bruce19

Everyone I know says tubulars are "better." Everyone I know says they are a PITA if you have a flat on the road. Be prepared to carry an extra tire with you on rides if you go tubular.

woodcraft

Huh. A small minority of people I know are cyclists, and a minority of them know anything about tubulars

beyond that they are somehow dangerous.

bruce19

If that's supposed to be a description of me it's not quite accurate. I'm not exactly a TdF team manager but I have ridden for about 40 yrs., I grew up with a guy who was a cyclist on the '64 US Olympics team, I currently know a few people who are professional cyclists and for the past 10 yrs. I have been a member of a local cycling club of 130 members. I don't recall ever saying they were dangerous.

woodcraft

No, I was commenting on the statement that everyone you know has an opinion about tubulars,

since hardly anyone that I know, even among the cyclists, knows anything about them.

bruce19

When I said everyone I know I guess I assumed that it would be obvious that I wasn't talking about everyone I've ever known in my life. Apparently I should have been more specific. Where does the "dangerous" part come in?

woodcraft

IME, a high proportion of cyclists including fast & high mileage, know only that tubulars are prone


to coming off the rim, and therefore should be avoided.

bruce19

FWIW none of the cyclists I've talked to have expressed that concern. And, I certainly didn't say that.

merlinextraligh

The perception that Tubulars are somehow dangerous obviously comes from the fact you can roll a poorly glued tubular off a rim.

Ironically, tubulars are actually safer than clinchers. Flat on a decent with tubulars, odds are the tire is staying on the wheel and you can control the bike.

Flat on a descent with a clincher, and there is a much higher chance the tire separates from the rim, which at best means you're riding on the rim, (not good) and at wors the tire catches in the brake caliper jamming the entire wheel ( really not good)

The fact you can ride a tubular flat is one of the main reasons tubulars still predominate elite level racing.

Seattle Forrest

I've always thought and heard that tubular tires were a bit safer than clinchers, mostly for the sorts of reasons merlin is talking about. It'll stay on the wheel if things go south coming down a hill. You can ride a bike with a flat tubular, not fast, and it's an awful ride, but it's enough that people can get off the bike without slamming into anything.

merlinextraligh

I've ridden flat tubulars in races without incident. (although not with quite the same success as Abraham Olano) Once, finished a race with a flat in the last km, and no option to stop for a new wheel.

Another time road a flat for a mile or so, until I could let the race subside a little, get to the wheel truck, and get a quick change.

Either time, I would have been DNF on clinchers.

HOWSER

All true. Only once have I seen a tubular roll off a rim on the road. It was freshly glued, as in that previous night, and peeled off in a corner of a crit.

Now I've rolled several tubulars off in a CX setting. Running very low pressures and taking corners too fast. That happens sometimes when those situations combine.

I've been competing on tubulars since the early 90's. Have several sets today. I like them.

woodcraft

Maybe it's a regional thing.

In any case, this seems to be a common idea where I am, that tubulars are dangerous to ride, relative to clinchers.

Even more common, I think, are cyclists who have no idea that there is any such thing as tubular tires.

rpenmanparker 

My poll would suggest otherwise.

motosonic

For what it's worth, based on the feedback here, I wound up slapping on my clinchers instead of the tubulars. The final nail in the coffin was the tech at my LBS whom I trust. When I showed him both sets..He said definitely the clinchers, even though the tubulars are a way better tire. He said simply, that unless I have experience with tubulars and am confident in my ability to glue, etc.. or have a tech that can follow me around he always recommends clinchers. But with the long rides I do that don't have mechanical support, he said tubulars are simply not practical. I was leaning that way anyways, so it probably wouldn't have changed my mind anyways. But, it was good to hear his perspective.

rpenmanparker 

Old news. Bad advice.

PepeM

What are you doing with your new wheels then?

motosonic

Probably going to pop them on eBay to see what I can get for them. They're not 'new' per-se.. They're gently used. But they're hands down the lightest wheels I've ever had my hands on, lol.

rpenmanparker 

Why don't you just try them? Think of it as an experiment. You will learn something new. They won't bite you.

motosonic

I thought about that, but due to mechanical and physical limitations, I don't have the ability to change the wheels myself.. so, I have to pay someone to do it for me. I'm about to go on a 5-day 600 mile ride with a charity/support group I ride with and I need something reliable for that trek. If something happens, they won't have a tubular replacement for me in the support vehicle.
Perhaps after the ride, I will try them out, locally? I haven't decided yet.

rpenmanparker 

Of course. I didn't mean to experiment with them on a long ride.

motosonic

They have a tough cassette on them though, so I want to pick up an additional 11-32 for those wheels.. as I have traditionally ridden compacts, but my current bike is a standard and the 11-25 on there is a bit more than I can handle on hills, lol.

rpenmanparker 

You might prefer 12-32 if such a thing is available. More gears in the middle besides the low 32.

motosonic

I'll look into that! Thank you! The tubs are great looking, lightweight wheels though.. They're Dura Ace 9000s.. the full-carbon version.. which from what I can tell are tough to find.. online I can only find the version with the aluminum braking surface.

I wound up putting the Shimano RS81's on.. It was the only other set I have besides a low-level Mavic set.

cadillacmike68

I've been running tubulars for over 30 years. I like them better, and it would be blasphemy to put anything else on my Mk V. I have bought and ridden the Yellow Jersey 3 for $50, and they are fine for riding around. I need to buy another set, my front is starting to sep[arate the casing strip. I'm too old to race to need something better. Now for the occasional bike show I have my NOS Mavic & Super Champion wheelsets with new Gommitalia and Vittoria tires on them, makes the others at the shows drool, especially when I tell them I have 5 wheelsets like those.

I run clinchers on the misses' bike, and have twice had a pinch blowout. Both times close to home, but it's still annoying. I have become much more careful when mounting and inflating her tires.

JohnJ80

I made a 12-32 11 speed cassette out of a 12-25 and an 11-32 by taking the 12-16 from the 12-25 and the rest from the 11-32. Works great.

J.