Originally Posted by
TejanoTrackie
Although I am a long time user of tubulars (40 years) and appreciate all the advantages they still provide over even the best modern clinchers, I don't think I would advise an inexperienced person to use them. The OP already has a set of tubular wheels on his vintage paramount, but unless he really wants to keep the bike authentically original, I would probably opt to rebuild it with modern lightweight 700c boxed hooked rim clincher rims, and install one of the better foldable "open tubular" clinchers that are currently available like The Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX, which are available in both 700 x 23 and 700 x 25 sizes, and can be safely inflated up to 150 psi. My experience with these tires is that they provide a very smooth tubular-like ride, and are quite relaible as well. If you use tubulars, you have to carry a bulky tubular as a spare and it can be very difficult to remove the flatted one out on the road if it was glued on too well. Also, most shops do not do a good job gluing on tubulars and often make a real mess. Glue tape like TUFO often works too well, such that the tire is often nearly impossible to remove, and is often ruined in doing so, because the base tape on the tire is ripped off and the glue tape remains stuck to the rim. I live in a major metropolitan area (DFW) with dozens of bike shops, but there is only one shop that is 60 miles away and that has only one mechanic who is competent at mounting tubular tires (he has a UCI professional mechanic certification). I'm happy to pay him $10 to mount a racing tire, because it is so tight that I can't physically get it on even after extensive stretching on a rim beforehand without making a mess. Cheap tubulars offer no advantage over good clinchers and are often lumpy to the point that you might think you're about to get a blowout. So I only use high end tubulars, such as Veloflex on my C&V bikes. If I do flat one of them, then I will repair it myself, since I have the proper tools and expertise to do so, however, an inexperienced person would probably have to send it out, incurring further cost of ownership. Anyway, just my perspective.
Tejano, in my post in this thread (#19), I told him realistically that if he wants to try them, why not? At this point it's a $60 investment for three YJ tires and some glue. If he likes them and is willing to deal with the ways that they are different, why should he not do that? Nobody said he should use them exclusively, or to make a major monetary commitment, not even the ones implicit in your advice. Converting those wheels to clincher is much more expensive than trying out tubulars.
BTW, how's Mellow Johnny's on tubulars? When I lived up near Coit Road, I stopped into Richardson Cycles and was not impressed, in terms of vintage savvy. Back to DIY! But this was 20 years ago.
I do agree that it isn't realistic to expect most LBS, especially big corporate shops, to deal with them competently, but aren't bikes really DIY transportation? Mine are, at least, and always have been.
Plus, I feel you are being too negative about the potential problems one might have with tubulars. I've used them extensively over the past 40 or so years as well, and I just don't think those horror stories are a regular occurrence.