Tubular via Clincher questions...

[winjim]

The PROs supposedly use them. But who cares? There is no sub-species of human more susceptible to myth and lore than a professional athlete. For evidence of this, just look at the unshaven faces at the start of time trials and the stabbing fingers in the air giving Thor all the glory for winning.

I'm also guessing the pros don't do all their own sewing and gluing.

 

[ayceejay]

When the alternative to tubs was 1 ¼" high pressure tyres tubs were infinitely better now not so much since clinchers have improved immensely.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I'm also guessing the pros don't do all their own sewing and gluing.

Neither do the support team and that includes their mechanics. Saw a documentary years ago where small outfit in Italy was doing all the sewing and gluing for the various pro teams.

 

[Tin Pot]

Hey, every day is a school day as they say....

Don't listen to them!

They will look cool, be / feel fast and generally just rock!

 

[KneesUp]

Neither do the support team and that includes their mechanics. Saw a documentary years ago where small outfit in Italy was doing all the sewing and gluing for the various pro teams.

I'm surprised pro teams get them repaired at all to be fair.

 

[Ajax Bay]

You have seriously escalated the doubt that was already growing in my mind.

To an appropriately eponymous level of uncertainty @Heisenberg71 ?

 

[Arrowfoot]

I'm surprised pro teams get them repaired at all to be fair.

For all you know, the Italian outfit might be taking the damaged ones and sending it back as training wheels. After seeing Sir Bradley flinging the bike, you may be right when it comes to tubs.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Don't listen to them!

They will look cool, be / feel fast and generally just rock!

Define "rock".

 

[Justinslow]

As a novice to tubs (I have some used Planet X 101/82 with vittoria corsa) can you do anything to alleviate punctures - some kind of tyre slime?

 

[Tim Hall]

To an appropriately eponymous level of uncertainty @Heisenberg71 ?

When the OP rides tubs, he goes really fast, but has no idea where he is.

 

[Tin Pot]

Define "rock".

Rock = He will enthusiastically sell them to me at half what he paid to use in my charity Ironman events

If that doesn't rock, nothing does

 

[derrick]

Buying tubular wheels require as much thought as buying a dog. Who will glue it? How easy is it to get on and off? What happens when I get a puncture on the road? Do I really want to commit to tyres that are twice as expensive as the equivalent clinchers? Etc. etc. Tubulars are an anachronism that must just gracefully go and die.
Some facts about tubulars:

1) They can be ridden softer because they don't pinch flat (as easily).
2) At the same pressure as an equivalent clincher they will feel the same. Basic physics.
3) They don't have less rolling resistance than equivalent clinchers unless they are glued on with hard glue (shellac).
4) They can be pumped to higher pressures than clinchers but who wants to do that? And why?
5) They are a bitch to fit and remove and it goes with quite a bit of pain. It usually feels like you are tearing the flesh away from your nails.
6) The PROs supposedly use them. But who cares? There is no sub-species of human more susceptible to myth and lore than a professional athlete. For evidence of this, just look at the unshaven faces at the start of time trials and the stabbing fingers in the air giving Thor all the glory for winning.
7) If you close your eyes, and get on a bike, you cannot tell if it is running clinchers or tubulars. If you guessed right, keep in mind that you had a 50% statistical chance of being right.
8) They are very expensive but I acknowledge that it is not my money.
9) To fix a puncture in one of them, you better brush up on your sewing skills.

Tubbies anyone?

Someone knows what they are talking about.

 

[booze and cake]

I'm new to tubs and honestly did''nt find it half as much as a faff as I was expecting, so don't be afraid. Despite what has been said IMHO they defo ride better, I have clincher and tub versons of the same tyres (Vittoria Open Pave's) on tub and clincher versions of the same wheels (Shamals) so able to do side by side comparisons, and on ride feel I'd take the tubs every time, though they are not cheap and repair/replacing its not as easy as clinchers.

Getting the tyres off was easy enough, too easy with the taped tubs I took off so I've no confidence in using tape. Even the very well glued on Wolber Piste came off fine once I got the technique (a plastic chopstick worked a treat to ease the tyres away from the rim).

Glueing new ones on was easy, but messy, I got glue over my hands, clothes and the rims, but I'm sure 'll get better at it. And the centering was also fine, I had no bleeding hands or thumbs or any of that.

Admittedly I've not had a puncture on the side of the road yet, but I'll report back when this happens. At the moment I'm carrying a spare pre-glued tub and some latex solution. You do have to carry around some different kit. The syringe I got for injecting the latex solution I thought would make me look like I was carrying around a spare vial of EPO, but its much bigger than that, it makes it look like I'm riding around the countryside lookng to do some rogue artificial inseminating!

As the tubs are quite new if I get a puncture soon I'm going to attempt to open them up and repair them myself, (at home not at the roadsde) but when they get a bit more use on them I'll probably revert to some latex solution.

As a novice to tubs (I have some used Planet X 101/82 with vittoria corsa) can you do anything to alleviate punctures - some kind of tyre slime?

When I was looking into what latex to get, a review somewhere (sorry cant remember where) recommended Orange Seal, so I got a 16fl oz bottle from Tredz, and I got a the Caffe Latex syringe, you can either unscrew the valve core and inject directly into the tube, or it comes with an adaptor to fit directly onto the presta valve and inject straight in. Apparently this will not last forever, about 3 months I'm told, and you have to ensure once they've got latex in that you keep air in them of the inner tube sticks to itself and can tear when inflated.

Anyway as said above, you've taken the plunge so you may aswell give them a go and see. Good luck.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I have clincher and tub versons of the same tyres (Vittoria Open Pave's) on tub and clincher versions of the same wheels (Shamals) so able to do side by side comparisons, and on ride feel I'd take the tubs every time, though they are not cheap and repair/replacing its not as easy as clinchers.

Hmmmmmm.

 

[Cuchilo]

As a novice to tubs (I have some used Planet X 101/82 with vittoria corsa) can you do anything to alleviate punctures - some kind of tyre slime?

Just carry a can of pitstop and a pump / co2
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pit-stop-tyre-sealant/