What Happened to Tubular Popularity?

[Kirk007]

such a typical winter debate (and one started by a clincher proponent by the way with the ad hominen characterization of tubular users btw.....

Dang ride what you want with the pros and cons of each. I don't give a crap about resistance of clinchers vs. tubulars - I'm not racing. I don't find tubulars an inconvenience. Two ounces of sealant is as light as a spare tube.
And I have plenty of winter evenings to tape/glue whatever if need be. I think good tubeless road tires ride almost as nice so I've got some of those and they may be what I ride the most in coming years, who knows.

I think clinchers give up some ride quality but are good if you're lazy and don't want to spend much time on wheels that is unless your clincher tires and clincher wheels are an unfriendly combo and you have to spend 20 minutes wrestling and swearing to get the tire mounted (actually I just throw on another set of wheels - my one clincher wheelset, that's not tubeless, is hanging with a flat to be fixed - been a month now as the others wheels are doing fine). So maybe clinchers aren't so convenient after all as I've yet to flat a tubeless tire in 2 years (or a tubular one that didn't fix with sealant).

[VC Slim]

Originally Posted by KarlC

Do people even carry extra tubular tires on a ride these days with sealant being so poplar and ez to use ?

The extra drag of tubular tires .... what extra drag ????

I always carry two spare tubulars in an underseat Jandd bag. My friend was sure glad I had a spare spare when all the contents of his fix-a-flat shot out of the huge hole in his flat tubular like a white geyser.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Imaking20

You are either intoxicated or you're leaving out a VERY critical piece of information (that being the material of the rim). I can't fathom someone would switch from a carbon tubular to a carbon clincher for BENEFITS of braking. The entire wheel (maybe bike) industry disagrees with that anecdote.

Please, no ad hominem attacks, just stick the facts.

We aren't talking about carbon clincher rims (that's being discussed in a different thread), we're talking about tubulars vs. clinchers. I'm surprised you don't know about Miguel Indurain, one of the greatest stage racers of all time. If you did, you know that he was racing before carbon clinchers were developed.

Originally Posted by Imaking20

That's ONE test. And all of those tires roll faster than any tire you've likely got in your garage... like, you're talking about the pointy end of tire performance. The advantages of which are totally cancelled out by fat guy jerseys.


Now that you're hounding on data, how about you provide 2 more examples of tests that included tubulars and showed clinchers to be faster? I'll wait.

If you have to ask, it sounds like you have done no research at all to support your point. If you had, you would have found multiple such tests. Here's a few:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...d-bike-reviews

http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-1503651.html

http://terrymorse.com/bike/rolres.html

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Kontact

1. Yes, they just wouldn't be 23c tires.

2. Maybe, but I don't ride anywhere with finish lines that wouldn't give me time to change a flat.

3. No one on this board is a pro. Very little riding that anyone, including the pros, do is for prize money. If there was prize money involved I might ride tubulars that day, but for training I would ride on clinchers, like the pros do.


Other things I don't do:
Radio the support car.
Pee while riding.
Throw away my water bottles before a climb.
Have the roads blockaded so I don't have to worry about cars.
Get paid to ride.

Maybe what is done in pro races only has so much application to real life?

(like)

[choke]

I have to say this has been an entertaining thread....

Originally Posted by Imaking20

Do you REALLY know anyone who has rolled a tubular? Have you seen it?

Well, I don't know Marianne Vos, though I have talked to her. And I don't know if watching it live on the computer counts as 'seen' but I was watching this race when she rolled one.....so yeah, it can happen. Go to 4:25 in the video. http://omroepzeeland.bbvms.com/view/...d/2827796.html

Originally Posted by Imaking20

You are either intoxicated or you're leaving out a VERY critical piece of information (that being the material of the rim). I can't fathom someone would switch from a carbon tubular to a carbon clincher for BENEFITS of braking. The entire wheel (maybe bike) industry disagrees with that anecdote.

I'm pretty sure that Miguel Indurain wasn't riding carbon clinchers.....

[VC Slim]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Everything needs to go down to costs of keeping you rolling you know.

Here here. That's why I buy low, fix my flats and mount my own tires. Lets me continue to live, as I describe to others, "The Tubular Lifestyle".

[KarlC]

Originally Posted by VC Slim

I always carry two spare tubular in an underseat Jandd bag. My friend was sure glad I had a spare spare when all the contents of his fix-a-flat shot out of the huge hole in his flat tubular like a white geyser.

Yea I guess some guys do carry extra tubulars, that's all fine.

I have only had 1 time in many years that a 1" gash in my tubular stopped my ride. So I dont want to carry something 100% of the time that I will only use 1% of the time.

[StephenCL]

I just want to say a few last things, then I am going to leave it alone. I was never out to offend anyone.

