Barrettscv 

OK, I know this is an old topic with strong opinions on both sides. However, recent tests and race results are providing some interesting data and talking points;

Tony Martin clinches worlds on clinchers | VeloNews.com

Continental Competition (tubular) Rolling Resistance Review

miamijim

There are some very, very nice clinchers out there. Veloflex makes a nice tire.

Bikerider007

I thought it was all about lowering the air pressure. That thread pretty much said there was no rolling resistance. :-)

For me it's rides without a headwind.

CliffordK

You have to make sure you're actually riding these super tires, not comparing some generic Kenda tire to the finest racing tubulars.

The other variable that a lot of research has been done on lately is air flow. So, some of the new clincher rims are designed for better air flow than the vintage tubular rims.

Weight? There seems to be a significant weight penalty for clincher rims, but perhaps that can be minimized if one has race-only wheels with little concern for brake track wear. Along with either tubeless, or ultra-light tubes.

It is hard to call the modern wheels/tires "Classic/Vintage".

Barrettscv 

Yes: Veloflex, Vittoria and the other "Open Tubular" tires are smooth and fast.

I recently added the 700x28 Vittoria Corsa with the new Graphine compound. The tall tan sidewall and the 28mm width complements the bike while optimizing performance.







.

willydstyle

OP I think you missed this important line:

"Because this is the first tubular tire I've tested, it's difficult to draw any conclusions from the numbers."

TenGrainBread 

I recently put some Vittoria Corsa graphene compound clinchers (23mm) on my Litespeed and they roll really nicely. Hard to imagine a nicer ride for 23mm tires. They are quite springy and rate close to GP4000IIs in rolling resistance tests.

Barrettscv 

I saw that ;-), and I also saw: "As this is the first tubular tire I've tested it won't be possible to compare it with other tubulars yet, but it will be fascinating to see how this tire compares to the best performing clinchers". and "When we compare the Continental Competition with the best clincher tires with similar tread thickness and puncture protection, it just doesn't impress me all that much. On top of that, the clinchers are way easier to mount, much cheaper, and patching a flat is no problem. I'm really looking forward to seeing if any tubular tires can beat the best clinchers".

DiabloScott

This also in: DFL at worlds TT also rode clinchers.

UCI Road World Championships 2016: Elite Men - Individual Time Trial Results | Cyclingnews.com

Lazyass

And you can get them cheap here.


https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...R7caAlk_8P8HAQ

Barrettscv 

Or for $27 here: Veloflex Master 23 Folding Road Tyre | ProBikeKit.com

Wileyone 

Those are great Tires. But I can get the same Tires in the Uk cheaper. Under 35$ Cdn. But they can be a Bear to mount.

crank_addict

Without getting all teary eyed and the bye-bye to tubulars, consider the overall weight and rotating mass in climbs. Choose and pick your brands (incl. tubes) AND when doing make sure to compare apple to apple width.

Next, I haven't read much anywhere of longevity in tires when running the low PSI thinking. I'm not over particular in keeping a log on what bike gets what miles used but will say, with following the latest trend and low pressures I'm seeing rapid tread wear's. And here I thought the sidewalls would be the issue.

Steve Whitlatch 

Well I don`t race but I do like going fast. I have Veloflex Masters and Vittoria Corsa CX tires and both are great fast smooth tires. A big difference over the middle of the road clincher. Are they faster than my cheap tubular`s on my PX 10? Strava says no. My cheap tubular`s sure do soak up the bumps a huge noticeable amount more though. I am building up a Raleigh USA Team Frame with Challenge Criterium Tubular`s now. As soon as I locate cheap Shimano 600 Tri Color brake levers I will let you know if Strava says they are faster than my Open Tubular`s or not. My guess is they will be the same for me.

HTupolev

Rotating mass disproportionately affects acceleration, but not gravitational resistance. Wheel mass will hurt more than linear mass when reaccelerating during a climb, but the angular momentum means that gravity will decelerate the bike slower by the same margin. Arguments claiming that wheel weight hurts disproportionately on climbs usually point out the former factor, but ignore the latter.

Clinchers are definitely heavier, but it's not as bleak as it's made out to be.

Sidewalls can become the issue if you're running things very flat. I saw some guy walk into my nearest LBS recently looking for a spare inner tube. He had 23mm Continental 4-Seasons clinchers being run at about thirty PSI. The shop noticed and offered to inflate his tires to a reasonable pressure, and one of them exploded; upon inspection, the casing thread had been breaking out of the sidewalls, even on the front tire. Shop wound up selling him a pair of new tires. The tread was doing okay, though.

What tires are you running, what bike+rider weight, what PSI?

RobbieTunes

I"m not getting into another tire argument.

Am, too .

Am not.

Am.

Not.

See what happens?

Steve Whitlatch 

Yo I don`t think you will .

USAZorro

Since I can't sustain 400 watts for too long on a ride, I'll settle for low rolling resistance.