vinfix

A couple of seasons ago I picked up a pair of Campy Omega wheels- aero tubular rims, bladed spokes, Record hubs (freewheel) for a pseudo-vintage build.

After one too many flats with Vittoria Rallye tires (I know, crappy), I gave up on them. For now I have a mismatched, heavier, but serviceable set of clinchers on that bike. The last bike swap I went to it seemed nobody could give away tubulars, so I'm not optimisitc about selling them.

As a winter project, I was considering rebuilding the wheels with clinchers, but that could cost as much as a set of good modern wheels. The other option is getting GOOD tubulars, maybe a Tufo? Any recommendations? Also, if I switch to tape instead of glue, do I have to clean all the old glue off?

Ex Pres 

You can clean glue off with a brass wheel on a drill. I like my cordless one.

Robbie rides Tufos and likes 'em. I've picked up some Vittoria Corsa CXs reasonable, and really like those.

yellowjeep

You could look at the tires yellowjersey.org offers 3 for $50 if i recall. I don't know if they have removable valve cores but I would also suggest a sealant like True Goo if you go go back to using them.

rootboy 

What's your budget for one pair of tubular tires?

iab

I don't think "good" tubulars will prevent flats. You need a good puncture-resistant tire, like a gatorskin sprinter. Also, add some Stan's sealant. If that flats a lot and you don't like it, switch to clinchers. If you don't repair your own tubular flats, it gets very spendy very quickly with them.

Captain Blight

Vittoria makes a perfectly acceptable Rallye with a Kevlar anti-puncture strip, retails for like $35 each, and they give a very nice ride. But, yeah... learn to repair the flats. It's much more daunting to think about it than it is to just go ahead and do it.

RobbieTunes

Help me decide whether to stick with tubulars
1-With the gluing tape, there's no mess. 12.50/wheel.
2-Tufo's are now sold in the states.
3-Other brands are good, too.
4-You already have the wheelset.
5-Many wedge bags will hold a tubular tire.
6-I just bought 2 tires, 2 tapes for $103 delivered, for excellent tires.

Re-read as needed.

Bianchigirll 

Personally I find Rallys to go both ways and may it is simply a quality control issue. while I have yet to ride one enough to wear the tread off it, some to last along time and take some abuse others flat walking out the door, OK OK not quite that bad but I did actually walk home once after flatting twice in 25 mi.

Unless you get a good deal on some clicnhers and can do the work yourself your better off buying off the rack wheels. I have have several weelsets built the last few years but you can't really get shimano 7spd cassette hubs and box section tubulars off the shelf can you?

Try some higher end tubulars with a sealant but there is not law that you have to like tubulars. you can always use them for show.

lastly IMHO you will not experience a true good quality tubular ride with aero profile wheels. I think a large part of the good ride come from the flexibility of the standard box section rim. but that is just my opinion.

lml999

I rode tubbies for many years. Then I go tired of getting all sticky...switched completely over to clinchers. Here are some neat things about clinchers:

1. They ride more evenly -- no lumpy ride on the road (or rollers) due to an imperfect glue job
2. They cost just as much as tubulars
3. The ride and performance, with good clinchers, is just as good as with tubulars
4. Changing a flat costs $4 for a new tube and takes about 10 minutes
5. You can find tubes pretty much anywhere
6. Spare tubes fit in your pocket, and don't get everything all sticky

I won't go back...clinchers are just too easy...whatever potential small difference in ride quality or performance just isn't worth it!

Hope this helps,

Lee

SvenMN 

Love my Tufos... 1500+ miles with no issues, but check and if necessary pump every ride. I carefully roll a bald one as a spare and squeeze it into a small seat post bag along with a CO2 pump. Been using the Continental glue. Give 'em a try!

ciocc_cat

With only a brief (and somewhat frustrating) excursion to "narrow aero-clinchers" in the early 1980s, I've ridden sew-ups since 1976 with very few problems. I never had a flat on my old Continental Sprinters which were purchased in 1988, ridden until about 1992 then survived 17 years of storage in a garage and were still (briefly) ride-able when I returned to cycling in 2009 (the casing dry-rotted but still held pressure). I have been riding Servizio Corse 300g training tubulars from The Yellow Jersey since June 2009 with no flats/problems and highly recommend them.

Force 

I started with Vittoria Rallyes and still have some. Overall, I had good luck with them. However, I purchased some Continental Gatorskin Sprinters that I use on my favorite bike that has Wolber Profil 20 aero rims. Really enjoying them and they don't feel lumpy like the Rallyes did. I use Vittoria Mastik and glue them myself. I recall reading reports that Mastik was the best performing glue. I love tubulars and say you give them another shot.

randyjawa 

That is probably the best composed reason to help one decide to go clincher. I do run tubulars on bicycles that would have had only tubulars. Of course, those bicycles do not get ridden as much as those fitted with a decent set of clincher tires. There is one bummer, though...

I miss the smell, or something, of the glue;-(