You don't have to be a pro to enjoy tubulars. The entire reason for my first post is that so many folks make it seem like owning tubulars is a big headache or hassle, without any benefits. It is simply NOT true. You could blindfold me 100 times and I promise that at least 9 times out of 10 I could guess tubular or clincher. They just flat out feel better. I don't care if they have more rolling resistance, because they just flat out feel better when you ride them. And if you have ever ridden them for an extended period of time, on really good tires, you know what I am saying is true. Do they require some additional attention? Sure, but how many tubes did you snakebite with your tire levers when you first started changing your own flats?

It just takes time to learn. Hell, 30 years ago I couldn't afford to replace my tires and so I learned to repair my own tubulars. Talk about a lost art.

So don't ride tubulars cause you want to go faster, or you want to be like so and so. Rides them because you like the way the feel, and you don't mind the extra bit of effort required.

All the other bits... it's just noise.

[djg21]

Originally Posted by Imaking20

Gluing tires takes me an hour. I let them sit overnight.

I have 192 gram tubular tires. Can you show me a clincher and tube that's comparable in weight?

Do you REALLY know anyone who has rolled a tubular? Have you seen it? Because I've ended up off the road flattish a clincher on carbon wheels.

As for the effectiveness of sealant in a clincher, I don't know if that's accurate. I'm also not willing to test it because my experience flattish clinchers is that they go flat almost instantly - whereas every tubular flat has been a slow leak down.

I rolled a tubular going into a corner in a crit about 20 years ago. It was over 100° and humid in Scotch Plains, NJ, which held an 8-corner Crit that was my favorite. Ironically, it was one of the only races I recall doing in which the marshals actually checked tubular tires before the start. The marshals also looked at my wheel after the crash and agreed that there was a proper amount of glue on it. They thought the glue had just softened from the heat. Thankfully, when I skidded out, there was no one outside of me and I didn’t crash anyone else. I had road rash from my ankle to shoulder and had to wrap my leg in Saran Wrap to wear pants to work for a week or so.

I know how to glue tires and did it for a decade before clinchers got good.

And as an aside, when you flat on the road and change to a pre-glued spare tubular, you have to ride gingerly because the tires aren’t glued properly. You do not want to be cornering hard or braking hard on a spare tubular.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by StephenCL

I just want to say a few last things, then I am going to leave it alone. I was never out to offend anyone.

You don't have to be a pro to enjoy tubulars. The entire reason for my first post is that so many folks make it seem like owning tubulars is a big headache or hassle, without any benefits. It is simply NOT true. You could blindfold me 100 times and I promise that at least 9 times out of 10 I could guess tubular or clincher. They just flat out feel better. I don't care if they have more rolling resistance, because they just flat out feel better when you ride them. And if you have ever ridden them for an extended period of time, on really good tires, you know what I am saying is true. Do they require some additional attention? Sure, but how many tubes did you snakebite with your tire levers when you first started changing your own flats?

It just takes time to learn. Hell, 30 years ago I couldn't afford to replace my tires and so I learned to repair my own tubulars. Talk about a lost art.

So don't ride tubulars cause you want to go faster, or you want to be like so and so. Rides them because you like the way the feel, and you don't mind the extra bit of effort required.

All the other bits... it's just noise.

You're a good man - with sound reasoning

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by Imaking20

This is an easier argument for you to make as long as you keep ignoring that the tubular users here are saying they carry sealant - not a spare tire. Also, who takes the glue off to start from scratch every time?

I don't think there is an answer for anything you ask that you won't qualify into a different question altogether.


So you want to talk about flat changing, and then when we talk about flat changing you want to say that tubulars don't get flats because a goo that can also be put in clinchers.

Have it your way - neither clinchers nor tubulars need to change flat tires because they can both use sealant. Done.

[makoti]

If I had someone to glue my wheels & worry about them, I'd never touch a clincher again. But, I don't. And I do not like gluing tires on, anymore. So clinchers it is.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by StephenCL

So don't ride tubulars cause you want to go faster, or you want to be like so and so. Rides them because you like the way the feel, and you don't mind the extra bit of effort required.

All the other bits... it's just noise.

Now this I can drink to.

[VC Slim]

Originally Posted by KarlC

Yea I guess some guys do carry extra tubulars, that's all fine.

I have only had 1 time in many years that a 1" gash in my tubular stopped my ride. So I dont want to carry something 100% of the time that I will only use 1% of the time.

Statistically I'm right there with you KarlC. Historically I'm coming from carrying 1.25lb worth of spares on a 23lb Columbus steel bike. Now I'm carrying it on a 16lb carbon bike so have that going for me. Plus I usually only carry one water bottle half the year.

[pjmsj21]

Another Campy and tubular rider on my main bike with Campy and clinchers on my second bike. I have also ridden tubeless and like them as well, but still
prefer tubulars.

I only have clinchers on my bike that is ridden in more of an urban (bad roads) environment. To be honest I find changing a clincher to be pain and would rather deal with a tubular flat than a clincher.....my wife is also a convert.