Have just bought second hand tubs... now what do I do?

[amasidlover]

I've just bought some second hand carbon wheels of ebay for my triathlon bike. The plan is to use them for Sunday training rides and racing...

They are coming with Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tyres already fitted. However, I don't know what to do about spares/roadside repairs, there seem to be a number of options:

1) Slime or equivalent - down side being extra weight and is in there permanently... Not sure whether I then need to replace the tyre straight away.

2) Remove one of the current tubs and replace it with a new one, then carry the old one as a spare and assume that the wheel and tub will have enough glue for me to get home on after a flat.

3) Remove both tubs, clean up the rims (and tubs?) and then start again with tape to make a roadside repair easier (with either a new or one of the old tubs).

With options 2 or 3 I could then unpick, repair and resew the flatted tyre (which at £40 a go seems worth trying!)

I'm planning on putting a Ribble order in for the bits and pieces I need so any advice would be very, very welcome!!

Alex

 

[fossyant]

As for unpicking and repairing - good luck. Send them away. There is usually someone advertising in the back of cycling weekly.

I've used glue and tape in the past, and to be honest, find tape much less messy, if a little tricky to remove the backing paper. I used to ride with an old tub folded up. Only used it for TT's though - really wouldn't want to use tubs for training rides just in case.

 

[amasidlover]

To be honest, I wasn't really looking for tubs, but a deal came up on some carbon ones that I couldn't resist... I'm inclined to use them for the training rides because; firstly, I don't have another spare set of wheels (I have my commuter's rear wheel and a spare front at the moment but its taking half an hour before and after each training ride to swap everything over) and secondly because I want to be used to all the kit I race on (triathlon).

 

[raindog]

Used to ride on tubulars all the time in the old days, basically because there wasn't anything else, but modern clinchers are much more practical and just as good unless you're racing at a high level. Even the pros use clinchers for training.

 

[amasidlover]

I suppose the question is then, do I go for option 4, which is to put them back on ebay and buy some Planet X AL30s instead? I'd rather not, but if everyone's saying tubs aren't worth the hassle... Obviously if I'd had the choice of nice carbon clinchers that's what I would have gone for, but all of the carbon wheels that were clinchers were way out of my price range (I paid £200 for these...)

 

[raindog]

Why not use them now you've got them? They're gorgeous to ride, and you can save up for another set of wheels later.

 

[amasidlover]

That's the current plan; was hoping to get some advice on what would be the best way to be prepared for a puncture...

 

[User269]

That's the current plan; was hoping to get some advice on what would be the best way to be prepared for a puncture...

I just used to carry a spare tub and put it on without any rim cement; good enought to finish your race or get you home unless you'll be doing some fast twisty descents, in which case it's possible for the tub to slide off.

 

[Arsen Gere]

I carry a spare tub when racing. I puntured in the Morpeth duathlon this year, I pulled the old tub off, slung it on a hedge so I could find it later, put the new tub on, blew it up with a c02 canister and finished the race. I just road it without glue, it stayed on, i did not push it on the bends though but I was doing 35mph at one point.
I carry a cheaper tougher tub for emergencies and race on lighter weight ones.

 

[amasidlover]

Thanks User269 and Arsen Gere - so are those previously unglued tubs, i.e., brand new being carried as spare?

 

[biggs682]

i am still trying to decide , about using a set of sprints and tubs for commuting , they just look too good sitting around the garage

 

[fossyant]

Thanks User269 and Arsen Gere - so are those previously unglued tubs, i.e., brand new being carried as spare?

I'd carry a used one that has tape as it remains sticky.

I've got some lovely hed jet's sitting in the garage, might get round to building a TT bike as I used these for TT'ing on my road bike some 10-12 years ago.

 

[fossyant]

I've only ever punctured once using tubs for racing (had some Wolber Profil 18mm's for some time), and I've hardly ever punctured Pro Race clinchers, so its not a big problem. What you could do is carry a spare, and if all goes totally bottoms up, take out that AA/RAC breakdown type cover - it's only £24 or so.

Tubs ride very well, and of course the whole package is lighter.

 

[heliphil]

Vittoria Pitstop - £8 a can ( roughly) expensive but good for racing - personally I would just use the tubs for racing and not Sunday rides......

 

[amasidlover]

Thanks everyone! Apparently the current tubs are on with tape, so I'm going to take the most worn one off to use as a spare (hopefully with tape intact) and have bought a new tube to replace it with. Might think about the breakdown cover - is that the CTC one? Had always assumed I'd just call for a taxi if I had something I couldn't fix by the roadside...