clinchers v tubs Clinchers win

[Cookster15]

Re:

I started out with tubulars in 86. By 89 I was changing to clinchers. In all honestly I was not realizing the differences. I was not cat 1 or even cat 3 to really stretch the clincher technology, never mind the cost. Tubulars were 65 to a hundred bucks and a flat could and usually did mean big $$. I first used clinchers as a training wheel. They did not feel the same and I think I did lose some cornering ability but in general clinchers worked for me. Today I can afford the tires but now the clinchers are as good for almost all conditions except sprinting and weight. Lighter wheels do accelerate faster and deep section clinchers are certainly heavier but some wheels are a lot lighter than others.
Clinchers still are the most practical solution with the fewest compromises. If you really do push the limits of your tires and you are using a good tire then tubs may be for you. Now if I always had a follow vehicle and unlimited budget I think I still would use clinchers more often than tubs but I would use them for super light wheels, CX, and track

You could get cheaper and more durable training tubulars for 30 bucks. That's what I used until about 1990-1. But they were cumbersome to carry, you had to fold them and were bulky in your back pocket unlike Tubes. For racing easy to swap for a lighter version. The last racing Tubular I bought (Specialized Sworks) was in 2007 and cost $160 But when I go back to masters racing again I will use Tubulars on my race wheels.