Road Bike Racing - New tubulars

So I wanted a nice race wheelset for next season and decided to pick up some Tempest 2's. For those of you that have been racing tubulars I need your advice on a few things. One being should I use tape or glue? I know tape would be easier but I want something that I know will hold so is glue that much stronger? Also any good tire reccomendations, right now Im thinkin vittoria open corsas or some continental sprinters? These are going to be used for road races and time trials mostly and use my clinchers for crits so these wheels wont get busted up as fast.
Thanks for the feedback

I've always used glue, but I've heard so much good stuff about the Tufo tape, I may try it if I can find it at a decent price.

on the tubular subject, I have a set to use while racing, I'm scared of flats.. should I get a "pit stop" can and stick it in my jersey? or is there something similar to slime?

on the tubular subject, I have a set to use while racing, I'm scared of flats.. should I get a "pit stop" can and stick it in my jersey? or is there something similar to slime?

If your race dosent have a wheel truck you will be SOL no matter what you carry.

Oh nay nay. If I think the wheel truck might be slow getting to me or there is none then I bring a can of Pit Stop. It takes 30 seconds to fill a tire and be going again and it weighs the same as 1 co2.

As for tires, I always recommend veloflex to anyone i dont have to race and tufos for anyone I do race against.

thanks guys...and any good glue reccomendations?

mastik

Tape sucks imo. The reason why it sucks is because it's so god damned hard to get a tire off! If you are worried about rolling a tire then tape is your answer. If you ride tubes a lot then glue is the better answer because they are much easier to change in the field and when done properly they don't roll off.

Glue of choice - Mastik One no doubt.

btw I use tape AND glue for my cross wheels b/c cross tends to roll tires more. I literally have to cut the tire off and even some times use a rod to lift the tire off the rim. But my croos tires last one to two seasons where as my road tubes can go at any time.

IMHO, you are doing it backwards if you are using sew-ups for TTs and clinchers for crits. The main advantage to tubulars is they provide superior grip in corners, which is what you need in criteriums. In fact, there have been posts that here that clinchers actually have less rolling resistance than sew-ups, which would be an advantage in a TT.

Nice fat 24-25mm sew ups, fairly low pressure on the front and you can really dive into corners fearlessly.

Tape sucks imo. The reason why it sucks is because it's so god damned hard to get a tire off!

Hair dryer works wonders :)

Hair dryer works wonders :)

Really? So what do you do just blast the tire with hot air till it really warms up to peal off? Do you concentrate over like maybe 6 inches of tire or so? Whats the process?

Oh nay nay. If I think the wheel truck might be slow getting to me or there is none then I bring a can of Pit Stop. It takes 30 seconds to fill a tire and be going again and it weighs the same as 1 co2.

As for tires, I always recommend veloflex to anyone i dont have to race and tufos for anyone I do race against.
Put the Pit stop in your tires a day or two before the race. It will leak down to about 60-70 lbs. Fill it with air pre-race.

Really? So what do you do just blast the tire with hot air till it really warms up to peal off? Do you concentrate over like maybe 6 inches of tire or so? Whats the process?

Yeah start peeling back and use the hair dryer to heat the area as you pull slowly. When it gets warm it comes off easier.:p

Oh nay nay. If I think the wheel truck might be slow getting to me or there is none then I bring a can of Pit Stop. It takes 30 seconds to fill a tire and be going again and it weighs the same as 1 co2.

As for tires, I always recommend veloflex to anyone i dont have to race and tufos for anyone I do race against.


Either way your race would be over though if theres no SAG pickup you could at leats get back to the finish line.

Unless I am getting it handed to me I think I can chase back on after a minute or two, this is why I carry pitstop.

Dubbayoo- I dont use it as a preventitive device but a recovery tool to get me back in the race. After I get done then I drain the propelant out and re-fill with a pump.

Tape sucks imo. The reason why it sucks is because it's so god damned hard to get a tire off! If you are worried about rolling a tire then tape is your answer. If you ride tubes a lot then glue is the better answer because they are much easier to change in the field and when done properly they don't roll off.

Properly applied, the tape is much stronger. Remember it's two sided, those two sides are different, and if you're using a tubular with latex over the base tape, the latex needs to be removed.

The trick for getting a tubular off when using the tape is to work a lever in and break the "bead" so you have both sides of the lever sticking out, then roll/push the lever around the rim. It's actually as quick as popping a clincher once you have the knack.

And don't dis the Tufo's...I've won on them, albeit at pressures >139.9/149.9 PSI :)


Hair dryer works wonders :)

Great for cleaning off the rim...the leftovers roll right off.

IMHO, you are doing it backwards if you are using sew-ups for TTs and clinchers for crits. The main advantage to tubulars is they provide superior grip in corners, which is what you need in criteriums. In fact, there have been posts that here that clinchers actually have less rolling resistance than sew-ups, which would be an advantage in a TT.

Nice fat 24-25mm sew ups, fairly low pressure on the front and you can really dive into corners fearlessly.

The only reason is, I dont want to mess up these wheels for a while so I have some dura ace clinchers that Im going to use in crits (at least for now). I will use them for crits that really matter.