opklmmm

So here's the deal. I was hit by a car on Monday night and my bike was completely wrecked. A friend of mine had this older trek sitting in his garage (that he hasn't touched in years) that he said I could have. Now I go and pick up the bike noticing it has two flat tires. A couple flat tires, no big deal, right? Wrong! I get the bike home and realize it's got tubular tires that are really worn out and old and definitely need to be replaced. Now, I'm very very tight on funds right now which is why I had to take this bike rather than just going out and buying myself a new one. These tires go from pricey to ridiculously expensive and from what I've been reading I take it they can be dangerous when done the wrong way. Basically what I'm wondering is as long as they're put on correctly would it really be a poor decision to go with a less expensive tire? Or better yet can anybody recommend an affordable, dependable tire?

silent1

Get some tires from Yellow Jersey, 3 for 50. Buy a tube of tubular cement, not the jar. Take the old tires off, remove any debris that may be on the rim. Go to the Park Tool website and read how to mount a tubular tire. Put one base layer on the tire and let it sit over night. The next night put one layer on the rims and mount the tire on the rim. Read how to mount it correctly on the Park Tool website. $65 total to get it done and the tires from Yellow Jersey are good.

Carl26

Are you talking about yellowjersey.org in Wisconsin? The yellowjersey.org site looks really unprofessional and unorganized. Maybe that's why they can offer such good prices.

silent1

Yes, their website needs some work but their service is absolutely top notch. Call them on the phone and they will help you with whatever you need, they will basically stay on the phone forever if you need help. Everything I have ordered from them has been boxed and shipped same day, and packaged very well at that.

dvs cycles

Personally I would find some cheap used clincher wheels before I would put tubulars on that bike.
Considering the cost if you get flats you'll spend less in the long run.
I save the tubulars for race day only.

Road Fan

Whether you'll have an affordable experience depends a lot on if you have flats, or equivalently, how often. Here where I live we do not have a lot of glass on the roads, and I have had only one flat in about three years, 98% on sewups. My mileage really isn't that high, either. If you are good at fixing clinchers, I'd recommend changing to clinchers, even though I am a sworn tubular devotee.

If you already know how to fix tubulars, you can get along very well with them. It only gets expensive if you cannot repair your own at home, and hence have to buy replacement tires, or have to send them out to a repair service, for at least $15 a pop. If you mount a new tire, or every other remounting, you'll need a new tube of tire cement per tire, at around $4.00 each. Tufo mounting tape is easier to use, very secure, and costs between $8 and $12 per use.

If you get the Yellow Jersey tires, you get three in the deal. This is perfect, because you get a pair to ride on and one to carry as a spare. It can be pre-glued, but if you need it on the road, it can be mounted without new cement and ridden home gently.

You can also usually find pairs of low cost tubulars on Ebay. Pairs of new Continental Giros, Vittoria Rallyes, or Gommitalia Champions can usually be found for $35.00 each. Some here do not like these tires, but I have had good experience with the first two. I have a set of Gommis, but haven't used them yet. They look virtually identical to the others, I expect them to work well. The Contis and Vittorias mounted easily and straight. The are also easy to repair, the base tapes are easy to pull off to access the seam.

So, I have used tubulars most of my cycling life (20 out of the last 37 years), and this is my 2 cents. You can pay huge amounts of money, but you don't need to. If you check out the prices of high-end clinchers and the better tubulars, they begin to look very similar in cost, and in weight. Maintenance becomes a matter of time and capability.

Road Fan

fogrider

the thing about tubies is that it is for the true believer, most people will just not understand and get fustrated. get find some cheap clinchers and get a spare inner tube and you won't have to worry about what to do when you get a flat.