Originally Posted by
UmneyDurak
I realize he said he is going to race. Overwhelming majority of amateur racers are on clinchers now days, and I think pros are doing it mostly for historical reasons.
Those advantages are over blown. Sure you can ride with a flat, but in a crit it's a short course and you can get back to wheel pit quickly enough even without riding. In Road Races it's miles to finish line, either you get wheels from follow car or chill for neutral vehicle. That assumes racer has spare wheels. If not whole thing is moot. The race is over, might as well just chill out. The heat thing is again over ratted. In crits you rarely use brakes, in RR same.
Now days between tubeless and latex tubes clinchers are not that far off in weight and rolling resistance from tubulars, and there been studdies that they are actually more aero when right tire is paired with wider rim.
I didn't actually cite racing performance as my top two reasons for trying tubulars in the OP, but I would very much appreciate the ability to finish a lap in a crit on a flat tubular. Easier than changing a tube just to get back to my car. That said I really don't have anything against carbon clinchers - I'm not worried about braking heat. There isn't a descent within hundreds of miles of me that would challenge rim brakes.
Mainly I would like to become proficient at gluing tubs before they (inevitably?) go extinct in a decade or so. I feel like I need to see what all the fuss is about over ride quality. Some people have said they don't notice a difference compared to quality clinchers with latex tubes, others do. And as conservative as the pros can be, I doubt they use tubs mostly for historical reasons. They probably do it because they don't have to glue the tires on themselves!
After doing some searching, it looks like a set of lightly used carbon tubular rims might be the smartest way to get into this. Plenty of choices compared to new wheels and somewhat cheaper too.