Vee Tire Co Road Runner

Rubbing your thumb over the Road Runner from Vee Tire Co when it's in its box, you just know it's going to be grippy – the compound feels practically tacky against your skin. And it doesn't disappoint once you put tyre to tarmac.

The Road Runner comes in three sizes, covering all the options that are required by road riders these days. You get a choice of 23mm, 25mm or 28mm, although the UK website only shows the 23 and 25mm as being available.

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Swapping the Vees with a set of the excellent Continental GP4000S IIs on one of my bikes, the Road Runners come up trumps in all areas. At 210g they're a bit lighter than the German brand's, with grip levels to match, and rolling resistance was pretty much identical with some simple roll down tests.

Vee, like most tyre companies, keep the details of their compounds secret, so all I can tell you is that it's called Continuum. In the dry the tyres really grip well and give you loads of confidence to keep banking the bike over. Mini roundabouts and the like can be taken flat out and I've yet to find the tyres' limits of adhesion.

The 185tpi (threads per inch) construction is pretty supple and about the normal thread count for a tyre of this kind. At 120psi (the middle of their recommended pressure range, 100-145psi), they don't feel overly harsh on rough road surfaces, and certainly match the aforementioned Contis and a pair of Michelin Pro 4 Endurance models I've been using.

When the ground is wet there is little change to those grip levels. You've got to take the bends a bit easier, like you would with any rubber, but the Road Runners don't break away without warning or feel skittish.

Puncture resistance is taken care of with a Kevlar belt, and while the majority of the miles have been clear, I did catch the tail end of hedge cutting season with no issues whatsoever. There are a couple of little nicks in the tread from flints and sharp stones, but nothing has made it through to the tube.

For added protection the tyres have Synthesis sidewalls, the composition of which Vee Tire Co have again kept secret. They are supposed to be more robust than the standard option, so I'm hazarding a guess at some sort of reinforcing material. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to have made the sidewalls too harsh.

Wear rates seem pretty good so far after 400 miles, but I'll keep an eye on them and report back should anything untoward happen.

The Road Runners are folders, thanks to the Kevlar bead which hooks under the wheel rim for a secure fit. As far as fitting them goes, getting them onto a pair of Mavic Open Sports wasn't an issue at all after applying a decent amount of thumb pressure to get the last bit over the rim edge. And you can pop them back off without having to resort to a tyre lever.

Overall the Road Runners are very good tyres, easily matching the ride quality and grip of the Conti GP4000S II and Michelin Pro 4 Endurance models I pitted them against. The price is decent as far as RRP goes, but being able to get hold of the opposition at marked down prices could be a thorn in Vee's sidewall.

Verdict

Fast-rolling, supple tyre that offers confidence-inspiring cornering grip, and sensibly priced at RRP