Classic & Vintage - I just mounted a pair of tubulars

I don't have any glue on hy hands, my rims, my sidewalls or my clothes because I used Tufo tape. I love it!

That stuff is magic.

I don't have any glue on hy hands, my rims, my sidewalls or my clothes because I used Tufo tape. I love it!

Good man.

I tried a set of Challenge Grifo tubulars with Tufo tape.

I don't race cross, but I do ride offroad aggressively.

Zero issues as well.

That stuff didn't stick to some Clement Grifos I have.

That stuff didn't stick to some Clement Grifos I have.

Simple then.

Get out the glue!

I just took a Campy low flange hub set off of a set of old, but great condition, Fiamme tubular rims. I want to lace the rims to high flange hubs for my Bottecchia Pro. The problem is...

Really old glue! I am scraping and rubbing it off but was wondering if there is a solvent that would work well with the glue? I tried lacquer thinners but it did not work well. Perhaps acetone?

And, I think I will try the tufo tape. Does it smell as nice as the glue does after you smell it for a while?

Simple then.

Get out the glue!

Yup. I haven't used the tape since. Spendy when compared to glue and I don't have problems with glue. I just wanted to give the tape a try.

Really old glue! I am scraping and rubbing it off but was wondering if there is a solvent that would work well with the glue? I tried lacquer thinners but it did not work well. Perhaps acetone?


The crusty stuff comes off real easy with a wire brush attached to your drill. For "gummy" old glue, I have found mineral spirits work and smell better than acetone or paint thinner.

Tufo tape is good stuff, but when I glued up some tubulars over the summer, I didn't get any glue on my hands because I wore latex gloves!

Neal

I bought a set of wheels that had Tufo on them, what a PITA to remove. Glue for me, never an issue in 30 years.

Tufo tape is good stuff, but when I glued up some tubulars over the summer, I didn't get any glue on my hands because I wore latex gloves!

Neal

Funny how well this trick works!

Funny how well this trick works!

This requires common sense though, and I seem to be lacking that on occasion!

This requires common sense though, and I seem to be lacking that on occasion!

It only took me 25 years of playing with tubulars to figure it out!

Neal

I wire wheeled the old glue off and then wiped it down with lacquer thinner. The tires have no tread wear, but they're old and the sidwalls are crispy. I need to find some liquid latex. Yellow Jersey has it but they're website frustrates me.

It's a wheelset that Neal gave me. The rear Normandy Luxe Competition hub had pitted cones, but I found a Miche axle set that works fine. Thanks Neal!

When I peeled off another pair of tires on some other wheels to replace the rims and spokes the tape stayed firmly attached to the base tapes. I reinstalled the tires on the new rims and I've been riding it that way ever since.

I need to find some liquid latex. Yellow Jersey has it but they're website frustrates me.

They do have an awful site. I think it is vintage 1997. I gave up buying some tires there because of it.

I might try Tufo tape if I ever race cyclocross, but I will never use it on my road race wheelset. Too much at risk, in my opinion.

I wire wheeled the old glue off and then wiped it down with lacquer thinner. The tires have no tread wear, but they're old and the sidwalls are crispy. I need to find some liquid latex. Yellow Jersey has it but they're website frustrates me.

It's a wheelset that Neal gave me. The rear Normandy Luxe Competition hub had pitted cones, but I found a Miche axle set that works fine. Thanks Neal!

When I peeled off another pair of tires on some other wheels to replace the rims and spokes the tape stayed firmly attached to the base tapes. I reinstalled the tires on the new rims and I've been riding it that way ever since.

Sorry about those cones! But good to know you found suitable replacements. For sidewalls, I recently used Aquaseal after seeing it recommended on a few different sites:

http://www.swimoutlet.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=10610&Click=310393

It's made for repairing/sealing wetsuits, but seemed to do a pretty good job of renewing a very dry sidewall on a 35-year-old tubular tire. I've also used it on dried out gum brake hoods with reasonable effects.

Neal

I need to find some liquid latex.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1067&bih=395&q=tear+mender

I just took a Campy low flange hub set off of a set of old, but great condition, Fiamme tubular rims. I want to lace the rims to high flange hubs for my Bottecchia Pro. The problem is...

Really old glue! I am scraping and rubbing it off but was wondering if there is a solvent that would work well with the glue? I tried lacquer thinners but it did not work well. Perhaps acetone?

And, I think I will try the tufo tape. Does it smell as nice as the glue does after you smell it for a while?

