Originally Posted by
Robert Foster
So maybe I should ask, does anyone on these forums use tubulars?
Tubulars are used extensively on the track. Aside from the weight advantage, if you look at a cross section of a tubular vs clincher, you note that a tubular has about 90% or more of its air chamber above the rim. A clincher has may 75% of its air chamber above the rim, with maybe 25% between the braking surfaces that hold the tire in place. This means that a tubular conforms better to the road surface, while a clincher would tend to be stiffer. The conformability is a distinct advantage on a banked track and on sharp turns, especially if you are running slightly lower pressures (such as in a rainy criterium). The stiffer clincher might be an advantage in a straightline time trial. The other advantage of the clincher is that it is easier to mount straight. Because you glue on the tubular, there's always a chance that you'll put some wiggles into the tire (although inflating to full pressure while the glue is still wet/tacky will usually get rid of these).
All my track wheels are for tubulars. I used to run tubulars in criteriums, but I think the technology has gotten to the point that it doesn't make much difference on the road.
Back when I first started cycling (early 70's), the 390-gram Clement Campionato del Mundo Seta was the last word in a training or touring tire, and if you could afford it, you raced on the 250-gram Clement Criterium Seta, or the 220-gram Seta Extra ("seta" is "silk" in Italian - yes, the casings were made of silk for weight reduction). (My memory is a bit foggy here about the tire weights. Could be that the 250-gram tire was the plain cotton Clement Criterium.)
I used to patch my tubulars, but it is very time-consuming, and the re-stitching never holds, even using an awl and waxed thread. After a while I switched to the Czech Barum tires (which have evolved into today's TUFO tires) and never patched the flats - just threw them out. If you went to international events, you could always buy the cheap Russian tires (unrepairable) for real cheap because they needed US currency. I think I bought about 10 for $20 at one time... Also bought a long-sleeve jersey from Russian sprinter Vasily Davidenko, red with "CCCP" on it. The good old days!
L.