guami007

city riding? I am in the market for some wheels for my second ss and cannot decide on tubulars vs. clinchers. My current ss has clinchers on it and it rides silky smooth (for the most part anyway). I am just wondering if there are any pros/cons that I need to consider especially considering that all the riding that I do is in the city? Or does that not matter?

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

crustedfish

don't even bother with a tubular wheelset. its been addressed dozens of times, each with this conclusion. tubulars are track/race only.

infestedguy1

try the tubular clinchers that tufo sells. i've been thinking about trying those things out, they seem to be the best of both worlds and i've heard good things about them. the only negative thing i've heard is that they can be a pain in the butt to get on. they also aren't that much more expensive than a decent clincher, the base one sells for around 30 bucks. i know world class cycles sells them. i think their webpage is www.worldclasscycles.com

bostontrevor

Actually it's been discussed several times and opinions differ.

I can't imagine running tubs on the street. I can patch a tube and be rolling in 10 minutes, less if I have a new tube on me.

With tubs you can ride them when they're flat, which is good because otherwise you have to carry a fresh pre-stretched tire and cement with you whereever you go. Even soft cement needs 30 minutes to set. Hard cement takes 24 hours.

Meanwhile you can walk into any bike shop and have a wide selection of clinchers to choose from. You might not be able to buy ANY tubs, nevermind have a choice.

update: some research says that they do have fast drying cement these days. 3M Fastack is said to dry in 5 to 10 minutes, comparable to a glue-on patch for clincher tubes. I have no experience with glueless patches but they may be faster. Still, with the tub you have to carry a spare tire if you want to make repairs in the field.

dabern

Ever see pics of the old TdF guys riding with spare tubs looped around their shoulders and behind their backs? Just the hassle of carrying an entire spare tire makes my choice easy...I've never ridden tubs, but even if the ride is 20% better than with clinchers I don't think it makes up for the 300% increase in hassle factor - certainly not for everyday urban riding. Same deal with the Tufo semi tubs...although Tufo makes a Slime-like sealant to put in them, you'd still need to carry a spare tire just in case. Yikes.

Fugazi Dave

If I had craploads of cash to throw at 'em, I'd probably at least give tubulars a try on the street. Tufo adhesive strips sort of negate the glue issue now, and a deflated tubular isn't *that* inconvenient to carry as a spare. Don't forget, either, that you can still patch tubulars - it's just something to do in the evening when you've got a bit of time to spare.

fogrider

I ride only on tubulars. tubulars tend not to flatten as easy as clinchers. I've gone 8 months without a flat...and now all the tread is gone on the rear tire! The idea with the tufo sealant is that you insert it before the tire gets a flat. this stuff is better than slime...it works! I was riding up a hill when I hear the sound of air leaking out from my rear tire...I get that sinking feeling in my gut, but I kept riding, three seconds later, the sound stoped! the tire was still at about 95 psi! and I never stoped. The sealant is only good for small punctures. And glue on the tire is not that big a deal, just pre glue a spare tire and the pressure will hold the tire on the wheel to get you home...just don't take the turns hard. And changing a flat tubular is easy...pull off the flat and install the spare, pump the tire. not so hard!

vomitron

I ride a tubular front. Here are some various thoughts:

I've gotten two flats in 3 months. This is due to the amazingly large amount of glass on my commute. The tufo sealant can be used after the fact, and only works with tires that have a removable valve core (not an issue with new tires, but I ride a 24", and a lot of those older tubulars don't have removable valve cores). Otherwise, the sealant is easier than a patch. Pregluing a spare is one option, another option is just using the Tufo rim tape if you must carry and extra tire. Extra tires are less finicky than extra tubes, and can stand up to more abuse. With the tape, it's SUPER easy to install.

Repairing a tubular is easy if you've ever sewn before. You just peel back the tape, cut a few threads, pull out the tube, patch, and sew it up. You can use tufo sealant to stick the base tape back on (it's just liquid latex). It's also sort of fun, if you're into doing things yourself. It took me (first time was last night) about 15 minutes.

All in all, clinchers are more readily available, but tubs give a super smooth ride, and if you don't have a terribly long commute, I would use them (with tufo sealant) since you can ride a major flat home. Also, they add primo cool points, which may or may not be a concern for you.

<edit>
I'm not 100% on this, but I think you can't repair Tufo tubulars. They're constructed differently, or something. Might be worth researching
</edit>

pgringo69

hijack/

don't bother with those glueless patches for innertubes. in my case, they only held for about a week, then their adhesive gave out. the tube was pretty much ruined then. i normally patch a tube half a dozen times before i finally get a big enough hole in it to command replacement. once i used the glueless patch, i only got a week or so out of the tube when i should have gotten 6 more months.

/hijack

jgsjr

On my road bike I have a clincher and a tubular wheel set..... I prefer the tubulars.

