I've been riding tubulars since the mid-1970s. They're not really such a hassle if you know what you're doing. You don't want to attempt to repair one on the road (you replace with a spare). Mastering the art of unstitching the casing, patching the tube and then (the hardest part) neatly sewing the casing closed again takes some practice. I guess the ritual is akin to mending a sail - if you're into power boats then you probably just don't get it.