Tubular Vrs Clincher

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

OK, I'll bite. What have you been doing for 25 years?

Last winter I built a set of tubular wheels, and I've been getting about a flat for every three or four days of riding them. The tires are (were) four Challenge cottons of modest proportions (25mm, about 270 g). One is has a torn casing, one has a patch, one will get a patch soon, and one is intact.

There's been a lot of broken glass at intersections around Boulder this summer.

24 of those 25 were spent riding in the St. Croix and Mississippi river valleys between MN and WI, the roads are pristine to say the least, paved and gravel. I just moved to Colorado last year, I've been battling goatheads mostly, not glass. Just run Stan's sealant in everything, doing ok. Your secondary problem is Challenge tires. Terrible! I see about 30 shops a week on the Front Range, all of them that have had stock of Challenge tires are all saying in unison "some of the worst tubulars on the market". No joke.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

24 of those 25 were spent riding in the St. Croix and Mississippi river valleys between MN and WI, the roads are pristine to say the least, paved and gravel. I just moved to Colorado last year, I've been battling goatheads mostly, not glass. Just run Stan's sealant in everything, doing ok. Your secondary problem is Challenge tires. Terrible! I see about 30 shops a week on the Front Range, all of them that have had stock of Challenge tires are all saying in unison "some of the worst tubulars on the market". No joke.

Altho never sold them, concur. Hard to beat Vittoria and Conti for tublulars.

 

[ustabe]

Your secondary problem is Challenge tires. Terrible! I see about 30 shops a week on the Front Range, all of them that have had stock of Challenge tires are all saying in unison "some of the worst tubulars on the market". No joke.

Thanks for the tip. I thought they'd live up to their Clement pedigree. I won't give up on those wheels after all, I'll just go back to Vittorias and Continentals.

By the way, Stan's is truly wonderful, if the hole isn't too large. You should have seen the me getting a shot of Stan's in the eye when I pulled out the last shard of glass.

 

[jamiephillips]

Just run Stan's sealant in everything, doing ok.

Ok got meself a 2oz bottle of this. Do you stick it in your tub before you puncture or afterwards??

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Ok got meself a 2oz bottle of this. Do you stick it in your tub before you puncture or afterwards??

Before. 1/2 bottle in all my tubes, whether they be in tubular tires or for clinchers.

 

[jamiephillips]

Ok thanks. How often do you re-charge them??

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Ok thanks. How often do you re-charge them??

No need, you will wear a tubular out before you need to recharge. About every 6 months for just a tube.

 

[jamiephillips]

That's brilliant, thanks!

 

[jamiephillips]

Ok slight problem, both pairs of my sprints have Continental Giro tubs and these don't appear to have removable valve cores. Can't get the stuff in there!! Am I missing something?

 

[Parera]

Ok slight problem, both pairs of my sprints have Continental Giro tubs and these don't appear to have removable valve cores. Can't get the stuff in there!! Am I missing something?

If you are careful, you can manually remove the valve cores on ANY presta tube with a bit of effort; look on youtube, there are a few videos demonstrating how to do it. Just take your time, be patient and precise (like any maintenance with a bicycle, really).

http://youtu.be/pOiDrZ7dOHY like that, basically; I shouldn't have said "remove" rather you sort of depress the core back into the tube, allowing sealant to flow into the tube. Just be careful!

 

[jamiephillips]

Thanks Parera for the advice and vid but performing this manoevre on a tubular tyre that is already glued to the rim is a bridge too far for me!! I think I'll just make sure that in the future my tubs have removable valve cores!! In the meantime when I ride my sprints I'll keep a can of repair foam spray handy!

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Ok slight problem, both pairs of my sprints have Continental Giro tubs and these don't appear to have removable valve cores. Can't get the stuff in there!! Am I missing something?

In spite of the previous post, some valve guts cannot be removed. Get some Cafelatex, designed to be pushed past the valve, same liquid latex sealant.

 

[ElChingon]

Stan's Injector

Calfelatex injector:

the mating of the non removable core stem and the injector:

Otherwise if its a removable core you just slip the injector without the adapter, after removing the core of course:

 

[jamiephillips]

^^ Cheers lads!!

 

[oldborn]

IHOQ, what is best way to clean glue out of carbon rim, and not damage it?
Aceton, benzin, heavy wire brush, sand paper etc.
And if I am having pre-glued spare tub on race, how long I can carry her before it dry or become something, and when to apply glue (day before or)?

