Tubular vs tires in road bikes.

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

anybody here familiar with the road tubeless type? I bought a new bike a few months ago and had it built up with the new Dura ace Scandium wheels. They give the option of running either Tubeless or Clincher. I chose to run with clinchers for the convenience of changing flats. As far as I know Tubeless are very similiar to Tubular but no gluing and some claimed puncture resistance.

BTW, is there a significant difference in weight between clinchers and tubulars? Just the tires not considering the lighter rims that are used with the tubular tires.

Like 'like', wish 'significant' would disappear from bikestuff lexicon. Significant weight difference? No, but my 20 pound Waterford isn't significantly heavier than a 14 lb plastic wunderbike either.

anybody here familiar with the road tubeless type? I bought a new bike a few months ago and had it built up with the new Dura ace Scandium wheels. They give the option of running either Tubeless or Clincher. I chose to run with clinchers for the convenience of changing flats. As far as I know Tubeless are very similiar to Tubular but no gluing and some claimed puncture resistance.

First, a tubeless tire is a 'clincher', it clinches the rim. The ride is very similar to a good clincher, with some comfort due to less air and no pinch flats. BUT if ya do burp all the air out or puncture, and if you don't have a tube, you will never reseat the tire on the road.

Most who have ridden both will say the tubular ride is still 'superior', a subjective measure...

Are any tubeless tires currently available? I was under the impression (although I stand to be corrected) that they were purely an R&D exercise at the current moment -stuff Michelin and Shimano were working on and not yet available on the market.

Are any tubeless tires currently available? I was under the impression (although I stand to be corrected) that they were purely an R&D exercise at the current moment -stuff Michelin and Shimano were working on and not yet available on the market.

Hutcheson has a tubeless tire but shimano is currently the only tubeless wheel.

I think it has it's place on MTBs, but those advantages don't convey to a road bike. Having a unique wheel and tire system, along with Stans goop that is recommended to be used, with small or non existent advantages, makes tubeless road tire intro with more wheels and tires unlikely.

Hutcheson has a tubeless tire but shimano is currently the only tubeless wheel.

I think it has it's place on MTBs, but those advantages don't convey to a road bike. Having a unique wheel and tire system, along with Stans goop that is recommended to be used, with small or non existent advantages, makes tubeless road tire intro with more wheels and tires unlikely.True, and I agree. But if they can get a couple of pro teams to adopt them (think of CSC or something like that) there would immediately be a significant market amongst the non-thinking "I need what the pros use" crowd...

Well I find fixing punctures a pain, but since using Continental competition tubulars, I just don't get them at all.

Seriously, it has been about 8000 ks since my last puncture, I don't even bother to carry a spare tyre anymore. If I get a flat I can always ride on the flat one if I must I suppose, but it hasn't occured yet.

Well I find fixing punctures a pain, but since using Continental competition tubulars, I just don't get them at all.

Seriously, it has been about 8000 ks since my last puncture, I don't even bother to carry a spare tyre anymore. If I get a flat I can always ride on the flat one if I must I suppose, but it hasn't occured yet.

I get very few flats as well(knock on wood) but I still carry a tubie wrapped up and under the saddle. It should be pointed out that tubies get less flats than clinchers, not more(no pinch flats) as urban legend and myth at the coffee shop will often say.

I am pleased this discussion hasn't degraded to some name calling epic, so common on rec.bike.tech-bravo!!

I get very few flats as well(knock on wood) but I still carry a tubie wrapped up and under the saddle. It should be pointed out that tubies get less flats than clinchers, not more(no pinch flats) as urban legend and myth at the coffee shop will often say.

I am pleased this discussion hasn't degraded to some name calling epic, so common on rec.bike.tech-bravo!!
It is suppossed to be that way but as you say, knock on wood, I've never had a flat with a clincher I don't even carry patches, but with tubulars I have had plenty I wouldn't go out without a spare. I don't buy expensive tubulars BTW I don't know if that's the reason for the flats or just that I'm riding on too filthy roads and get to many punctures.

I get very few flats as well(knock on wood) but I still carry a tubie wrapped up and under the saddle.
The tubie under the saddle is an even quicker change than a clincher tube. We used to train on mixed pavement and dirt on 260g tubulars with nothing more than our spares under the saddle. Of course, clean dirt is a lot more forgiving than dirty pavement.

My flat season is early fall when there seems to be a summer's accumulation of trash on roadsides. That's also when my treads start wearing thin. Pinch flats haven't been a problem since I learned to stay out of holes and always start with sufficient pressure.

The tubie under the saddle is an even quicker change than a clincher tube. We used to train on mixed pavement and dirt on 260g tubulars with nothing more than our spares under the saddle. Of course, clean dirt is a lot more forgiving than dirty pavement.

My flat season is early fall when there seems to be a summer's accumulation of trash on roadsides. That's also when my treads start wearing thin. Pinch flats haven't been a problem since I learned to stay out of holes and always start with sufficient pressure.
I went to the bike shop and got a couple of tubulars, I'll look for the tubular rims and will glue them tomorrow an if everything goes well I'll go for a spin on sunday, let's hope I don't get a flat and ruin my new tubulars!

I'll look for the tubular rims and will glue them tomorrow an if everything goes well I'll go for a spin on sunday, let's hope I don't get a flat and ruin my new tubulars!
Didn't take much convincing, eh?

You do need wheels with the proper rims. And a spare tire, too--glue it, fold it, and stuff it under your seat or in a jersey pocket. Or you can do the figure-8 shoulder carry (see image). Most riders you meet will not be able to help you get home if you get a flat, unless it's to lend you a cell phone.

