Vee Tire Co. Apache tyres

New to the UK market are Taiwanese rubber company Vee Tire with their range of tyres covering pretty much all disciplines. The Apache is their light weight flagship road model, and a sticky tread compound means they have been decent performers especially in this current inclement weather. Keep your eye out for the Puncture Fairy though.

The Apaches weigh just 180g each which is pretty impressive. You can certainly feel that 50 or so gram difference compared to typical tyres like Conti's Grand Prix 4000s when accelerating or climbing in the hills.

This weight kept down by the absence of a puncture protection layer. The Apache is literally constructed from its sidewall material and the rubber compound. This makes riding on wet, grit strewn roads a bit of a lottery especially now that it's hedge cutting season. I suffered two punctures over the couple of months of testing on the Apaches, my first since last June.

There is a stronger 'Synthesis' sidewall version available which costs an extra four quid and might be a better option if you ride in all weathers.

A lot of fast tyres use dual compounds with softer shoulders to get grip in the corners and a harder central section for longevity from pounding out the miles. Vee use just one though on the Apache's and it feels pretty soft making it very grippy and sure footed in the corners whether they are tight or flowing, wet or dry.

The 23mm tyres we've got in for testing look unbelievably narrow considering nearly every test bike arrives with 25mm or 28mm tyres these days. On a standard width Mavic Open Pro rim they sit with a smoothly rounded profile rather than the more bulbous shape you can get from some manufacturers' tyres. This provides you with a consistent feeling from the tyres as you go from upright to banked over.

They roll well at 120psi on the majority of road surfaces although they can get bounced about a bit on broken tarmac. For main road use though they give a nice feel and certainly keep spinning smoothly with the 185tpi casing absorbing small imperfections.

Overall the Vee Tire's Apaches are decent performers, especially in the dry. They offer low rolling resistance and loads of grip which lets you keep the pace up on the twisty sections and they're good enough to be raced on. The only real issue is the lack of puncture protection which becomes risky if you are racing or riding in wet weather. If you're only going to use them on your dry day bike I think the sacrifice is worth it for the weight advantage.

Price wise the £30 market is hotly contested but the Apaches hold their own against the completion and as wear levels don't seem to be too high I'd say they are a decent investment for lightweight race tyres.

If you want something wider than 23mm Vee also offer a 25mm and 28mm size.

Verdict

Plenty of grip, low rolling resistance, best kept for dry days as prone to punctures