What Happened to Tubular Popularity?

[gibbo]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Good Day from the other side of the globe..see you are 'down unda'...and I agree...NO compelling reason to use clinchers(or tubeless)...

Ride on mate!!

Ride on indeed!
Tubeless is another development I don't get.... I must be old fashioned as I like rim brakes, mechanical shifting, HZ TT's, round tubes, external cabling, and and TUBULARS! I think I am a LUDDITE (my favourite new word).

[frankum]

I think this may be my first post on Paceline but I've been a cyclist since 2008 and a forum member on Slowtwitch primarily.

I had enjoyed clinchers for the greater part of a decade until I came across a set of ZIpp 303's that required new bearings, but were tubular. At $600 I couldn't say no.

I bought some discounted Veloflex Vlaandarens (27mm), bought some Vittoria Mastik glue and acid brushes, and learned how to glue.

I will say that I've flatted twice this year in 2600 miles, but both were not immediately flat like I had been on clinchers.

Additionally, I quite enjoy the gluing process, as long as beer is involved. I do feel a bit old school though carrying around a tubular tire in my jersey pocket. Whatever, it's like a pound.

+1 for Tubulars for me

- I enjoy the gluing process; it's fun
- I like the look on guys face when I say I'm on tubular
- Tubular rims are super cheap right now
- Tires are cheap (320 tpi, $60 for $150 on frequent sales)
- The ride seems incredible, but my aluminum wheelset also has a 19mm inner bead width
- I don't have any friends in the USA who ride Veloflex tires, tubular or "open" tubular (clincher)

[jwalther]

I switched to tubulars recently (I’m an irrational weight weenie) and after several hundred miles I couldn’t be happier. No flats yet, knock on wood. I carry a bottle of Vittoria Pit Stop, my cell phone and AAA card so I don’t worry about being stuck by the side of the road.

[denapista]

Do yourself a favor and toss that Vittoria Pit stop. It doesn't do a damn thing when you puncture. Stans or Orange Seal are waaaaaaay better sealants and actually work instantly. I got a puncture once years ago, and added Stans on the road. That tire still held air until I finally wore it down.

The only downsides to riding tubulars are the costs of tires and the downtime if you puncture and need to glue at night, which is minimal. I can't see myself going back to Clinchers anytime soon. I also like that if I puncture at high speeds, my tire stays on the rim and I can roll myself to a slow stop.

I carry a tiny bottle of stans, valve core remover, Co2 and a mini hand pump. I've noticed that Tubular tires don't like Co2 air and it leaks through the latex inner tube (Happened twice on Vittoria Tires). I carry a spare tire on rides when I'm just out there in the middle of the mountains alone. Sealant is so good that it will fix most tiny punctures, and you'd have to ride through a bunch of glass to cut a tire big enough to render sealant useless.

I've been running the same set of Vlaanderen tires for over a year now. Not a flat in sight and I ride dirt/gravel/road on these tires. I want to go back to Roubaix tires, but the puncture protection of the Vlaanderen is the BEST!

I'm looking for a set of deep (45-50mm) carbon tubulars and want to try those new Veloflex Servizio Corsa tires.

[djdj]

PitStop has served me well.

[Pelican]

The only thing I have to add to this thread is that my latest tubulars are 325 grams.

A pair.

Yes, I still have 3-4 sets of carbon climbing wheels.

[denapista]

Originally Posted by djdj

PitStop has served me well.

Pit stop was the greatest until Stans and Orange Seal surfaced. I had Pit Stop leak out of a tubular twice, and other friends had the same experience.

Now Vittoria Mastik... The only Glue I'll use.

[kohagen]

My experience with tubies goes back about 40 years to when I bought a Raleigh Competition for $300 from Brands in Wantagh, NY. That's where my parents bought me my first bike, and which is still there.

The Raleigh came equipped with tubulars, which I thought was a good thing. The pros used them, there's the romance of using handmade Clement Setas for the vaunted ever so smooth ride, the mounting process had a certain mystique about it, etc.

My reality was whenever I had a flat, I wound up throwing away the tire. I tried to fix them, but I could never resew them properly, and they were never the same afterwards. They were more expensive than the clinchers of the day, and I finally tired of the extra expense and went back to clinchers.

My thought process was, I'm never going to race, why do I need the aggravation of throwing out an almost perfectly good tire because it flatted, clinchers are fine, they're easy to fix, you can buy replacement tubes at any bike shop and don't need to replace the tire because it picked up a little piece of glass, I never could glue them properly, etc.

Fast forward these 40 or so years, technology has changed, you can repair a tubie with sealant, people who use them swear by the feel of the ride, the price differential between tubies (I love how spell correct always changes tubies to rubies, tubes, or tubas) and clinchers has dropped, most tubulars don't have to be prestretched, and I now have enough time to pay attention to the gluing process.

In addition, I’ve recently been considering what would happen if I blew out a front tire while going down a Vermont hill at 40+ mph, as I’ve been doing on many of my rides up here. It wouldn’t be pretty.

So, does anyone have any rim brake wheels they want to sell?

[teleguy57]

I'm a fan of tubulars, and much more often have changed tires because the tread worn down to the casing than a flat. Of the limited number of flats I've had in the last half-dozen years none have been catastrophic, and all the others either I got home without noticing it until the tire was really soft the next day, or I put in some Stan's and used my trusty frame pump and got home fine without removing a tire. And of those with Stan's, only one ended up getting replaced because the Stan's wouldn't hold more than a single ride.

