M
Mike Krueger
Guest
Ted Bennett wrote:
> Sheldon Brown sums it up well on http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html :
>
> "Tubulars are considerably more expensive than clinchers of comparable
> performance.
>
> Tubulars are very much harder to repair once punctured. Most people
> just throw them away.
>
> You need to carry a complete spare tubular in case you get a flat.
> This negates the weight advantage over clinchers, unless you have a team
> car following you with spare wheels.
>
> If you replace a tubular on the road, you cannot corner safely at high
> speeds until you go home and re-glue the tire. For safe high-speed
> cornering, the glue needs to dry for at least several hours.
>
> Tubulars have higher rolling resistance than the best clinchers.
>
> Tubulars are rarely as true and round as clinchers.
>
> Improperly glued tubulars can roll off the rim. This almost always
> causes a serious crash."
As someone who actually rides tubulars, please allow me to state some
facts:
Tubular tires are far less prone to pinch flats, regardless of what
others here have claimed.
Any tubular has a far greater range of acceptable inflation pressures,
without risking pinch flats or blowing off the rim.
A flatted tubular will stay on the rim, which is both safer and more
advantageous in a race or where it is simply not convenient to stop.
A tubular is much faster and easier to change on the road. Your riding
buddies will appreciate this.
Tubular rims are less prone to impact damage because they don't have
bead edges to get dinged if you hit a pothole.
Tubular rim extrusions have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than
comparable clincher rims (see above).
There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. A properly glued
tubular will not roll off the rim, and a pre-glued spare will stay on
the rim under normal circumstances if you do have to change it on the
road. The vast majority of cyclists do not ride in high mountains on a
regular basis where melting glue would ever be an issue. Also, tubulars
can be professionally repaired for $16 by TireAlert! if you can't do it
yourself. This is more than a clincher inner tube, but it's not like
you have to throw the tire away.
I weigh 180 lbs. I have several pairs of tubular wheels. My favorite
pair are built with Mavic GL330 rims (354 grams), 15g spokes, and
700x24C Clement Paris-Roubaix tires (269 grams). These wheels are
light, comfortable, and durable. I buy the tires for only $43 each (I
have a friend, but similar discounts are available if you buy tires
mail-order from the UK).
> Sheldon Brown sums it up well on http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html :
>
> "Tubulars are considerably more expensive than clinchers of comparable
> performance.
>
> Tubulars are very much harder to repair once punctured. Most people
> just throw them away.
>
> You need to carry a complete spare tubular in case you get a flat.
> This negates the weight advantage over clinchers, unless you have a team
> car following you with spare wheels.
>
> If you replace a tubular on the road, you cannot corner safely at high
> speeds until you go home and re-glue the tire. For safe high-speed
> cornering, the glue needs to dry for at least several hours.
>
> Tubulars have higher rolling resistance than the best clinchers.
>
> Tubulars are rarely as true and round as clinchers.
>
> Improperly glued tubulars can roll off the rim. This almost always
> causes a serious crash."
As someone who actually rides tubulars, please allow me to state some
facts:
Tubular tires are far less prone to pinch flats, regardless of what
others here have claimed.
Any tubular has a far greater range of acceptable inflation pressures,
without risking pinch flats or blowing off the rim.
A flatted tubular will stay on the rim, which is both safer and more
advantageous in a race or where it is simply not convenient to stop.
A tubular is much faster and easier to change on the road. Your riding
buddies will appreciate this.
Tubular rims are less prone to impact damage because they don't have
bead edges to get dinged if you hit a pothole.
Tubular rim extrusions have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than
comparable clincher rims (see above).
There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. A properly glued
tubular will not roll off the rim, and a pre-glued spare will stay on
the rim under normal circumstances if you do have to change it on the
road. The vast majority of cyclists do not ride in high mountains on a
regular basis where melting glue would ever be an issue. Also, tubulars
can be professionally repaired for $16 by TireAlert! if you can't do it
yourself. This is more than a clincher inner tube, but it's not like
you have to throw the tire away.
I weigh 180 lbs. I have several pairs of tubular wheels. My favorite
pair are built with Mavic GL330 rims (354 grams), 15g spokes, and
700x24C Clement Paris-Roubaix tires (269 grams). These wheels are
light, comfortable, and durable. I buy the tires for only $43 each (I
have a friend, but similar discounts are available if you buy tires
mail-order from the UK).