TIAFYA!

 

[oldborn]

So anyone

 

[GreasyMonkey]

So anyone

OK, I'll bite....

Acetone, benzine, white spirits, etc - all can potentially damage & weaken the structure, so I would say NO.... Unless the rim maker specifies something is OK.

Similar for wire brush or sandpaper - I use a round-tipped knife (a dinner knife is perfect), and a boring rainy day to sit in front of the TV or fireplace & slowly lift/peel the remnant glue off the rim. If it won't lift off easily, I leave it, as it is well bonded and I just glue over the top of it.

As to the spare tub, I put glue on it, let it dry out to be tack-free then lay a strip of plastic kitchen film (cling wrap or what-ever they call it) over the glue. I open the valve, roll the tub up tight to remove the air, close the valve and fold it. It is nice and small, the glue does not dry out too much with the plastic film.

How long?? I have not had one roll off when I have used them, anything up to 12 months after prepping them.

 

[oldborn]

OK, I'll bite....

Acetone, benzine, white spirits, etc - all can potentially damage & weaken the structure, so I would say NO.... Unless the rim maker specifies something is OK.

Similar for wire brush or sandpaper - I use a round-tipped knife (a dinner knife is perfect), and a boring rainy day to sit in front of the TV or fireplace & slowly lift/peel the remnant glue off the rim. If it won't lift off easily, I leave it, as it is well bonded and I just glue over the top of it.

As to the spare tub, I put glue on it, let it dry out to be tack-free then lay a strip of plastic kitchen film (cling wrap or what-ever they call it) over the glue. I open the valve, roll the tub up tight to remove the air, close the valve and fold it. It is nice and small, the glue does not dry out too much with the plastic film.

How long?? I have not had one roll off when I have used them, anything up to 12 months after prepping them.

Here we are talking!
That plastic kitchen film does not stick to base tape on tub so hard I guess?
Thanks mate!

 

[Notso Swift]

NEver had any issues with Acetone, but it is the recommended way for my wheels and may not be for others

 

[GreasyMonkey]

Here we are talking!
That plastic kitchen film does not stick to base tape on tub so hard I guess?
Thanks mate!

I would try it (kitchen film) with an old tub and your preferred glue first, there may be problems. Important to let the glue dry to very tack-free state first.

 

[oldborn]

Thanks guys!

 

[LugHugger]

Every day tubs?

We don't seem to have a Tubs sticky thread and I didn't want to start a new thread just to get people's thoughts on this - if you had a set of tubular wheels lying around and were thinking of using them for regular riding in all conditions on roads and in a climate which should be described as Flandrien, which tubs would people recommend to use? Thanks.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

We don't seem to have a Tubs sticky thread and I didn't want to start a new thread just to get people's thoughts on this - if you had a set of tubular wheels lying around and were thinking of using them for regular riding in all conditions on roads and in a climate which should be described as Flandrien, which tubs would people recommend to use? Thanks.

Conti Sprinter. Best combo of ride, durability and price.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Race day or very lightweight riders only. Stan's rims are not meant for everyday wheels. Tubeless is a joke for road applications, only major tire mfg has been Hutchinson (personally I think their tires suck) for more than a decade they've been at it and barely made any headway against tubulars or clinchers. CX maybe, MTB is where tubeless makes the most sense, not road. Some swear by them, I think they're pointless for road bikes.

+1. I can't see the point of road tubeless tires. On the MTB, those are the ONLY tires I ride. I've ridden Crossmax SLs with UST tires for years. NEVER had a single flat.

For 'cross - tubulars only. Using both tape and glue. Always use sealant.

For road, I loved the Conti Competitions, but yes, these are race tires, not training tires. 4000s seem more durable, but Sprinters, as has been said here, are the way to go for training.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

24 of those 25 were spent riding in the St. Croix and Mississippi river valleys between MN and WI, the roads are pristine to say the least, paved and gravel. I just moved to Colorado last year, I've been battling goatheads mostly, not glass. Just run Stan's sealant in everything, doing ok. Your secondary problem is Challenge tires. Terrible! I see about 30 shops a week on the Front Range, all of them that have had stock of Challenge tires are all saying in unison "some of the worst tubulars on the market". No joke.

Nice! Loved Stillwater, MN.

Sold books door-to-door there when I was a freshman in college.