My go-to wheels on my new Alliance ti all-road are tubs. I do have a set of wheels with Gravel King SKs I've set up tubeless, but I'm not sure I'd do any other tubeless wheels.

In my view of the world, tubulars ride great, provide durability and safety, and are just plain fun.

Note: Assuming we're talking decent tubs. Current fav is Vlaanderens; the value winner was the Vittoria Corsa Elites (I think now replaced by the Rubino Pro) and enjoyed by Vittoria Paves and Corsa SCs in 25mm.,

Kohagen, check your PMs

[frankum]

Originally Posted by teleguy57

I'm a fan of tubulars, and much more often have changed tires because the tread worn down to the casing than a flat. Of the limited number of flats I've had in the last half-dozen years none have been catastrophic, and all the others either I got home without noticing it until the tire was really soft the next day, or I put in some Stan's and used my trusty frame pump and got home fine without removing a tire. And of those with Stan's, only one ended up getting replaced because the Stan's wouldn't hold more than a single ride.

My go-to wheels on my new Alliance ti all-road are tubs. I do have a set of wheels with Gravel King SKs I've set up tubeless, but I'm not sure I'd do any other tubeless wheels.

In my view of the world, tubulars ride great, provide durability and safety, and are just plain fun.

Note: Assuming we're talking decent tubs. Current fav is Vlaanderens; the value winner was the Vittoria Corsa Elites (I think now replaced by the Rubino Pro) and enjoyed by Vittoria Paves and Corsa SCs in 25mm.,

Kohagen, check your PMs

Originally Posted by denapista

Do yourself a favor and toss that Vittoria Pit stop. It doesn't do a damn thing when you puncture. Stans or Orange Seal are waaaaaaay better sealants and actually work instantly. I got a puncture once years ago, and added Stans on the road. That tire still held air until I finally wore it down.

The only downsides to riding tubulars are the costs of tires and the downtime if you puncture and need to glue at night, which is minimal. I can't see myself going back to Clinchers anytime soon. I also like that if I puncture at high speeds, my tire stays on the rim and I can roll myself to a slow stop.

I carry a tiny bottle of stans, valve core remover, Co2 and a mini hand pump. I've noticed that Tubular tires don't like Co2 air and it leaks through the latex inner tube (Happened twice on Vittoria Tires). I carry a spare tire on rides when I'm just out there in the middle of the mountains alone. Sealant is so good that it will fix most tiny punctures, and you'd have to ride through a bunch of glass to cut a tire big enough to render sealant useless.

I've been running the same set of Vlaanderen tires for over a year now. Not a flat in sight and I ride dirt/gravel/road on these tires. I want to go back to Roubaix tires, but the puncture protection of the Vlaanderen is the BEST!

I'm looking for a set of deep (45-50mm) carbon tubulars and want to try those new Veloflex Servizio Corsa tires.

How many miles are you guys getting out of Vlaandarens? I have some front and rear on Zipp 303's. I run them at 95 PSI front and 100 PSI rear. The rear has lost the dots in the majority of the middle; I have around 1500 miles or (3000km) and that's the recommendded changing time from Veloflex.

Also, have you guys ever successfully used Stans in them once you've got a flat?

[teleguy57]

Originally Posted by frankum

How many miles are you guys getting out of Vlaandarens? I have some front and rear on Zipp 303's. I run them at 95 PSI front and 100 PSI rear. The rear has lost the dots in the majority of the middle; I have around 1500 miles or (3000km) and that's the recommended changing time from Veloflex.

Also, have you guys ever successfully used Stans in them once you've got a flat?

My set has about 1,000 miles on them. Front barely showing wear, rear has the middle dots worn. I've played as low as 80 PSI front, seems to ride best for me about 92f/95r.

Used Stan's in other tires; no on Vs yet. Have also changed to carrying Orange Seal based on recommendations from others.

[frankum]

Originally Posted by teleguy57

My set has about 1,000 miles on them. Front barely showing wear, rear has the middle dots worn. I've played as low as 80 PSI front, seems to ride best for me about 92f/95r.

Used Stan's in other tires; no on Vs yet. Have also changed to carrying Orange Seal based on recommendations from others.

I don't know how anyone rides these at 80-90 PSI in the rear. Way too much bounce! I'm 165-169 pounds.

[denapista]

I guess I can look at my strava to see how many miles I have on my vlaanderen tires, but I mounted them last year. My mileage has come down in 2019, but that's still a testament to these tires.

Hands down the greatest tubular tire when you need mileage/durability. You literally have to ride over a piece of sharp 3in glass to cut these things. I rode over a piece of metal and it went thru my tire. I removed it and continued riding for 50mi, and I still ride that tire.

If your bike can fit Vlaanderen, then it's a no brainer. There are better faster rolling tires, but you give up a little bit of durability and puncture protection.

[rwsaunders]

Originally Posted by frankum

How many miles are you guys getting out of Vlaandarens? I have some front and rear on Zipp 303's. I run them at 95 PSI front and 100 PSI rear. The rear has lost the dots in the majority of the middle; I have around 1500 miles or (3000km) and that's the recommendded changing time from Veloflex.

+/-2,000 miles rear and 5,000-5,500 miles on the front....I juice them with Orange Seal and I’ve not had any flats in the several years that I’ve used the Vlaanderen. I run 85psi rear and 80psi front.

[kohagen]

Originally Posted by frankum

I don't know how anyone rides these at 80-90 PSI in the rear. Way too much bounce! I'm 165-169 pounds.

What tire pressures do you use?