Glue on Flats

With tubulars you need to carry a new tire (or a good used one). If you get a flat you just replace the tire. Tubulars do need to be glued on to be sure they wont fall off so in the event of a flat and a road side fix you cant take any super hard corners.

Tubulars are great and there are much more choices for high end tires than there are for clinchers, however the cost is much higher as well. You also need to know how to glue on your tires.

There are web sites and You Tube videos that will help you understand how to prepare a rim for a tubular, and how to fix tubulars.

I always carried two spares just in case. Once I actually had 3 flats on the road, so I had to spend 45 minutes patching a tubular tube, fortunately I always carried a tubular repair kit with me or I would have been walking 38 miles home!! Well ok, I probably could have found a phone, but the nearest one was about 12 miles, and maybe someone might have stopped and given me a lift.

Quoted post said:

Is there a way to reliably fix a flat in a tubular tire?

The traditional method involves unstitching the casing, patching the tube and then restitching. This can be (and has been) done at the roadside, requires only a small patch kit and some needle-work skills. The disadvantage is that most people today haven't got a clue how to use needle and thread, and don't have the attention span to get it done properly.
This method is also rendered useless if you use tyres which do not have stitched casings or separate tubes (eg: Continental GP4000 or Tufos).

Another method involves carrying a spare tyre. These are typically preglued and then folded up and strapped under the saddle. Techically this is easier: you just rip the old tyre off and stretch the new one on. Done properly it takes about as long as it does to change a clincher tube. You ride home on the new one and then (if possible) repair the flat one there. However, it can require a lot of muscle, particularly if the flat tyre is well glued to the rim (as all tubulars should be).
Typically those who use this method also take a patch kit and needle as they otherwise only have the abilty to make one repair.

Recently a third method has developed out of the advent of tubeless systems: using a latex sealant.
To apply the sealant you need to have tubulars with removable valve cores (I don't recommend buying tyres and tubes which don't have these anyway). You simply remove the valve core, squirt in the sealant you need and then replace the valve core. This is something which can be done easily at home or on the road whether the tyre is glued to the rim or not.
Some people prefer to apply sealant before using the tyre so that it will "repair itself" as you ride. My preferece is to carry a small bottle of sealant and a pump with me and to do this when I get a puncture, at the roadside. It is no more difficult than replacing a clincher tube and one small bottle will typically have enough sealant for several repairs making it more convenient to carry than multiple spare tubes.
Sealants are made by Continental, Vittoria, Tufo, Schwalbe, Stans, Caffe-Latex and others. The consensus seems to be that Stans is the most effective but others have had success with CaffeLatex and Vittoria versions. I've repaired a decent hole in a Vittoria CX with stans and it now happily holds 120psi once more.

These is, of course, the chance of getting a puncture which is too large to seal. In most cases, such a puncture will also damage the tyre casing beyond repair, which is just as big a problem for clinchers as it is for tubulars (ie you're buggered no matter which tyre type you use). I don't tend to get "big" punctures, your milage may vary.

Also keep in mind that any sealant has hole size limitations, I know of no sealant that will seal a 3/16th of an inch hole or even a 1/8th" hole, with a clincher those can be repaired easily with a patch, sealants are really only designed for small throne type punctures. Of course a hole that size left a hole in the tire, with a clincher you simply can put a tire boot on and your good to go, as added protection I put either Shoe Goo or Gorilla Glue on the outside of the tire into the hole. You can repair a clincher more often then a tubular. Most punctures are small holes the size of a needle usually caused by thrones, sliver of metal wire, tiny shard of glass and a good sealant as the poster above mentioned will work...Slime will not work.

Thanks guys. I usually carry a couple of tubes and co2 cartridges with me. It sounds like I'll start carrying at least one tire. I run 700x23 tires and have never had any luck patching those tubes anyway. I had read a post that mentioned sealant before, but didn't have any names to try to look for. I mistakenly bought a set of tubular wheels and was trying to decide if I wanted to resell them, and accept my possible loss, or try them. I think I'll try them. I commute 20 miles to work, so reliability, or a quick easy fix is paramount.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by WalterDreyer [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Thanks guys. I usually carry a couple of tubes and co2 cartridges with me. It sounds like I'll start carrying at least one tire. I run 700x23 tires and have never had any luck patching those tubes anyway. I had read a post that mentioned sealant before, but didn't have any names to try to look for. I mistakenly bought a set of tubular wheels and was trying to decide if I wanted to resell them, and accept my possible loss, or try them. I think I'll try them. I commute 20 miles to work, so reliability, or a quick easy fix is paramount.

Instead of commuting on them, why not save them for weekend rides? Use clinchers for commuting on, you can get some really flat resistant tires for the clinchers, then simply swap the wheels on the weekends and go flying. This way if you have a flat on a tubular your not hard pressed trying to get a tub on and off and get to work on time. Tubs are not near as flat resistant as most clinchers are, and you can get some clinchers like the Specialized Armadillo All Condition Elite. Also by goofing with the tubs on the weekend you will discover two things: 1) you'll either love them or hate them, if you hate them then sell them. 2) You'll learn how to replace and fix tubs on your own pace where frustration levels will be lower. Just a thought.

That is a good idea, I've actually been giving it some thought. And it could work well. I work 48 hours then off for 4 days. I actually ride more on off days than commuting, since I try to ride every day.