Originally Posted by
SwimmerMike
DD-
I just switched to tubulars on my Colnago Super after believing I would never use tubulars. After reading the Totally Tubular thread, it was clear that there were a lot of opinions and no right way.
I chose tape for 2 reasons. First, the ability to ride after install and the second was the install was so much easier and seemed way less fiddly and prone to error. There's some good videos on line.
The second reason I will willing to change was the ability to use sealant. I just had my first flat on some nice Victoria tires. I was able to remove the valve stem, put in a bit of sealant, use a CO2 cartridge and I was on my way. Easy.
I bought an early Bob Jackson that came with some really nice wheels and ride it almost exclusively on tubulars based on the Colnago experience.
Someday I may try glue since it's old school, but the first step for me was making it easy and enjoy the ride.
Mike
Thank you for that feedback
Had this been a poll, looks like 3 to 1 in favor of tape. Makes sense, particularly the no-mess part; I guess my biggest worry was that tape wouldn't hold as strongly as glue, but thankfully that seems like an unfounded fear. As for the sealant - have you a brand name I can look up? The procedure as outlined a couple times now in the thread is different than my one forgettable encounter. Today's sealant seems to be much more reliable than the crap of old
Once I'm all set and get a good ride in I'll report back my findings on "feel". The ride of all my clincher-tired bikes on Vittoria Open Tubulars is pretty damn nice - it will be interesting to compare and contrast the ride.
DD