When the glue gets to be really old and rock hard, nothing will melt it (it pretty much turns into something like a hard resin/amber-like material). What will take it off real quick is a Dremel brass wire wheel. Did it last year to clean up what must have been 20 year old glue from a GL330 take-off wheelset. There was not too much glue on the rims as it looks to have only one set of tires glued to it, all it's lfe, but the glue that was there got really hard and pretty much petrified. Like you, I tried everything from WD40, Goo gone, mineral spirits and laquer thinner, but I was barely making a dent after hours of rubbing and scrubbing. I then heard about some having success with small Dremel wire wheels and carefully tried it out. Turns out that the brass Dremel wire wheels do not harm the hard anodized finiish on the Mavic rims. The rims cleaned up to look like brand new after I was done. the cup shaped wheels worked especially well to take out any built up glue that in the eyelette cups. The diameter of the disc shaped wheels fits really nice into the concave curve of the tubular rims, which make it easy to position it for most effective cleaning coverage as I went around the rims. The glue instantly turns into dust when the wire wheels contacts it.
Try it...but in a small area first, just to make double sure your rims can indeed take it. And like all power tools do not use too much pressure and let the tool work at "it's own pace".

Chombi

I just took a Campy low flange hub set off of a set of old, but great condition, Fiamme tubular rims. I want to lace the rims to high flange hubs for my Bottecchia Pro. The problem is...

Really old glue! I am scraping and rubbing it off but was wondering if there is a solvent that would work well with the glue? I tried lacquer thinners but it did not work well. Perhaps acetone?

And, I think I will try the tufo tape. Does it smell as nice as the glue does after you smell it for a while?
I use a wire wheel. It only take a minute or so and no messy, toxic solvents or tiresome scraping:
http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/rim-cleaner.jpg

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/rim-before.jpg

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/rim-after.jpg

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1067&bih=395&q=tear+mender

That looks like fabric glue. I'm not sure I want to spread glue on my sidewalls.

Tufo tape is good stuff, but when I glued up some tubulars over the summer, I didn't get any glue on my hands because I wore latex gloves!

Neal

That's the only way to wrench! Years ago I used to wrench cars bare-handed, and perpetually had grease stains and calluses on my fingers. Then I started working in a lab and wearing gloves at the bench. It was like a revelation. Now I never wrench without gloves!

Now I never wrench without gloves!

I spent almost forty years as an Industrial Mechanic, more commonly referred to as a Millwright. I wore gloves for immediate, not long term protection. Today, I have dermatitis on my hands. Do not work without hand protection!

And, for those who do not like to wear gloves when doing oily or greasy work - hand barrier cream (http://www.diversifiedcompoundedproducts.com/barrier_mano.asp) is the answer. Put the stuff on your hands, rub it in and go to work. This stuff is a great barrier against petroleum based products like grease and oil.

Come to think of it, I should go and get another container. Mine is all gone. Guess I will get some for the Bicycles for Humanity Workshop also.

Oh, did I mention that your hands will come incredibly clean with a simple soap and water wash after-wards.

I tried liguid glove but found there was no protection when the wrench slips or you pinch your fingers.

I like skin tight thin nitrile gloves as found at doctor's office. . Much more durable than latex.

And, for those who do not like to wear gloves when doing oily or greasy work - hand barrier cream (http://www.diversifiedcompoundedproducts.com/barrier_mano.asp) is the answer. Put the stuff on your hands, rub it in and go to work. This stuff is a great barrier against petroleum based products like grease and oil.

Oh, did I mention that your hands will come incredibly clean with a simple soap and water wash after-wards.

The guy I "apprenticed" with (more like cheap labor for him, wrenching old British cars with me, the pimple-laden teenager next door for $2/hr) swore by using Go-Jo cleaner on his hands in the manner you described. It would dry like hand cream, then make scrubbing up later much easier. I've never liked the feeling of hand creams, so I just lived with grease and dirt permanently embedded in my fingerprints. Hey, it's like pantographing!

That looks like fabric glue. I'm not sure I want to spread glue on my sidewalls.

It's just liquid latex. Works great as a glue for fabric, that's why they call it 'tear mender.' You could also call it 'bicycle tire basetape glue' and sell if fro twice as much, but it will still be plain old liquid latex.

The tires have no tread wear, but they're old and the sidwalls are crispy. I need to find some liquid latex.

My Conti GPs were the same... but since they have almost no rubber on the sidewalls anyway (it's only of appreciable thickness in the raised lettering) I just scraped it off with my fingernails. Looks cool, and the lettering wasn't exactly doing anything structural...

I might try Tufo tape if I ever race cyclocross, but I will never use it on my road race wheelset. Too much at risk, in my opinion.

Don't just use tape for cross, you will roll a tire. I would use tape on a road application before I use it in the mud.

My Conti GPs were the same... but since they have almost no rubber on the sidewalls anyway (it's only of appreciable thickness in the raised lettering) I just scraped it off with my fingernails. Looks cool, and the lettering wasn't exactly doing anything structural...

The sidewall coating protects the thread from abrasion and nicking. If a thread breaks, that creates a weak spot in the carcass. The inner tube, under > 80 psi pressure, can herniate through a little hole and blow out. So it DOES have a purpose.