On my fixed gear I run Tufo Tubular Clinchers. 5k miles without a flat. I usually do not carry a spare tire, just a tube of sealant.

Ceya

Tubulars ! Always!

S/F,
CEYA!

jgsjr

Tufo tubular clinchers are non-repairable -- there is no tube.

If sealant doesn't fix the problem it's time for a new tire.

5k miles and no flats.......no need to replace

p3ntuprage

hmmm... so how many sets of tyres does the rim tape stuff last for? or do you need new tape for each tyre?

fsnl
sparky

filtersweep

No, don't try the tubular clinchers- they are the WORST of both worlds. There is a reason they haven't caught on. I've heard nothing good about them. Why use what basically is a clincher that you can't fix? Since they aren't glued on, they can still roll off, you can't ride on them while they are flat, you can't fix them at all if they flat, they are heavier than a true tubular.

vomitron

Well, if you take the tire off the rim, the tape sticks to the tire. You can peel away the section you want and repair the tire, sew it up, and throw it back on, but the adhesion probably isn't as strong.

This makes it kind of pricey. I bought regular Tubasti glue yesterday. A little cheaper than the tape route, but far, far more of a pain in the butt/mess.

jgsjr

"I've heard nothing good about them."

They are the best tire I ever used. I will never use a regular clincher again....now you have heard something good about them.


"Why use what basically is a clincher that you can't fix?"

It's not basicly a clincher. It's basically a tubular that mounts on a clincher rim.


"Since they aren't glued on, they can still roll off,"

I challenge anyone to force and inflated tubular clinch off a rim. They won't.


" you can't ride on them while they are flat,"

Although I have never had a flat with them or have seen anyone get a flat, their literature says you can ride them flat.


"you can't fix them at all if they flat,"

Sealant will fix them. Anything sealant won't fix would still be unrepairable on a clincher tire or tubualr tire.


"they are heavier than a true tubular."

But lighter than a clincher and tube. They are durable enough that you do not have to carry a spare.


You should really check out their web page: https://www.tufonorthamerica.com/whattype.php

Mr. Shadow

Three of my vintage fixies have tubulars front and rear, another with a front, one with the Tufo tubular clinchers, and the Van Dessel has clincher cyclocross tires. I love the feel of tubbies. Buying on eBay makes both wheels and tires affordable. I want a set of tubular cyclocross next. I have several thosand miles on Tufo Giro Twix tires and have never flatted one. I do use the sealant. They wear very well and are excellent in the rain.

filtersweep

I am well aware how they work. I'd rather just carrry a few tubes rather than an extra tire or two. I don't trust sealant.

53-11 alltheway

Well I have used the Tufo tubular clinchers in the past ......the 23mm elite model goes to 220 psi (I used it at 160 psi) and I prefer them to regular clinchers. You can also ride them if they flat. sealant works well.

I am also planning on switching over to straight tubulars for street use. No biggie carrying that extra tubular just strap it underneath your seat. Using the tape is easier than changing a clincher.

If you are going to try the Tufo tubular clinchers I wouldn't mess with the lower end models unless you like really narrow tires (s33 comes in 21mm only). To me the elite in 23mm is a much better tire.

enduro

The need to carry a spare tubular tire kind of negates the weight savings, it seems to me. Never ridden tubulars, just an observation.

53-11 alltheway

Yeah....but the weight added (spare tubular) is on the frame, not the rim/tire (where extra weight is felt the most).

Sometimes you use stuff because it works....not because of how much it weighs.

fogrider

the thing is, life is for experiencing, observation is for learning and then trying. Wheels and tires are the best upgrade you can make to a frame. A good tubular wheelset and tire is lighter, can improve your handling, accelleration and road feel. There is a reason the boys race the tour on them. So what if tubies are a little more hassle, the ride is the best...and that is the reason we ride isn't it?

lotek 

There is something pure about gluing on a set of tubulars. I don't know
maybe its the ritual, but for me it's some kind of connection to the past,
and they have tons of Mojo.
I ride tubulars almost exclusively now. Changing flats on the road isn't all that
much more difficult than a clincher, Roll the old tire off (the difficult part if glued
correctly), mount a preglued spare, pump it up and you are good to go.
It is the pressure that will hold the tire on the rim, not the glue. Just ride easy for
a while, the old glue will still have enough tack to hold the tire in place (so its
stays straight while you pump).
As stated you can't repair a Tufo tire.
The Tufo tape can be used with standard tubulars, but the hold is so tenacious
(and I'm using the regular tufo tape, not extreme) it is easy to pull the
base tape off the carcass of the tire.

Marty

Mr. Shadow

I like an Elite on the rear and Giro Twix up front. It has a better water channel and I like riding in the rain.

sohi

I would go tubular if I had these wheels