wow... 5 days is the max for me to go without refilling.

This is all total bs. Fact is that tubulars vary all over the place in regards to air retention. I have some very light weight track racing tubulars with thin latex tubes that will lose significant air pressure within a few hours, so I have to top them off one or more times during a day long event. OTOH, I have some Tufos, which are actually tubeless and seamless (no stitched seam) that will hold air literally for months. It is also not true that expensive racing tubulars all use latex tubes that lose air quickly; I have several Conti Sonderklasse track racing tubulars that cost over $100 each that have butyl tubes that retain air pressure for weeks. Also, tubulars can be safely run a lower pressures on the road because they are not vulnerable to pinch flats the way clinchers are. I run tubulars on my road bike's training wheels as well as all my racing wheels, and the last time I had a flat on the road was over 4 years ago, however, I have had several clincher flats on other bikes. I just finished changing out the tubular on my rear road training wheel after putting 4000 miles on it and wearing it down to the cords without getting a flat. The roads I ride on are not super clean and there's significant amounts of glass and sharp debris, especially at intersections. As to price, I don't pay any more for decent tubulars than for clinchers, typically less than $50. I just don't buy them at an lbs, where you're likely to pay way inflated prices and only once in my life have I ever paid more than $100 for a tire.

I'm not advocating the use of tubulars over clinchers for general casual road use, just trying to debunk some of the nonsensical myths that seem to emerge whenever this subject comes up.

I dunno about where you guys ride but the streets of NY can be pretty bad and considering I ride on 700x23 tires, I usually pump every day or every other day. Also, I ride on the max psi only cuz I worry about flats.

I don't wanna hear about how I should be pumping up to a specific psi according to my weight and tire sz.

plenty of roads are pretty crappy here too but I don't go pumping to 140 and I havent had a pinch flat in forever

Whatever...I once rode 800 miles in one day without putting air in my tires at all.

There's he Super Champion "Mixte" rim that claims to accommodate both clinchers and tubulars.

and now there are the tubular clinchers

weird

TT, i am not debating you, i just want to ask you questions as i am in the market for tubular tires (all lugged italian frames need proper tires right?)

1. do the tufos hold air or do they hold pressure for months? i was just home for lunch and just checked my road bikes air pressure and as expected, in about 36 hours they have lost about 23psi. they are mid level michelin tubes and tires that had 120psi in them originally. this is pretty consistent with every road tube/tire i have ever owned. will a tufo really hold adequate riding pressure for weeks? (i understand you can ride them with less air than clinchers but im not a fly weight, 120-125psi in a 700x23 is my preference. (road riding)

2. what tubulars are you buying for less that $50? i have done a lot of reasearch and every tire i have found in that prce range has garbage reviews. they are all either non round, lumpy, or flat prone.

i am looking for a set of reasonably priced tubulars that will ride well and hold up. tan sidewalls is a must this is a neo vintage ride we are dealing with

dirty cheater

"Whatever...I once rode 800 miles in one day without putting air in my tires at all. "
+1

1) It's one and the same. If they do not leak any air, then the air pressure remains constant. When used on the road and inflated initially to 120 psi (max rated is 170 psi), a month later they have lost only about 10 psi and are still rideable. When used on the track and inflated to 150 psi, then two weeks later they have lost about 20 psi, so the more pressure you inflate them to, the faster the pressure will drop. Sometimes, presta valves will leak at higher pressures if the seal isn't very good or if they are the removable type and aren't tight enough.

2) Most of my tires I have bought in eBay auctions for about half retail price. I have bought a lot of Conti Sprinters for $25 to $40, Competitions for $40 to $50 and Vittoria EVO CX for $35 to $45. I've also found Veloflex tires for under $50, but it's pretty hard. If, however, you want high quality old school natural sidewall tires like the old Clements or Vittorias, then Veloflex does make some gum wall tires, and you can buy them for under $100 here >>> https://www.worldclasscycles.com/tubular_tires_only.htm

Wow....I ride hi-pressure clinchers on all of my roadbikes, ss and fg...and after reading this thread, I feel compelled to say the following: How hard is it for any of you to check/pump your tires on a daily basis before each initial roll-out? And if you commute to work and park your bike for 8~10 hours, how hard is it to check it again before the roll-out to home? Of course, having a good floor pump(s) at the ready helps a lot (they don't have to be expensive fancy ones, either), whether commuting or at the track. Hard-chargers such as yourselves would expend waaaaaay more time and energy climbing the next 3%~5% hill than the 5~15 strokes it takes to get each tire back up to max pressure assuming they were at max before your initial roll-out....and for me max pressure has for the most part eliminated on-road flats. Your results may vary, but I'm going to guess that max pressures will help mitigate your on-road flats, too.

That is truly scary!