tubies at the TDF

[bostondrunk]

Nah, not looking to start the debate (although it is a fun debate....), but looks like most teams are on tubies this year? Maybe because of all the carbon rims being used (or maybe because they were -always- using tubies)....
Armstrong has his 'secret' stash, Gerolsteiner on schwabs, Mcewen on Bora tubie wheels, csc on zipps, etc

[BarryG]

Are those Vittoria tubies on CSC's Zipps that seem to be flatting at an alarming pace?

[sg8357]

Nah, not looking to start the debate (although it is a fun debate....), but looks like most teams are on tubies this year? Maybe because of all the carbon rims being used (or maybe because they were -always- using tubies)....
Armstrong has his 'secret' stash, Gerolsteiner on schwabs, Mcewen on Bora tubie wheels, csc on zipps, etc

Tubies are fun if,
A. The team car is carrying your spare wheels
B. The mechanic is going to do the vodoo to install the tires.
C. The sponsor is going to pay M. Dugast a $150 a pop for your tires.

Scott G.

[bostondrunk]

Tubies are fun if,
A. The team car is carrying your spare wheels
B. The mechanic is going to do the vodoo to install the tires.
C. The sponsor is going to pay M. Dugast a $150 a pop for your tires.

Scott G.

???
A. What does it matter if the team car carries your spares?
B. Mechanics install the tires for the pros. That said, it ain't ****ing rocket science....
C. Don't all the pro teams get their tires from sponsors?

[Too Tall]

Beers:Beers:Beers

[Fixed]

Seems to me if you are a pro, you use tubulars they are the best.I.M.H.O. Do riders use clinchers in the tour and why?.Cheers

[coylifut]

Nah, not looking to start the debate (although it is a fun debate....), but looks like most teams are on tubies this year? Maybe because of all the carbon rims being used (or maybe because they were -always- using tubies)....
Armstrong has his 'secret' stash, Gerolsteiner on schwabs, Mcewen on Bora tubie wheels, csc on zipps, etc

hasn't it always been so?

[bostondrunk]

hasn't it always been so?

I think over the past few years people were under the impression that a lot of pro teams were using clinchers.

[chrisroph]

Got to say it--clinchers suck, tubies rule. Glueing tubies ain't that hard. Coy, where's that new glue you're supposed to pick up? I've got to stick a new tire on my SSC's and I'm out of glue.

[bostondrunk]

Got to say it--clinchers suck, tubies rule. Glueing tubies ain't that hard. Coy, where's that new glue you're supposed to pick up? I've got to stick a new tire on my SSC's and I'm out of glue.

I find conti glue works great. Have also used another brand that is white, forget the name, but it all works fine.

[Ti Designs]

hasn't it always been so?


Hey, I know this one!!!

The tire makers are banking on over 90% of the sales being clinchers, so their marketing plan is to have people think that the top riders are on clinchers. There have been a number of cases where the advertising said that some rider was using some brand of clincher, then a photo finish will show a tubular. Beloki's crash in '03 removed all doubt.

[my2cents]

off the top of my head, most pictures of riders out on training rides, show them with small saddle pouches and no spare tubbie. I'm thinking of pictures lance, tyler, levi and at least a dozen other top riders. Some of the pictures were part of articles in which they specifically note that the rider was NOT accompanied by a car. I'm also thinking back to the lance chronicles last year and a scene where a bunch of guys from various teams get together to go for a trainnig ride - I think I noted to myself at the time that none seemed to be carrying a spare tubbie and therefore were probably riding clinchers. I'll bet the (vast) majority of pros train on clinchers for all the same reasons most of the poeople on this board also use clinchers.

[sg8357]

???
A. What does it matter if the team car carries your spares?

ans. Makes fixing a flat easy.

B. Mechanics install the tires for the pros. That said, it ain't ****ing rocket science....

Nah, its more like the Latin Mass, plus for the true flavor of tubies you need
wood rims and some del Mundos.

C. Don't all the pro teams get their tires from sponsors?

M. Dugast sponsors only his bank manager, you get to pay Hiroshi
for the tires yourself. If I flat a Dugast silk, I'm going to take a long
cry by the road before putting on the spare.

Scott G.
Clermont County, Ohio, Future home of the Paris-Roubaix West.

[chrisroph]

When I took my 28-SSC's out for a spin the other day and stuck a staple through the back tire, I was glad I was riding yellow jersey 3/$50 thai made cotton clements recommended by too tall. They're really not too bad.

[Too Tall]

Agree with the marketing observation. The "spy" shots I've seen at the Tour show an awful lot of Tubs being used.

Christophe, I've been using Panaracer cement. Me likee. I used Conti for many moons and it is great however Panaracer is clear, holds just as well and has a sharper more refined head buzz...kidding...about the buzz. I just got 6 tubes of SOYO from American Cyclery and will report back. The SOYO is supposed to really fine stuff too. Say, tell me what tubs to use at "T" town track. I have Veloflex Crits glued to the track wheels, will that do...what is ideal for Kilo / Pursuit.

[chrisroph]

When I was a real track racer, I used to use the predecessors of the below mentioned vittorias. Now that I'm old and only show up on the piste occasionally, I usually ride some combination of conti sprinter, comp, nos clement crit seta, or nos vittoria cx but I really loved the old vittoria pistas--

PISTA EVO CL Racetrack




These tubulars, developed in collaboration with the Australian National Track team and the World Cycling Centre athletes, are the answer for world championship-level track racing.

Available in two sizes and with two tread options (CS, with a slight diamond pattern, and CL, completely slick) to adapt to indoor or outdoor tracks, these products share the same Corespun T casing (specific for track applications) and the Kevlar ® SiO2 3D Compound.

The careful weight-saving process has led to excellent results: 150g for the 22mm section and just 135g for 19mm one! And all this is joined with Vittoria high quality and safety standards, resulting in a tubular really born to win.

[chrisroph]

TT--I didn't fully answer your question. Veloflex crits are of course exceptional tires and will be fine for kilos/pursuits. The purpose built pista tires are much lighter, have a lot less rubber, will take higher pressures and will probably accelerate and roll a bit easier. But, in absolute performance terms we are probably talking hundreths of a second for hundreds of dollars. A couple years back, I did ok in the Or Masters Track championships riding my zipp rear disc with a conti comp 22 and my front shamal with a nos conti LA 19, both pumped to about 150lbs.