Should I convert to clinchers? Here's my dilemma.

[BdaGhisallo]

I have been a tubular rider all of my adult life but I am beginning to question the wisdom of continuing with them. I am riding a lot more than I have been for a number of years but my tolerance of and willingness to do bike maintenance has seriously waned. I have stopped using my high zoot wheels and have been riding basic DAhubbed/ Reflex rimmed handbuilts for two years now. Life is a lot busier with my one year old turning into a little maniac. I am a bit of a home dad and I split my time between caring for my son and running the business side of my wife's business. Time is valuable. Finding the time to properly prepare new tubs for mounting and gluing is difficult.

There is also the factor of cost these days. Tubular prices have gone way up and with my increased mileage, I am going through tubulars at a quicker pace. At $90 for each new Veloflex Carbon tub (I don't believe in cheap tubs!) the cost is mounting.

I am increasingly drawn to the idea of some clincher wheelsets. The cost of tires and tubs has got to be a lot lower. The time to change a flat is also a lot lower. I have set my bike and my cycling outlook up for a simpler, more straightforward and robust way of being. I am thinking clinchers might help that for everyday wheels. I am willing to sacrifice a little ride quality for some ease of maintenance.

Am I crazy?

What would be the way to go for rims and tires. I am partial to ceramic braking surfaces for all weather stopping power so the Mavic Open Pro rims with that option look attractive. Any other great rims out there? How are the DT rims proving to be? As for tires, is it the new Michelin Pro race 3 tires? How are the Veloflex clinchers?

All advice will be readily accepted and greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Geoff

[Ozz]

...Life is a lot busier with my one year old turning into a little maniac. ...Time is valuable. Finding the time to properly prepare new tubs for mounting and gluing is difficult....
I have the same problem as you....I have two little ones (4 & 7)....there is hardly time to ride, let alone wait for glue to dry!

I have tubulars on my CSI....clinchers on my Legend...guess which one I ride most often? ;)

Nice clinchers are pretty nice....I have not tried the Pro Race 3's, but the Pro Race 2 Limited Editions I have are pretty nice. I don't think I am giving up much as a rec rider.

I wish I had more time....cest la vie.

[Acotts]

Let me know if you decide to get rid of some nice tubular everyday wheels.

[RPS]

Am I crazy?Not due to clinchers. :beer:

I think that as we get older we tend to get more practical. Clinchers have always been that for me.

[SadieKate]

Time is valuable. Hah! Early in our dating life my hubby-to-be had 3 flats in one ride on his tubulars. It became a sort of an unspoken agreement that the next ride together would be on clinchers because, hmm, think of all the other things we could be doing rather than sitting on the side of the road in the sun as the thermometer headed toward 100 and then going home to do wheel maintenance.

He became practical very, very fast. ;)

[torquer]

Veloflex clinchers are great; they may ease the transition from tubulars. They are a bit delicate, however (even the Paves and Blacks, supposedly the most durable tires in their line) and the maximum 22c width may or may not be an issue for you.

The top-line Gommitalias (Targa?) are similar to the Veloflex, and may even come out of the same factory (formerly Vittoria, before that label decamped for the orient). Gommitalia doesn't seem to have great distribution in the US, though.

The Michelin PR3s (or is it P3Rs?) or also currently only available in 23c width; 25c has been promised for end of summer. PR2s seem to remain available in both narrower and beefier widths. Although Vittoria has their own partisans, I suspect that the ProRace line is the favorite high-end clincher amongst forumites. For once, that's a popular choice that I can't fault.

[ecl2k]

tubeless could be an option too, supposedly a tubular feel with clincher convenience and less rolling resistance than all of the above.

[Birch]

But I've been thinking of simplifying things out myself.

I'm considering just having one wheelset for training and racing crits and TT's. Problem is, I don't know what would fit the bill accordingly.

Thoughts? Oh.. I'm about 215lbs so I can't go totally WW on these!!!

[caleb]

But I've been thinking of simplifying things out myself.

I'm considering just having one wheelset for training and racing crits and TT's. Problem is, I don't know what would fit the bill accordingly.

Thoughts? Oh.. I'm about 215lbs so I can't go totally WW on these!!!

I've heard the deeper DT rims are nice. I haven't ridden them, though.

[vqdriver]

funny. i was just thinking 'should i convert to tubulars?'
i'm in a similar position with a 13 month old who's getting insanely mobile. with a job and a kid at home, it's getting tougher and tougher to get ride time. crazy thing is, is that when i do get out on the weekends or whatever, the ride time has become a sublime escape to just zone out. even working on the bike for tiny mechanicals is therapeutic. i'll sometimes stay up till 1 or 2 in the garage when everyone else is sleeping. but of course i wouldn't know what i'm getting into with tubulars. it might get real old real fast. but i've always wondered....

[zmudshark]

To answer the OP...Yes, and send me the tubies, especially if they are laced to 7400DA or Campy SR/NR.

I've had good luck with Conti Sprint Gatorskins as 'everyday tires'. Veloflex or Italian Vittoria's on Sunday, and cheap Gommitalia's on dubious routes.

I guess that's why I have more wheel sets than I can remember.