I went to the bike shop and got a couple of tubulars, I'll look for the tubular rims and will glue them tomorrow an if everything goes well I'll go for a spin on sunday, let's hope I don't get a flat and ruin my new tubulars! Let us know how it went. I still ride clinchers and have only had one flat on the road in 40 years. I have fixed plenty of other peoples flats because I always carry a spare tube and a patch kit, along with either a mini-pump, or more recently a CO2 inflator. I have had a couple of home flats when I was careless installing a tube. I had one MTB tube that lasted for a good 15 minutes and then just exploded. Sounded like an M80 and blew the tire off the rim on one side!

I went to the bike shop and got a couple of tubulars, I'll look for the tubular rims and will glue them tomorrow an if everything goes well I'll go for a spin on sunday, let's hope I don't get a flat and ruin my new tubulars!FYI. What you'll want to do between now (that is, whenever you read this) & whenever you get your new wheelset is to pre-stretch your new tubular tires ... this is MANDATORY if you want to mount the tires properly.

Normally, that is done on an OLD, spare set of tubular rims ...

BUT, you can stretch the tires on a pair of 700c rims.

Pull the tire onto the rim ... you'll probably swear that the tires were mis-labeled & that you have a pair of 650c equivalents ... put about 10PSI into the tire & center it on the rim.

Come back ~24 hours later ... glue the tire onto the rim.

I use the MINIMIUM amount of glue ... based on older 36h rims, I would put ONLY a dab of glue between each spoke hole. That's about 1/10th the amount of glue most people use!

OTHERS really inflate their tires when they are pre-stretching them & use a lot of glue, subsequently.

When you first put your pre-stretched tires onto a tubular rim & inflate it to about 100PSI, you will find that there is no way on God's green Earth that you will be able to roll the tire off the rim.

OBVIOUSLY, you don't want the tire to roll of the rim if you get a flat, but you will find that a modest amount of glue really will hold the tire on the rim (at least, THAT's what I have found) -- I guess it has been an act of faith.

At one time, I did use about one tube of glue for two tires like most people but ... it's easier to NOT be messy if you use less glue.

BTW. I still have several sets of tubular tires, but I pretty much ride on clinchers, now.

I could write a humor piece for the back page of Road Bike Action--Bad Tubulars I Have Suffered, and the Great Ones I Trashed.[/QUOTE]

BTW-do I know you? Have you come into the shop?

Or do you wish to stay 'anon', which is fine, just curious.

I've been in the shop on occasion, Peter, usually to buy parts to keep my old bikes rolling. My old rides are a chrome-fork Gios, a Rob Roberson Masi, and a mongrel Frejus fixie.

The last thing I bought was an axle for a Record 7-speed hub. I love the shop, especially the sausage-colored DeRosa in the window.

I've been in the shop on occasion, Peter, usually to buy parts to keep my old bikes rolling. My old rides are a chrome-fork Gios, a Rob Roberson Masi, and a mongrel Frejus fixie.

The last thing I bought was an axle for a Record 7-speed hub. I love the shop, especially the sausage-colored DeRosa in the window.OT: oldbobcat, please post a photo of your Gios... I take it that it is also Gios blue...

OT: oldbobcat, please post a photo of your Gios... I take it that it is also Gios blue...
Well this is what I did, I went to my parent's home and look for my tubular wheelset, glue the rims and tubulars as instructed and use little glue but enought on both, BTW they were not that hard to install on the rim I remember needing to pull harder on the past (maybe I'm getting stronger with the years :) ). Old tubulars that I removed were still well glued. I let them sit inflated to 130psi and went for a spin on Sunday after cleaning and lubricating the hubs.

I didn't remember how comfortable the tubulars are, I stop using them few years ago and got clinclers they are good Vittoria clinchers. There are no match at least in comfort compared to the base tubulars I got (Vittoria Rally). I didn't test them for speed since my old Cateye dissapeared from my bike and I'm not in shape for doing that.
I was very careful on not travelling over gravel that's alongside the road and also keeping my eyes wide open for pieces of glass specially where a BMW crashed against a light pole (call it a draw, BMW destroyed, pole broken and almost going to the ground if they move the car, maybe a drunk since there were no brake marks good he didn't kill anyone). So the ride was great and didn't need the spare I tied under the seat.
BTW I inflated the tubulars to 130 which is the max pressure but take some air out and left them in 100psi (as the clinchers) would a higher pressure make them prone to punctures compared to running them with a little less air (90-100psi)?

Bottom line> I recommend giving a try to tubulars they feel completely different, better IMHO, maybe until you get a flat. Eventhough repairing is more complicated (I've been there a lot in the past) repairing at the road side is faster just remove the old one and attach the prestreched and preglued spare. If you know of someone who rides on them ask for a testdrive and you'll need the improvement in ride.

Of course this is only my subjective point of view.

I am definitely interested in giving tubulars a try after all that I have heard about them. I'll see if my LBS has a set I can try before I spend the bucks on rims and tires. I have some nice vintage Shimano DA hubs that would look more authentic with tubulars than clinchers anyway. The only question that I have now is how do you tie a pre-glued tire under your seat without making a mess or getting the tire glued to itself?

The only question that I have now is how do you tie a pre-glued tire under your seat without making a mess or getting the tire glued to itself?
After a several hours the glue dries enough so it loses its tack until it's pressed against another glued surface--the glued rim and 100psi. Fold the tire tread side out and tie with an old toe strap, or stuff into an under-saddle bag to keep clean.

By the way, for the safety of you and the people around you, use more than a spot between spoke holes--spread a 1/2" wide strip from hole to hole and on the tire tape.