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Comutting on Carbon Tubulars

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Comutting on Carbon Tubulars

Old 06-19-14, 01:42 PM
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Comutting on Carbon Tubulars

Anybody commute on carbon tubulars? They seem cheaper then clinchers just wasn't sure about flats versus clinchers on everyday roads.
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Old 06-19-14, 02:21 PM
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More money than sense? where are they cheaper? CF rim wheels aint, neither are the tires ..

Sew ups are glued on you peel off the tire and put a new one on to fix a puncture *, then are very careful since the spare tire will roll off the Rim and you will crash.

its not adhered at all like the proper 48 hour cured glue job..

* then you have to un sew the tire mend the tube puncture in the tire and then stitch it up again... re glue the base tape over the stitching..
then you have a spare to carry on the bike again.

You dont ride sew-ups to save money and trouble...

Last edited by fietsbob; 06-19-14 at 02:26 PM.
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Old 06-19-14, 02:34 PM
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That's about the response I was looking for. I ride with Michelin comp 4's at the moment and was thinking of getting something a little deeper then the standard rim and thought I would try carbon over aluminum since my commute is really just travel not really carrying anything. I get some good speed on the way home with standard rims although the part about 48 hr cure time to glue the tire is definitely a turn off.
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Old 06-19-14, 02:43 PM
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Only Exception CZ Tufo https://www.tufo.com/technology-2/ they have a Butyl lined Tubular tire , sealant goo is what clogs pinholes

they sell a clincher-tubular where grooved rubber rings engage the clincher rim edges. so its different , never rode any myself ..

pumping up a sewup & it gets smaller that is what would hold those onto your Clincher rim ..

You let glue set on inflated tires then you can store your spare wheels un inflated

Last edited by fietsbob; 06-19-14 at 02:46 PM.
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Old 06-19-14, 03:24 PM
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Never seen anyone commuting on carbon wheels, unless perhaps they were a pro rider on the way to "work" at the training course. My commute takes me near the Haines Point loop in DC, so I regularly see folks out for a ride with such wheels, but not commuting AFAIK. TT bikes usually.
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Old 06-20-14, 11:17 AM
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Carbon tubulars for commuting huh? Hmmmm, Let me think about that for a sec.... yeah, no.
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Old 06-20-14, 12:25 PM
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I have on a couple occasions. Both on Fridays before weekend races and I'd just glued on a new set of tires and wanted to make sure the glue was set, brakes were aligned, derailleur adjusted, etc.

But for everyday commuting? Nope.
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Old 06-20-14, 04:37 PM
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ya, you could do it depending on circumstances. when living in Sacramento, i could just take a shirt, tie, shoes, and slacks, put them in one small pannier or backpack and ride to work. it was only about five flat miles away, then wash off and change in the restroom at work. it was no more of a hassle than a regular road ride. bike went inside the building with me. easy peasy. even if i flatted i could ride the falt the rest of the way if i had to. like i say, it depends on the circumstances.

and carbon? carbon schmarbon, in a few years we won't even be talking about it's merits one way or the other. it's here to stay.
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Old 06-23-14, 12:37 PM
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It seems you figured out my commute to a t and that's why I brought it up. I just never changed a tubular or even seen what was involved. I just thought I read somewhere they were less prone to flats. Oh and yes in ten years everything will be carbon and steel will look like the model t.
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Old 06-23-14, 01:01 PM
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Miami will be under water then anyhow.
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Old 06-23-14, 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted by shoemakerpom
That's about the response I was looking for. I ride with Michelin comp 4's at the moment and was thinking of getting something a little deeper then the standard rim and thought I would try carbon over aluminum since my commute is really just travel not really carrying anything. I get some good speed on the way home with standard rims although the part about 48 hr cure time to glue the tire is definitely a turn off.
I commute on tubulars for the dry 6 months of the year, and I sometimes ride carbon. Since my trip is over good urban roads, tubulars make sense - much lower rotating weight. Accelerations are noticeably quicker with light wheels.

I don't have to deal with a lot of road debris, but my tires are almost impregnable due to the 20cc or so of Stan's that is injected into each tire. I'm guessing that each rear tire has a dozen pinprick flats that were sealed before I either get tired of looking at the tire, or it is worn down to the cords.

Aero or high profile rims are the last things you want on my commute. Again, light weight is the key - I want low profile rims.

BTW: for the same weight of rim, carbon is far stronger than alu. And tubular rims will be considerably stronger than clinchers. So a 400 gram alu clincher rim will be very flexy and fragile. A 400 gram alu tubular rim will be part of a solid 'training wheelset'. A 400 gram low profile carbon tubular rim can be bombproof.
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Old 06-23-14, 02:36 PM
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My older brother used to commute to school and work on tubulars about 35 years ago. He didn't have a driver's license and didn't get one until his 30's. I distinctly remember the folded up spare tires he had lashed to his saddle. The first quarter mile of any trip from our house was on a gravel road.

No carbon wheels back then.

He still has the bike but I think he switched to clinchers quite a few years ago.
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Old 06-23-14, 02:38 PM
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I guess my question would be how far are you going on tubulars. My Saturday commute is 70 miles round trip and probably the most fun sometimes getting about 30mph for about the last ten miles on the way back. Glass is my biggest enemy where I live and its hard to see with the beach sand around. That's why I am not sure what I would do if I flat which I occasionally cant avoid.
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Old 06-23-14, 08:56 PM
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I ride tubulars on all my bikes. Using the Tufo tubeless tubulars I get about 1/6th the flats I used to get with a wide variety of clincher tires. So I do use tubulars because they are less hassle. The Tufo tires with either Tufo's sealant or Stans work great. Tufo also makes an extreme sealant that you can use to plug a pretty sizable hole - it's specifically for flat repair. I sometimes carry that instead of a spare.

FWIW, I can change a tubular in just about the same time I change a clincher. It's just not a big deal. Since I've pretty much eliminated flats, even if it took longer it would be worth it.

A given tubular rim is going to be stronger and about 400g lighter or so than it's clincher counterpart. It's also going to ride better and pretty much will rule out pinch flats.

I would not hesitate to commute on tubulars. I probably wouldn't commute on carbon rims though.

J.
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