Western Flyer 

Being that this is the 50+ group I think the following analogy will make some sense to most folks. I see tubular/clinchers as the Betamax of the bicycle tire world. I pretty sure the industry is heading towards tubeless clinchers (the VHS) as the go fast, puncture resistant racing tires. (If there are any millennials looking in and need some Beta/VHS explanation send me a message.) The Tufos T/Cs have a lot going for them but the big bike tire companies seem to be putting their R&D$ elsewhere. Even Tufo seems to be hedging their bets and have come out with the Calibra line of lightweight racing clinchers.

But in defense of T/Cs let me answer a few of the questions and detractions. They are not hard to mount but like tubulars the technique differs from clinchers. Certainly much easier than gluing on standard tubulars. Their air pressure retention is phenomenal and that can be a big deal for triathlons where bikes often have to be check in the preceding day with no access to your bike until your first transition on race day. They can be ridden when nearly flat or completely flat just like tubulars. They don’t require CO2 or compressed air to seat them to the rim. Like tubeless tires they can be used with sealing fluid but don’t have to be. Changing tires to match the riding conditions is a no fuss no muss proposition. That includes changing out to standard clinchers.