noglider 

Ha! I know, right?

Didn't anyone like my diaper analogy? I used those fancy-dancy wool covers from Hanna Andersson, kinda like using the best tires.

My sour experience with tubulars was that I stupidly rode them on my epic three-month European tour. I was a foolish 20-year-old. For a one month period, I got one flat per day. I spent every evening patching and gluing. It was kinda cool in a way, in the youth hostel, around the fire, with other young folks, drinking too much tea, and them asking me, What are you DOING? Who, other than bike nuts, even knows what tubular tires are?

balindamood

[QUOTE] iosity.....does any one have any suggestions as to a good(ish), cheap tubular rims and sources/QUOTE]

I am "that weird old guy" at our local coop. Any tubular tires, rims, or wheels that come in get set aside for me. Rarely new, but most were taken off with little use and have been bouncing about garages ever since. The tires are not always great, but I have not had to buy any in years.

Alex Moll

Always interesting to read opinions about tires. Lotsa folks can't stand to spend money on something that wears out relatively quickly. I'm in the other camp - I buy the best, because they are my interface with the road. I enjoy every ride so much more - but I understand that doesn't make sense to a lot of people.

I have 4 bikes with tubulars, and 3 of them are shod with FMB PRs. They are the best tubular tires I've found so far. I haven't had great luck with the slightly less expensive Challenge brand - surprisingly lumpy.

I rode my 1956 Holdsworth on the Cino Heroica ride last fall, and had installed 32mm Challenge Grifo XS tires. Cino has some very rough sections, some of which I'd call rock gardens. Being able to run 50-60 psi was wonderful. On day 2, I hit a hidden rock on a high speed descent - it was the only time that a rock actually pinched the tire to the rim. The rock knocked the wheel out of true, but the rim and tire were not damaged! I simply opened the rear brake caliper and rode it to the lunch stop. I trued the wheel after lunch, and finished the ride without incident.

I was able to find a similar Andre Dugast in 34mm on clearance, which I will use on future gravel adventures.

Also, Tufo "Extreme" tape works for me.

CV-6 

I am using Miyata rim tape. Prefer it over Tufo. More economical and enough stays on the rim if you puncture to mount your spare. My experience with Tufo is it comes off with the tire, not leaving much adhesive.

CV-6 

Long distance from the after life?

Alex Moll

Sounds good - where do you get it?

CV-6 

Miyata Tubular Rim Tape

crank_addict

Great review. The Challenge GrifoXS 33 look terrific and now heavily discounted at BTD.

mountaindave 

+1 thanks to many here I have my first set of Dugast Pipistrellos in 700x34 to put on a set of vintage tubulars. If I have enough room for a modern gravel grinder, I'll be picking up another set for that too. I have made it as far as stretching, dry-mounting on the rim and inflating for further stretching.

BTW, they are $60 each at cyclocrossworld.com

RobbieTunes

Today, spent an hour more with a drill and fiberglass wheel, getting excess glue off of the second Vittoria Corsa Evo CX Corespun H Kevlar Si0 3D Compound. You gotta like tubulars to spend two hours getting old over-glue off used tires. I drove 100 miles each way, bought the wheel set, with tires, for $500 and spent about 6-8 hours total getting the tires off, rims cleaned, tires cleaned, and everything re-taped. I'm wasn't sure it was worth it, but it was, and is. I just won't do it again, unless it's quite a deal.

Over-gluing is not a crime, but it is a misdemeanor.

pat5319

The speacial editions have a suppler sidewall. The casings feel like Egyptian cotton, possibly silk vs the poly/cotton of the std srtada

Lenton58 

My bikes just came with tubular rims, so I inherited the 'tubular way'. For a long time I was nervous about gluing and getting them on in a tidy fashion. For some time, whenever I bought a new one, my LBS would mount it for a nominal fee. Gradually shame overcame me, until it was replaced by chagrin. I had watched the mech do it a number of times; I had read old manuals and lots of opinion. So I did a couple myself. Got it right the first time. Straight ... no mess ... as good as the shop did it.

I've pretty well standardized with Vittoria Rallyes. They are inexpensive, readily available and I can't complain about wear and what I use them for. I carry a spare under the saddle, and I have a couple of compact pumps I carry in one or other of the bum bags I use to tote the cell phone, a couple of Allen wrenches and my wallet. I don't carry glue. My SS bike has clinchers on modern rims; I kinda wish it had tubulars as well. I've had more trouble with clincher pinch-flats than trouble with tubulars. Moreover, I just love the feel of the things.

gomango

I've been patiently waiting for a wider Veloflex tire for a long time.

I just happened to notice they came out with a model called the Eroica at 700x27.

This is a tire I will definitely try.

Veloflex - Tubular tyres - Eroica

Road Fan

GL330 is a great rim - 330 grams each, is the rumor. MA-40 and the modern Open Pro are 400 to 440. The Mavic GL-4 is a 440 g tubular training rim from the MA-40 days. Current product is the Mavic Reflex, but it's a lot harder to source than is a NOS set of GL-4s.

Road Fan

Have you tried the Challenge P-R 27 mm tubular? I'd like to see a comparison.

kunsunoke 

Did we ever find out if the OP had Mavic clinchers or tubies?

Spaghetti Legs 

I think there was a post where he said they were actually GL 330s.

SJX426 

@italianbiker - I have 2 pair of GL330's, one mounted and a spare set. I have forgotten what they actually weigh, but they are on the light side. The other rims that were even lighter were GL280's. The 330's came in 36, 32 and I think 28 hole rims. 330's are a bit more robust than the 280's. One of the shortcomings of these rims are the deflection of the side wall, braking surface, during manufacturing. It is evident after using for some time as the anodizing is worn off by the brake pad. This is not a deterrent to use but id does show up. See pic below. Some say it is due to spoke tension but mine show the same wear next to the valve stem hole.

Finding NOS GL 330 rims is a challenge as they were popular for racing and were perceived by some to be on the hairy edge of fragile. When you do find them, they are not cheap. I happened to run across my NOS spares at the Recycle shop in Portland a few years ago when they were shutting down one of their 4 stores. Picked up the pair for <$45. That is an envious price and is not likely to be duplicated.

Somewhere on this forum is a discussion about them but it has been too long for me to remember.

[IMG]P1000516 by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

kunsunoke 

Those are keepers.

I have a set on the Tommasini. They've stood up pretty well to the pounding they get here in PA. I am cheating a bit - the Continentals mounted right now are 25mm carcass and they're also Kevlar belted. Ride suppleness doesn't appear to suffer very much.

A good set of tubular wheels and tires can ruin your clincher experience for life.

gomango

I have a set on my white Kvale.

I happen to like the ride quite a bit.

I'll come back and do a comparison this summer.