Originally Posted by
Bandera
"Back when" one rode tubular tires for training as well as racing, it was more like having expensive finicky pets than bicycle tires.
Here was the drill:
Buy training and racing tubulars by the bundle
Store in a cool dark cave' with the red wine to age properly
Stretch on old tubular rims pre-install
Chant appropriate charms and apply sacred Gutta to install
It has gotten lot simpler. Today with the new types of glue available and the tape option, mounting the tires doesn't have to be messy or time-consuming. Stretching for me just means pumping them up to 120psi and letting them sit overnight. I can mount them easily the next morning with Vittoria Magic Mastik, which dries fast and doesn't make a mess, and they are ready to ride in a few hours. That stuff sticks like super glue too, it's definitely not coming off without a fight.
I don't worry about flats because I get so few after switching to tubulars, and most of them are fixable with a can of sealant anyway.