Steve Whitlatch 

I purchased these Veloflex tires for this bike thinking the tan walls would look good. They replaced a set of black tires I had thrown on as they were all I had at the time. The tan walls changed to entire personality of the bike.

What do you all think? Do they look silly or good? Maybe I am just not used to them?

bobbyl1966

this tires is looks good and more importand at least for me is not how the tires looks good but if is good tires that i look most.

bobwysiwyg

I like the tan.

steelbikeguy

the tan looks good to me, but the size of the text on those tires is just too big. The text should be discrete and tasteful....




and if you have been living a good life, your tires will also have "seta" written on them!

Steve in Peoria
(it's been many, many years since any of my tires have been labeled seta)

xiaoman1 

I think they look great....i have some and have been happy with them.
regards, Ben

Velocivixen

I don't prefer the tan. Too much bland.....Browns, tans. I think the two tones of the tire take the eye away from the stunning paint color.

I prefer solid black black in this case.

jbchybridrider 

Gummy's look better on your bike. I just replaced the gums on my bike to Schwalbe one's now my bike's ugly and need to spend money replacing them.

gomango

Tan for sure.

cyclotoine

I am with Velocivixen on this. Black is preferred.

Senior Ryder 00 

Hi,

Looks good to me. I prefer quality gumwalls on a vintage bike.

Cheers,

Van

Fahrenheit531 

This about sums it up for me. I'm normally a skinwall guy, but the all black tires looked better.

mikemowbz

I like the tan.

And I'd rather ride the Veloflex, tan or not.

Looks like they changed the branding? It used to be that Masters (at least) had more discreet logos, and only on the NDS of the tire (treads are directional).

Nonetheless, I stand by the above.

francophile 

I think they both have their merit. The black has a certain level of cohesion it adds to the overall appearance of the bike (looks more retro-vintage), the tan sidewall have that certain "pop" it gives things to make it really stand out and look fresh and new. Sometimes simpler is better. I know which one would show wear and dirt less. I agree with above comments that the text is really damn big on the Schwalbes. Seems like a personal decision, if the text were smaller, I'd go black, but I think I like the little snap the tan wall provides with the more discrete text.

Steve Whitlatch 

Directional? I looked for arrows on the tire and found none? The logo is only on one side on mine. How do I know what direction they should go? I always put the logo on the drive side?

Steve Whitlatch 

Well we are split on the subject it seems? I took the bike out for a spin and really love the tires. I do have a set of Continental GP 3000 that are like new, all black, that came on a parts bike I purchased last week. They do not seem to be in the same league as the Veloflex tires though. I will take comfort in the fact that more than half of you think they look good on the bike and enjoy them. I think I will buy another set in black down the road and maybe use these on another build, N+1, in the future. I have a Campagnolo Veloce 9 speed group in need of a good 60 cm frame.

Steve Whitlatch 

I may just try that. But it only helps for pictures. The tires ride real nice. Maybe I will need to try the Vittoria Open Corsa tires next?

mikemowbz

Honestly, the treads are so minimal that it almost certainly doesn't matter in any practical way. But I believe Veloflex is of the opinion that the angled tread on the outside of the pattern should angle inwards towards the direction of travel, if that makes sense. That is, looking forward at your front tire from the cockpit, you should see //:::\\ rather than \\::://. *Ostensibly* directional...though it really is pretty inconsequential, I reckon. Unless you want those logos over on the NDS...

I think there may be a tiny, easy-to-miss arrow on there?

DMC707

black sharpie

Chombi1 

Tan looks classy on a C&V bike, personally, black looks cheap, dull and bland to me........but that's just my opinion.
Back in the 80's the lightest, fastest then new tech foldable, Kevlar beaded tires that I used like the Specialized Turbos and the Michelin Bibsport TS20s and all tubs always had the light colored walls, while the cheapy wire beaded tires were all black......

CliffordK

I could care less, as long as it is decent rubber.

oddjob2

+1

Where's the poll?

Bikedued

Honestly I think ANY solid black tire looks completely out of place on a steel and/or vintage frame. With that said, I think those tires look awesome, especially with that frame color!,,,,BD

gomango

The solution is simple.

Ride the bike a lot, they'll get dirty.

Two things will happen.

The logos will fade and the rider won't have to worry about the tire color.

jimmuller 

First, I like the "tan" which is really more like yellow. Be advised that in not too much time it will darken and get dirty and look more or less like real tan/gum.

I've installed Veloflex Masters (clinchers) on one bike and Criteriums (tubulars) on several. I don't recall from the previous installations whether they had arrows or not so I copied the tread pattern I saw on other tires. I'm pretty sure I remember having to do that with some Vittorias too. But the most recent set of Veloflex tubulars just a few weeks ago had arrows. Tiny embossed arrows in the black part of the shoulder, and IIRC on the DS only. Easy to miss if you aren't looking very carefully.

Wildwood 

black in this case.

Which Veloflex?

Just yesterday received my order of the Arenburg 25mm w black sidewalls & Vlaarderen 27mm w tan sidewalls.
Can't wait to give them a try.