What Happened to Tubular Popularity?

[zap]

I plan on riding tubulars again........most likely be the only one in the group.......again.

[John H.]

Tubulars haven't been popular for more than 30 years.

Doesn't make them bad, just not the popular choice for most riders.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Wide rims happened.

Ding! Ding! Ding!
That, plus Vittoria Corsa G+ (or your fave...) and latex tubes = perty derned good....

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

Ding! Ding! Ding!
That, plus Vittoria Corsa G+ (or your fave...) and latex tubes = perty derned good....

Nancy......,

->>!!!!!

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Nancy......,

->>!!!!!

Ha-RUMPH!

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

Ding! Ding! Ding!
That, plus Vittoria Corsa G+ (or your fave...) and latex tubes = perty derned good....

We were saying similar things in the early '90s about good tire and tube combos, and whether that was true or not, enough people believed the difference was small enough to stop messing with glue. Even some pros back then.

[bikinchris]

Tubular ARE superior in every way. They ride better, grip better, don't pinch flat as easy and are lighter. Except they cost more, wear quicker puncture easier and are not as safe when a spare is installed.
So clinchers make more sense for all uses other than race day. On the track, tubulars rule.

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by Kontact

We were saying similar things in the early '90s about good tire and tube combos, and whether that was true or not, enough people believed the difference was small enough to stop messing with glue. Even some pros back then.

Pros ride what they are paid to ride. Never take equipment advice from watching pro races or see in advertizing.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by bikinchris

Tubular ARE superior in every way. They ride better, grip better, don't pinch flat as easy and are lighter. Except they cost more, wear quicker puncture easier and are not as safe when a spare is installed.

And are a lot harder to fix when they do puncture. So there are four ways in which they are "superior in every way", and five ways in which they are not. I'd say the NAYs have it...

[El Chaba]

This thread is a lot like the Campy thread in that people who don't own or have never used the product in question are lecturing those who do about how the product doesn't work and sucks.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

This thread is a lot like the Campy thread in that people who don't own or have never used the product in question are lecturing those who do about how the product doesn't work and sucks.

Very true. I still have three bikes on tubulars and rode one of them just a few days ago. Coincidentally, that bike also is Record 10!

[ultraman6970]

So much misconceptions about tubulars that is just insane how people run away from them. Personally i gave their chance to clinchers and I had to come back to tubulars, and for me is not about the comfort it is about my rate of punctures, in less than 3 months got more punctures in clincher than the ones I got in 30 years using tubulars.

[.RJ]

For all of you cranky tubular riding campy users, how many miles a year are you putting on your tubulars? Training 5k, 8k, 10k miles a year?

Clinchers have gotten really good. I wont ride garbage tires, but with putting a fair amount of miles out on the road I just cant see the hassle of tubulars being worth it for me. Yes, they are hassle compared to dropping by the shop on my ride home, buying 2 new vittoria corsas and putting them on the bike in 15 minutes.

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

So much misconceptions about tubulars that is just insane how people run away from them. Personally i gave their chance to clinchers and I had to come back to tubulars, and for me is not about the comfort it is about my rate of punctures, in less than 3 months got more punctures in clincher than the ones I got in 30 years using tubulars.

Speaking of misconceptions, why would a clincher get more punctures than a tubular? They have the same layers and are the same width and thickness.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by Kontact

Speaking of misconceptions, why would a clincher get more punctures than a tubular? They have the same layers and are the same width and thickness.

Magic tubular dust