Tubular question

[tchapman]

I recently purchased my first tubular wheelset and have a couple questions some of you might be able to answer or provide some insight. The tires are Schwable, I glued them on Ambrosio rims with vittoria mastik, but have some glue on the sidewalls that even lacquer thinner won't remove, does anyone know what works best to remove excess glue? Next time I deffinently will use less and be more careful when gluing tubes on the rim! Also, these tubes will lose most of the air in three days, is this typical? Should I be using a sealant? Thanks for any insight!

[mister]

glue on the tire, if it won't just rub off then i leave it

on the rim, usually just scrape it off with soemthing hten use some cleaner to finish cleaning the rim sidewall

you don't want to get much solvent on the tire

after a while (weeks or months) the mastik will get hard and then you might be able to scrape it off your tire if it really bothers you
just glue more tires and you'll get better and cleaner with it all

you only want a few thin coats on the rim and tire
and let it sit for 20-30 minutes after your last coats so the mastik isn't so sticky
and after the rim has been glued once then you really only need one coat on the rim with each new tire

[ultraman6970]

All what he says... that you put a lot of glue doesnt mean its better. For you to have an idea... at least you should be able to glue 2 tubulars with one thingy of glue... at worse 1 and half, if you are using 1 tube per wheel then clearly you will have glue everywhere and will be a mess...

As for cleaning the glue it depends a lot of which one. Goo-off works pretty good cleaning glue.

As for the air. well im an old chap ok? and probably you wont hear this from nobody else. Tubulars in general lose air and definitely you need to take care of them.

1 If you aren't going to ride the bike not more till next day just take like 50% of the air out. Pump them back to 100 psi the day you will ride... hope you have a good pump too. The reason even thought materials have changed a lot in the last 30 years, is because tobulars tend to expand a little bit so better just release the pressure a little bit. This has to become an habit.

2 Time to time just use a wet towel to clean them, is just in case there is a thorn or a tiny piece of glass stuck in there just waiting to get in.

3 Air pressure, that the tubular says 210 psi max doesnt mean that what you have to put in there... pretty much all the tubulars perform ok between 80 and 120 psi. Pretty obvious what will happen if you put too much air, it will roll super fast but will get like a balloon, at the 1st sharp pebble in the road it will blow big time. Try to keep them between 80 and 120 (i weight 210 and i use 100 in the back and 80 in the front)

4 Maybe you dont know but the glue is to avoid the tubular from sliding around the rim, tubulars work by constriction, if you are curious about what im saying (you will get more confidence too) just put a tubular with no glue in a rim or wheel and put 120 psi of air, then try to get it off the rim with the thumbs... probably it will need a lot of work to do it. As much air the more it will tight around the rim the harder it will take to remove it. Obviously with a 30 year old tubular super stretched this wont work too good.


5 Good luck.

[tchapman]

All what he says... that you put a lot of glue doesnt mean its better. For you to have an idea... at least you should be able to glue 2 tubulars with one thingy of glue... at worse 1 and half, if you are using 1 tube per wheel then clearly you will have glue everywhere and will be a mess...

As for cleaning the glue it depends a lot of which one. Goo-off works pretty good cleaning glue.

As for the air. well im an old chap ok? and probably you wont hear this from nobody else. Tubulars in general lose air and definitely you need to take care of them.

1 If you aren't going to ride the bike not more till next day just take like 50% of the air out. Pump them back to 100 psi the day you will ride... hope you have a good pump too. The reason even thought materials have changed a lot in the last 30 years, is because tobulars tend to expand a little bit so better just release the pressure a little bit. This has to become an habit.

2 Time to time just use a wet towel to clean them, is just in case there is a thorn or a tiny piece of glass stuck in there just waiting to get in.

3 Air pressure, that the tubular says 210 psi max doesnt mean that what you have to put in there... pretty much all the tubulars perform ok between 80 and 120 psi. Pretty obvious what will happen if you put too much air, it will roll super fast but will get like a balloon, at the 1st sharp pebble in the road it will blow big time. Try to keep them between 80 and 120 (i weight 210 and i use 100 in the back and 80 in the front)

4 Maybe you dont know but the glue is to avoid the tubular from sliding around the rim, tubulars work by constriction, if you are curious about what im saying (you will get more confidence too) just put a tubular with no glue in a rim or wheel and put 120 psi of air, then try to get it off the rim with the thumbs... probably it will need a lot of work to do it. As much air the more it will tight around the rim the harder it will take to remove it. Obviously with a 30 year old tubular super stretched this wont work too good.


5 Good luck.

Good stuff, thanks!

[oldpotatoe]

I recently purchased my first tubular wheelset and have a couple questions some of you might be able to answer or provide some insight. The tires are Schwable, I glued them on Ambrosio rims with vittoria mastik, but have some glue on the sidewalls that even lacquer thinner won't remove, does anyone know what works best to remove excess glue? Next time I deffinently will use less and be more careful when gluing tubes on the rim! Also, these tubes will lose most of the air in three days, is this typical? Should I be using a sealant? Thanks for any insight!

Acetone for the tire but if it's dry, leave it alone. Acetone for the sidewalls..
Latex tubes, they loose air.

Yes, use sealant, won't hurt latex, help to prevent small, pin hole flats.

Congratulations!!

In spite of an old technology, still the very best riding tire/wheelset option.

[ultraman6970]

+1 with potato

IMO is cheaper run tubulars than clinchers... you get 6 tubulars for like 120 bucks and thats the price of a super expensive clincher, with 6 tubulars you have enough stock like for a year and even if you puncture a tubular that is relatively old already you can just trow it away and put a new one, no necessity of fixing them for that price.

If you arent racing the 3x50 bucks are just good enough as anything else IMO, after all punctures is a mere thing of being lucky as well.

[StephenCL]

Yes, good tubulars use latex tubes which kind of like breathe/sweat air. So yes, totally normal for your tires to loose most of their pressure other three days.

The continentals you buy in bikes shops use butyl tubes though and hold air lit years better ( just like clinchers), but it also defeats some of the plush ride of the tubbies...

I am just used to inflating mine before every ride, every day.... No biggie!

Enjoy!