[Dave]

Seems to me that you've come to your senses, not gone crazy. I'd never bother carrying a spare tubular strapped to my saddle.

I just got pair of DT Swiss RR 1.1 rims, 28H, laced to PowerTap hubs. They do ride better than the Ksyriums and Fulcrum Zero wheels I've been using. The rims seem to be very well made, but putting new tires on them was much harder than the Fulcrums or Ksyriums.

[rnhood]

Get you a pair of the Shimano 7850 wheels and run tubless Hutchinsons. You won't be giving up anything in ride quality, yet you will be gaining everything in robustness and reliability.

[Johny]

As a father of 3 young boys (4, 3, 1), and a fulltime scientist (wife too; we are the sole caregivers except 9-5 M-F), thesedays I care less about what I ride, but simply riding is a joy. That said, I ride and commute on both clinchers and tubulars (Continental Competition 700x25, tough enough for me although I had one unlucky flat due to riding on a rough gravel trail). You might wanna try wider and tougher tubs such as Veloflex Roubaix, Vittoria Pave, or Conti Comp.

[chuckroast]

You mentioned Open Pro's in your original post and I can validate that their reputation for being inexpensive and worry free under all riding conditions is entirely deserved. No worries ever on my set. I keep a pair of Neuvations hanging in the garage as my "nice" set but I think they've only been on the bike once this year.

[haimtoeg]

I've heard the deeper DT rims are nice. I haven't ridden them, though.

I have DT RR1.2 rims, 32H w Powertap in the back, 24H w DT240S front, built by wheelbuilder.com here in the LA area. The are they nicest wheels I ever had. I use them with GP4000S (I have had no flats on GP4000 or Attack / Force ever) which you may want to think about adding to your list of tires to try, together with the new Attack / Force pair with black chili compound.

[fierte_poser]

As for tires, is it the new Michelin Pro race 3 tires? How are the Veloflex clinchers?

The new PR3's are apparently great if you are willing to sacrifice tread life for all out grip. Anecdotal evidence says they are somewhat prone to slices or cuts across the tread, although not necessarily prone to flats.

The Continental GP4000S 'black chili' is apparently very good as well. Reportedly better tread life than the PR3, more resistant to cuts, and very good grip. Also, they come in 23c and 25c.

Kent

[Peter P.]

You would be a great candidate for tubeless clinchers. You obviously love the ride of tubulars and tubeless clinchers reportedly equal or come close, with all of the pinch flat resistance and even better puncture resistance than standard clinchers.

I'd recommend you go to Stan's No Tubes web site and check out his package deal of a kit which will convert one pair of clinchers to tubeless. I've been toying with the idea myself and I'm a clincher user already.

The only limitation right now is you MUST use those tires in the kit; no other tire will offer the proper seal.

[djg]

I answered someplace else. I basically said, sure, switch if you really want to, but I wouldn't, and here's why, blah, blah, blah.

[mgm777]

I too am a dad to two little ones. I ride clinchers but the Tubular mystique is very alluring. After reading the OP, I think I am going to stick with clinchers...for now.

I have used both brands of the clinchers mentioned in the OP, so here's my .02 contribution:

1. PR3s - Very nice. As a former PR2 rider, I can definitely say they are "grippier" than the PR2s. Very nice ride when properly inflated IAW Michi's recc. I cannot say, however, they last longer than the PR2s. I've got about 1500 miles on a set and my rear is in need of R&R.

2. Veloflex Pave - Very, very nice ride. I would characterize their ride as "supple". Durability - terrible. Not really a training tire, unless you really, really get into changing flats. Very nice special event tire.

Cheers!

[fierte_poser]

You obviously love the ride of tubulars and tubeless clinchers reportedly equal or come close, with all of the pinch flat resistance and even better puncture resistance than standard clinchers.

With sealant added to the tubeless tire or without sealant?

I am hesitant on the switch to tubeless if you need to use sealant to get adequate puncture resistance. If the tubeless tire has sealant in it already and you still get a flat, is it a pain to then install an inner tube to get you home?

[Peter P.]

The sealant IS part of the puncture resistance package. Well, it's necessary for PUNCTURES, but not as much so for PINCH FLATS which are less likely to occur since there's no tube to pinch and the possibility of pinch flatting through a tire are very slim.

From what I've read, the sealant inside the tire isn't a mess should you need to install a tube, and washing out the sealant for any reason can be done with cold water. The only drawback I hear is removing and installing tubeless tires can be more difficult due to the tire bead construction.

I suggest you get on the Stan's No-Tubes web site and see what they have to say-especially watch the installation video-and surf the No-Tube's forums.

Man, the more I talk about it, the more I'M tempted to switch...

[LegendRider]

With sealant added to the tubeless tire or without sealant?

I am hesitant on the switch to tubeless if you need to use sealant to get adequate puncture resistance. If the tubeless tire has sealant in it already and you still get a flat, is it a pain to then install an inner tube to get you home?

I have two pair of tubeless wheels - DA7850 and a set of Mavic Cosmos converted using the Stan's kit. In my opinion, ithey are the perfect alternative to tubulars. The only tubies I have left are Mavic Cosmic Carbone Pros - for all out performance. Anyway, I don't run sealant in the DA wheels and it's not a problem.