It's really surprising how many workers at Performance and other bike shops do not know much about older bikes and their parts,.
I recently asked about 144 BCD chainrings at a respectable bike shop and I got very puzzled stares......Uhhhmmm BCD?? what's that???........144???..........Oh,...you mean 130 right???...144???!!
Latex tubes???? who uses those????......
Next thing you know they won't even know what a crank puller is for, but I guess time marches on and you can't really blame them.

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV

Agree some bike shops really need to get experienced people.
Some seem to be completely clueless. I was at Alger (28th st) the other day looking at a tubular, (had it in my hand, in the box from right off the shelf where two others were) Knowing that they have more stock in back, I asked a salesman if they had any other tubulars. He said behind the counter, then walked over to the tubes, and asked what size I needed. I said, 'no I mean tubular tires, like these' and handed him the box, he took it, looked at it and said "we don't carry those"

Ken.

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.

Great Blog! I graduated from Mt. Diablo H.S. in 1977, sadly I only rode up Diablo three times.

every tubular user glued their first tire at some point. then they got better.

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.

Rode 'sew ups' (tubulars) back in the 70s. Yes, patched my own (at home) when I got a flat. They were some of the few high pressure tires out at the time.
Sew ups will stay on the rim (air pressure only) and can be ridden/raced without any glue (Tubasti).
Had a friend who never glued his sew ups as the rims 'could look messy'. Did see him roll off a tire once during a sprint. Not pretty! Still, he continued 'glueless'.
With today's light/foldable and high pressure clinchers I have no need for sew ups.
But it is nice to reminisce . . .

Tejano I must say I agree with road fan. how is an inexperienced person to learn without trying? sure I rode my share of cheap tubulars when I could have bought top of the line clinchers for what I was paying for the 3 or 4 Vittoria formula 1s I was using in a week but I learned to get the tires on without getting my self covered in glue, and to appreciate the ride of a fine tubolar tire. if you we discourage inexperienced riders things like tubulars they will go the way of tied and soldered wheels, friction shifters and tailfins

Yes.

Hmmm tail fins on my Trek! Know where I can get some?