sweetbike

MAyn oh man i am tempted to lace up these lightweight sweetlooking Araya gold tubular rims. I would only use it just to the FRONt. I have a clincher in the rear. I live in the city where the streets are harsh. good idea? this is a rim that is under 400g's and im assuming if i hit a pothole im ****ed. Thou there really pretty and shiny what r ur thoughts. holla
albertras-

abeyance

It's like going streetracing in an F1 car, sure you can do it, but do you want to deal with the consequences, buth bodily and financial.
If you have deep pockets and health insurance, go for it.
I wouldn't, but I have neither.

onetwentyeight 

probably not but i do it anyway. I love light wheels.

sers

i actually did a bit of asking around on this not too long ago. what I gathered was the following

1) It doesn't take much to dent an Araya Gold rim, even when built up professionally. They're best left for track use only.

2) Older light anodized rims like Mavic GL330's and GEL 280's are perfectly viable for street use if laced 36h and built up well.

3) Older rims that are around 400g like Mavic GP4's and Ambrosio Montreals are perfectly viable for street use with lighter spokes and a lower spoke count

sweetbike

Mavic GL330
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/li...ct.php?id=4993

Claimed weight 330 g
Real weight 340 g


Mavic 280 (from the mid 80's)
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/li...ct.php?id=7925

Claimed weight n/a
Real weight 303 g


Mavic 280 (current)
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/li...ct.php?id=7925

Claimed weight n/a
Real weight 303 g


Compared to:

Araya Gold
https://weightweenies.starbike.com/li...ct.php?id=8250

Claimed weight n/a
Real weight 333.5 g


If the info you collected, stating that the Mavic 330 and the Mavic Gel 280 are fine to use on the streets, the Araya Gold which in fact weighs more than the Mavic 280, and just only 5 grams less than the GL330, then I would assume it's also O.K. to use the Araya's on the road...

SCARFACE

I found this to be a good read.
https://www.bsn.com/Cycling/tubulars.html

"If you want to reduce weight I would consider looking at tubular tires and rims. They offer more strength for the weight and offer, in my subjective opinion, a better ride."

I was completely surprised at what I read cuz I read in another article that said to stay away frome light wieght tubular rims like the plague.

read this too
https://www.garynuke.homestead.com/tubular.html

"People who just like the nostalgia of a tubular tire use them also...But overall, they are much more of a headache to deal with and so for the average biker, I would not recommend them at all. Use them only if you've got the time or money to compensate for the tubular tire's slight advantage."

dutret

because one is talking about the durability of the rim and the other is talking about the headache associated with flats if you are too poor to throw out a the entire tire when you flat and not just being able to throw a tire on and go.

Aeroplane

I'm not saying that Mavic has some magic quality in their rims, but weight alone is not a perfect indicator of strength and durability.

br995

Sheldon doesn't seem to look very fondly on the idea of running tubular on the road.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_tp-z.html#tubular

Ceya

anodized rims. old mavic are good choice. Araya gold are ok but may get flat spots if you get a flat and ride on them.


S/F,
CEYA!

get_nuts

Mavic DOES make really durable well made rims though. They do a much better job at the seam than Araya IMO.

freebird

One pinche goathead=$60-$150 tire in the garbage=Just plain dumb?

Ceya

not all of the cost that much.

educated yourself first . too bad search is gone.

S/F,
CEYA!

sers

Vittoria Rally - $15
Hutchinson Tempo 1 - $24
Hutchinson Reflex - $30
Panaracer Practice - $30
Panaracer Dual Tread TG - $36
Tufo S-22 Pro - $28
Tufo S-33 Pro - $35
Conti Sprinters - $38

There are also sealants like Tufo's, Rock N Roll Toob Spooge, and Vittoria Pit Stop.

dutret

plus you can patch them. Running cheapo sewups is pointless though.

xthugmurderx

hahahahaha...toob spooge. my day has been made.

-jason

Ceya

How is that pointless? Do tell. Are you still coming to NYC yet?

S/F,
CEYA!

freebird

Right, but does a $15-$38 tubie ride that much better than say, a midrange clincher? (megamium, etc). If so, I'm missing the boat. I'd LOVE to pay $15 clams for a tire that rolled reet.
Sorry for being a dumbass, but how do you repair them?
(Also, goathead season is upon us, so armadillo's are the only thing I can ride if I don't want to spend most of my day sitting on the curb dicking around with a patch kit, so I guess this is all academic to me).

onetwentyeight 

my 35 dollar tubies ride way better than my 35 dolalr clinchers.

to repair them you have to remove the tape on the tire, cut the stiches, pull out the tube, patch, re sew up and reglue. ive yet to attempt this, as i am a tubular newbie.

Ceya

No, not a dumbass if you don't know.

The search feature needs to come back.

Tubies are good to go.

S/F,
CEYA!

onetwentyeight 

there are some really great tubular tips in the classics and vintage forum in a sticky. i recommend everyone who rides tubulars to check it out if they havent already.

sers

i still havent decided on a tubular tire to go with,

tufo's can be mounted easily with tape and filled with sealant, a lot of people like them, and a lot of people think they're sluggish.

vittoria rally's are the least expensive of the bunch, a good amout of people say that they're lumpy but can be straigtened out, and there seem to be a similar amount of people who are vehemently against them. no puncture resistant layer to boot.

conti sprinters have great construction, and reported good handling, but I've seen enough accounts that they can flat like crazy to be concerned.

and I can't find a damn thing about any of the panaracer tubies. i was really impressed by the construction of my paselas, and I'd like to think that their tubular offerings would be of the same quality...

Sammyboy

Sheldon Brown doesn't say riding tubulars on the road is a bad idea. He says that tubulars don't offer much advantage for a non-competitive riding situation. Not all racing is on the track.

dutret

Granted I've only ridden on one pair recently and god only knows how long they had been folded on a shelf at the LBS. But I've found cheaper tubular tires to be infereior to equivalently priced clinchers: lower TPI count, not much higher suggested pressures, fewer puncture resistant options, and almost enough weight to counterbalance any savings in the rim and the increased probability of getting a misshapen one. Top that off with the hassle of flat repair, getting stuck with a second flat on a ride and either the expense of tape or the mess of cement it all seems pretty pointless to me.


I came and left. Apparently practice races up there end after nationals.

kyledr

I dunno man, 320 gm is a little lightweight for my streets. I've hit some potholes that would have destroyed a weaker rim. I personally would never build up that tubular with a cheap tire and not ride it on the street (as I actually am getting that exact wheelset!). If you aren't using good tubular tires you defeat the point of having slightly less rolling resistance and weight. That's why I think tubulars make the most sense on the track, where you can fully exploit the benefits.

That said, I do have a tubular on my front tire of one of my street bikes, but it's an older one and I'd prefer clincher if I had one at the moment.