ERD will determine if the spokes are a compatible length. I would also worry about the overall age and condition of the spokes. Obviously the older the spoke, the greater fatigue and they will be more prone to failure. It may be worth the money to invest in new spokes.
Originally Posted by
NormanF
Go with clinchers. Tubulars are obsolete and forget about patching them in the rain if you get a flat. In the old days, the pros raced with tubulars because clincher technology still had a ways to go but today clincher road tires are good or even better than tubulars - and a lot safer.
Please don't perpetuate the tubular myths. First, in addition to the old days, pros today almost exclusively use tubulars. If you check VeloNews, you will find examples of tubulars rebadged to Michelin, a company that doesn't make tubulars.
If I am in the rain, I am not going to patch clincher on the road. Hell, if it is sunny, I am not going to patch a clincher, I will replace the tube and fix the flat at home. Arguably, swapping a tubular on the road is faster than swapping the tube from a clincher.
Tubulars are lighter than clinchers. Period. Granted that difference really only matters to a pro, but there are a lot of weenies on this forum who may disagree.
Some say the ride is better, I tend to agree but that is pretty subjective.
Finally, I would much rather flat on a tubular at high speeds, they are much more likely to keep rubber on the road than a clincher. If you want, I probably could find a picture of the ag2r rider who had a nasty crash on clinchers at the Giro. So no, a clincher is not safer.
I see only three possible downsides to tubulars; They are pricey compared to clinchers. Set-up time is longer than clinchers, it doesn't matter to me but it may matter to some. Patching a tubular is a pain in the ass but I can pay a guy $16 to do it for me - I guess that goes back to my pricey point so there are really only 2 inconveniences with tubulars
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