both those tires and found them to be strong performers in our tests, which is promising for the Record TLR. Without the right ingredients, even the thinnest and lightest tire won't necessarily be the fastest.
Like the tube-type version of the Record (read our review), Veloflex made the Record TLR about as thin as a tire can get. Let's be clear from the start, the Record TLR is a tire made for the ultimate do-or-die time-trial run, and you shouldn't expect to get any puncture resistance or durability out of it as its tread has a thickness of roughly 0.5 mm.
Comparing the Record TLR with the tube-type Record, both tires come with a similar 350 TPI handmade cotton casing. The big difference is the addition of Veloflex's Air-Lock membrane to the TLR version of the Record, which is required to keep the air in the tire when it's used without an inner tube. We must say mounting and inflating the Record TLR was easy, and the air holding was surprisingly good for such a thin tire.
On further inspection, we also noticed the TLR version comes with an RKB (Resilient Kinetic Belt) puncture protective strip under the center of the tread, which is different from the non-TLR version as that one comes without a puncture belt. This is a good addition, as the non-TLR version of the Record was the lowest scoring tire in our puncture resistance test, and adding the extra layer makes sense for an outdoor tire.
Manufacturer Specifications
| Manufacturer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Veloflex |
| Model | Record TLR |
| Year | 2023 |
| Tire Type | Tubeless |
| Supplied By | Bought in store |
| New or Used | New |
| Mileage | 0 km |
| Price Range | Very High |
| Buy At | |
| Manufacturer part number | RL25G |
| EAN | 8033939675854 |
| TPI | 350 |
| Compound | Natural rubber silica |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 25-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Specified Width (mm) | 25 |
| Specified Weight | 175 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 100 |
| Made In | Pro Data |
| Available Sizes | 25-622 (700x25c) |
Veloflex Record TLR 25 Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 175 grams |
| Measured Weight | 170 grams |
| System Adjusted Weight (tire + valve + rim seal) |
190 grams |
| Measured Width | 26 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 22 mm (un-round) |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 1.1 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Pro Data |
| Unmounted Casing Width | 69 mm |
| Unmounted Tread Width | Pro Data |
| Tread Cover (Tread / Casing Ratio) | Pro Data |
| 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) |
Pro Data |
| 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) |
Pro Data |
| 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) |
7.7 Watts CRR: 0.00231 |
| 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) |
Pro Data |
| 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 | 27 Points |
| Total Puncture Score Sidewall | Pro Data |
| Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Pro Data |
| Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Pro Data |
| Tread Total Tire Thickness | 1.1 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Pro Data |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Pro Data |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Pro Data |
Static Grip Test Results
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 74 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Pro Data |
| Wet Grip Edge | Pro Data |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Road bike grip test rim width = 19.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Veloflex Record TLR 25
(100% is best)
We have a new fastest tire, and it's the Veloflex Record TLR! The Record TLR replaces the Vittoria Corsa Speed (read our review) as the fastest tire we've tested to date, and it outperforms the Corsa Speed by roughly 7 percent in the rolling resistance tests. This does come at the cost of puncture resistance and tread thickness, which both come in very low. Choosing between the Record TLR and Corsa Speed is going to be a personal choice.
Like the non-TLR version of the Record (read our review), we see very strong performance in our wet grip tests. We attribute the high grip to the flexible casing and ultra-thin tread, resulting in a tire that perfectly deforms around imperfections in the road surface. The TLR casing does reduce grip a bit compared to the non-TLR version due to the additional Air-Lock layer and anti-puncture strip under the center of the tread.
The Veloflex Record TLR is the ultimate performance tire (rolling resistance, weight, grip) and will get you fastest from A to B. We assume you understand this comes at a severe cost to puncture resistance and durability.
RATING:
5.0
/ 5
TEST VERDICT:
Highly Recommended