shovelhd

Same difference.

carpediemracing 

I've cut a tire such that it couldn't be repaired in less than 50 meters, riding a brand new tire to the registration area at a race. I've "through-spotted" a tire in a race or two, where the casing shows through the tread in the middle of the tire. I've flatted tubulars with less than 100 miles on them.

I also use the glass-strewn parts of courses to move up, since many riders will avoid such areas. I used to buy specific tubulars with kevlar belts in order to do this. I've used large potholes in similar ways, hopping a 3' pothole but making up tons of places each lap because no one else rode even close to it (in that race I was one of 13 or 14 finishers out of 125 or so starters).

Tires, at least race ones, can't be considered long term parts. You get something that is reliable and solid and then you accept what fate deals you. You can't be thinking "I don't want to lock up my tire" while guys are piling up in front of you. You do what you have to do and the tire is part of that cost.

For me I run tubulars when I can. I stockpile them when I either have money or the prices are low or both. If cost becomes an issue I use (durable training) clinchers. I've run for a year or two at a time on clinchers.

On the other hand I'd never run super light clinchers, based on them failing in situations that normally wouldn't affect a normal race tubular (EVO, Conti, etc).

carpediemracing 

I should point out that I will complain if I have a tire fail on me earlier than I reasonably expect. For example I was pretty bummed about my 50 meter CX because I'd saved it for a particular race.

My expectation is that a rear tire lasts a season minimum of racing and I should be able to ride through pretty bad paved conditions without problems (potholes, glass). I know that dirt roads are generally very easy on tubulars. I know that rocks/gravel can cut a tubular in a few feet (and have experienced that first hand).

I'm on two seasons for a couple rear tires. Three seems to be the limit for a rear for me, I usually flat them by the end of the season through glass or other tread penetrants.

MDcatV

I've used the same conti 4000 tubulars since june 2010. race only wheels (that I don't use for every race), so they've seen limited specific use, but they still look good and I plan to use again this season.

vittoria whatever whatever they're called on the other hand, I got like 3 races out of them before they started flatting. I don't like vittoria products, too prone to flats.

shovelhd

Fatty.

spectastic

well the corsa's going to get here in about 2 weeks, hopefully just in time for the next ominum. we'll see..

newjunior

Semi relevant post. Got my Corsa's glued to a pair of Reynolds Assault 46 Tubulars at the LBS. Came home, pumped to 150 and let em cure for a couple days
They deflate, and I check the bond: I can roll both tires completely off the rims cleanly. WTF. Any advice on how to get my 50 bucks back and get the job done decently? Yes I have a receipt. Should I just talk to the mechanic?

Ygduf

yes.

sounds like they didn't clean the rim well enough, or take off whatever coating was on there.

newjunior

They were new rims though. Factory coating? Either way, the shop should redo it for free right?

shovelhd

Hell yeah. Good thing you checked it. Next time do it yourself.

newjunior

I didn't want to screw up on really expensive rims and tires my first time gluing, but next time yes

Ygduf

I knew they were new rims. The same thing happened to me, except my mechanic doesn't suck and called me the day they were supposed to be ready to say that he needed two more days. He had to pull the tires, clean the rims, lightly sand them to score the clear-coat, re-clean with acetone, and re-do the base layers of glue.

newjunior

Who's your mechanic/shop? I've been getting pretty consistently bad service at my Fremont shop who's name sounds like tricycle massage

echappist

ergo you would prefer to pay someone to screw it up for you

jest aside, learn to glue your own tubbies. i've seen the jobs that shops do. Now the tires didn't come off, but you also don't see a lot of the glue bonding between the rim and the tire. CDR has a good picture of it here



when i first started gluing my own tires, the bond didn't look like that after i was done, and i had to do a round of touching up, putting in more glue on the peripheries. After one go around, the bond looked like that, and the tire was a royal PITA to take off. The most recent glue job i did had that type of bond on most sections right off the bat, though i may so a slight bit of touch up just for my own peace of mind.

Ygduf

Veloro in Redwood City. Just across 84. Good shop. Tell them you know me!

spectastic

it takes 2 days for the glue to fully cure?? crap

I guess it won't be ready this Saturday..

ips0803

Good thread on the subject, way more info than you can probably ever need:

Glueing tubulars [the tubular thread] - Weight Weenies

newjunior

Gotcha. I'm going to try and ask my shop for a refund instead of a redo and take it to Veloro.

Ygduf

hope it works out. I'm too lazy to glue tubulars so I have them do it. I'm always in for one thing or another anyway. Tell them Chris Evans recommended it. Really.

They help me out, would be nice for them to hear I'm out repaying the favors.

revchuck 

Aw, go ahead and ride them. I'm racing M40/M55+, so I won't have to worry if you roll one.

Seriously, I wouldn't use anything for the first time in a race. Do a couple of training rides/races to see how they feel.

spectastic

oh well. training race.

carpediemracing 

I've glued tires and other than being careful about putting them on and checking them after the fact I've raced on them the next day. Well 24 hours the next day, not "glue at 11 PM and race at 6 PM" next day. More like "glue at 8 AM and race at 3 PM" next day.

Also I now rarely ride my tubulars on the road. I did maybe twice in the last two years, basically to try and set a benchmark on my sprint road, an ideal speed, and that stretch of road is 1.5 miles from the house, and the Missus works between the sprint road and home. Normally my tubulars get ridden only on race day.

echappist

bump.

My Mavic Griplink Tubular is really giving me the fits. For starters, it won't take ANY sealant. I tried to inject it, and almost everything got spit back out. WTF??? That was three weeks ago. At least i was still able to pump it up and use it for a total of 120 miles since.

Last time i used it was last week, and i've let it sit in the meantime, and it deflated to 20 psi. I tried to pump it back up, but nothing happens! After the pressure gets to 20, air somehow just leaks. I may very well need to take it off and glue on a fresh tubular if i want to have something ready for use 2 weeks from now. Very frustrated.

i guess i at least got those two rides in...

cruiserhead

pre-stretch the tires. it makes it so much easier.

glue the rim, glue the tire, let both dry. Usually do another coat on the tire, cotton soaks up the glue.
all dry
inflate tire to give shape,
pinch in the middle so the tire is a "8" shape and glue the basetape again

mount to rim while tacky
straighten, inflate and let set

always been rock solid for me and not messy at all.

too much glue is a problem, so those globby, messy jobs are a problem too.

tetonrider

does it have a latex tube? deflating to 20psi over what period of time? loss of 1-3psi/hour can be normal.

if you managed to get some sealant in there, it could be that (a) you clogged the valve or (b) the bit of sealant caused the tube's walls to stick together when it deflated. the latter is the biggest problem, IMO, with using sealant prophylactically in a tubular tire. i've used it to rescue a tire but don't like to use it in advance.