Originally Posted by
Road Fan
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.
Well, I was just stating my personal opinion that cheap tubulars don't offer any advantage over good modern clinchers, and that there are drawbacks. Add to that the fact that most shops are incompetent in mounting tubulars and that mounting them yourself can be difficult, even with the benefit of a lot of experience, it just makes little sense to use them. There is also the potential danger of rolling an improperly glued tubular off the rim in a turn. Anyway, I don't regard any of these issues as "horror stories", just normal problems and risks. Forty years ago there simply were no decent high performance clinchers, so tubulars were de rigeur for top end bicycles, particular racing models such as the Paramount P13. Today, virtually all top line road racing bicycles come equipped with clinchers.
As to your question about shops currently in the DFW area, Richardson Cycles is now Richardson Bike Mart, and they have two shops, one in Richardson and the other in Frisco. They know NOTHING about vintage bikes or parts, and the only reason the Frisco shop has a mechanic who is competent in mounting tubulars is because there is a velodrome nearby (the Superdrome), where I and others including this mechanic race, and most track bike racing wheels are tubulars.
Bicycles have always been DIY for me. I built all of my older vintage bikes, including the wheels. I do all my own maintenance and repair, and have 99% of the necessary tools as well as a professional work stand. I also enjoy working on motorcycles and vintage calculators. I'd rather fix something myself than pay someone else to do it. Not because I'm a stingy skinflint, but because I like the feeling of being independent and the great pleasure that comes from doing the job right.