What Happened to Tubular Popularity?

[Clean39T]

I started down the tubular road and pulled back - it just didn't seem worth it to me given I like the ride of supple clinchers and latex tubes, and am not planning on racing. My next move will probably be to trying tubeless on my fat-tire road bike. And I think fatter tires and lower pressures in general are taking market-share from tubulars. There simply aren't many tubulars bigger than 28c. And if you're rolling 32s tubeless, the marginal gains for tubulars seem hard to find anyway. Plus, once you're up to wider tires, the weight difference gets lost in the shuffle. So, summing up, it's a combo of less people racing, less people riding narrower tires where the differences are more noticeable, and of course fear and perceived hassle...

[Mark McM]

Tubulars usage was already dying and on the way out a decade or more ago, but the advent of carbon rims gave them a reprieve. Since reliable carbon clincher rims were not available for many years after carbon rims became popular, those who wanted to use carbon rims had no choice but to use tubulars. Now that carbon clinchers have become more reliable and more available, many (if not most) carbon rim users have switched to clinchers, and there's little compelling reason for the vast majority of riders to stick with tubulars.

[yakstone]

I ride Campy and tubulars.

I don't see gluing tires as a hassle nor is it a hassle to change one on the ride if necessary.

To each his own.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Blown Reek

I mean, I can understand the decline in popularity of Campy, but why tubulars? It seems that, at one time, tubulars were the only option, but as time went on, clinchers overtook tubulars in popularity, even though some people still ride tubulars. Given, they're cantankerous old men who pine for the glory days of downtube shifters, box rims, and Delta brakes, but they seem to be holdouts to the "tubulars are superior" mindset, and are a vocal bunch. If you can get the same performance out of a modern clincher as you can from a tubular, what's the point? Campagnolo?

Hmmm.

Given, they're cantankerous old men who pine for the glory days of downtube shifters, box rims, and Delta brakes, but they seem to be holdouts to the "tubulars are superior" mindset, and are a vocal bunch

I recognize that guy!!

Can’t get the same ‘performance’ out of a modern clincher...much closer now but still. Tubulars are more comfy, no pinch flats, don’t come off rim if flat(glued on correctly), rounder so corner better, more flexible sidewalks...overall a little lighter package. Why do people use a analog, mechanical watch when a cheaper electronic digital watch is more accurate?

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Tubulars are great. Its the people that are the problem.

That can be said of lots of things.

Me? Lots of both in my garage. For gravel, I'm usually on a tubular wheelset. If I'm not on the tubulars, I'm on tubeless.

M

[Hindmost]

Anyone else remember repairing tubulars in the evening just so you be able to ride the next day with spares? Good clinchers hadn't been invented yet and I didn't really have the means. Anyone?

[crankles]

I love my Vittoria open Paves...but I love my Vittoria Pave tubulars even more.

[john903]

Yep, Campy and tubulars for me. I am 55 am I old? My wife says I am not cantankerous though.
Have a great day.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Hindmost

Anyone else remember repairing tubulars in the evening just so you be able to ride the next day with spares? Good clinchers hadn't been invented yet and I didn't really have the means. Anyone?

Still do, repair my tubulars..not so I have a spare but yup, still fix mine sometimes.

[Kontact]

This seems like it would have been a good thread in 1988. MA40s and other durable, light rims came out along with quality skinwall clinchers.

[crankles]

Originally Posted by Hindmost

Anyone else remember repairing tubulars in the evening just so you be able to ride the next day with spares? Good clinchers hadn't been invented yet and I didn't really have the means. Anyone?

sort of yes...I grew up racing in Michigan, so repairing a pile of sew-ups was done in the cold winter evenings. Since I worked at a shop and got supplies at cost, I made a bit of cash repairing others as well.

[andrewsuzuki]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Vittoria Corsa G+ tubulars are the jam man, and ride better than even the clincher version of the same tire.

Bicyclerollingresistance cites the crr as nearly identical (+/- 0.1w) with a butyl tube (~4w less with two latex tubes), crr being inversely correlated with ride quality. Haven't tried them personally though, so you could be right.

The Corsa Speed on the other hand shows a clear preference towards the tubeless clincher.

[unterhausen]

I remember trying to repair tubulars. I don't think I have enough patience to do it right.

I was in high school when the first 1" clinchers and box rims to fit became available. So I would swap back and forth between 27x1 and 700c on race day. Then we could get 700c x 25mm tires and the rest is history.

[Luwabra]

tubeless happened. I loved racing tubs but w the advent of tubeless you can get really close to performance , no pinch flats, uhh no flats at all unless its a tear, oh and no flats. also a hassle to change tires but nothing like a tubular pita. tire choices will catch up with the demand shortly ex conti gp4000 .IMO.

i do everything I can to avoid tubes on all wheel systems I own. 1 is carried for emergency use but thats it.

[glepore]

There aren't a whole lot of options for very light, aero non tubular wheels still. While good clinchers with latex tubes are very very good, tubulars still have an edge in the areas set forth by old potatoe. I ride both, but really prefer a good wide veloflex or fmb sewup.