guadzilla

So I have decided to go the tububububular route. Got a pair of P-X 50mm tubs on the way.

Some questions:

1/ Glue or rim tape for a noob?

2/ Recommend a puncture resistant, fast tub tire por favor...

3/ Any other nuggets of information that are worth knowing?

Thanks,
V.

gumbii

Buegie

so you're a shower man? Or maybe you lack personal hygiene altogether?

guadzilla

Hehe... so what's consensus - 8 posts before I get a helpful answer?

datlas 

I haven't used them for a couple decades....but my understanding is that glue is better than tape.

And I always would put them on the rim, dry, for a day to make mounting them easier.

If you are making the plunge, you may as well get good quality, fast ones. They can be very pricey, however.

Good luck!

San Rensho 

Glue. Masking tape on the braking surface of the rim will avoid an hour of initial cleaning of the glue off the rims and at least two additional cleanings after you go and ride the wheels and they make horrible screaching sounds every time you brake.

CCrew

Great tip, thanks. Wish I had seen that before I did mine, getting the glue off was a beyotch!

merlinextraligh

I use glue as well. There is some concern that tape will delaminate carbon wheels. (Zipp specifically recommends not using Tufo Extreme tape)

As for puncture resistent/ fast tubular, the more puncture resistent the tire, the more likely its not going to be fast.

I've had pretty good luck with Vittoria Corso EVO Cx. (for me they wear out before flatting about 75% of the time) They ride very nice and a re reported to have low rolling resistence.

Erzulis Boat 

Tubulars are their own animal, I think you will like them. I ride both.

I also agree that glue is the best method, but then again, I am old fashioned!

Keep it neat, and spread evenly. I usually run Conti Sprinters on my rigs. I once purchased a friggen case of inexpensive (cheap) tubulars in France, had them shipped back, and thought I was golden for years to come......................those things flatted like clockwork after just a few weeks. Don't recall the brand (some French no-namers) but don't skimp on tires, if there is a lesson in all of this!

Enjoy your new and exciting ride.

cotatrials

glue is the only way to go (never trusted tape) I agree with the comments above, don't buy cheap tires, I have never gone wrong with Vittoria....and my son is currently riding Tufo and has no complaints so far.

guadzilla

Ok, glue it is... and thanks for the tip re masking the sides, San Rensho. I am the type that will probably splatter glue over everyone within 2 city blocks while doing this, so it is good to have some advance notice

Merlin - yeah, I know there is a tradeoff. I was wondering if there is a sweet spot of sorts... where you maybe give up a little bit in RR over the fastest tires, and gain a lot in protection. The Vittoria Evo CXes were the ones I was most interested in trying anyway, so they're on top of my list of potential tires.

What is a typical strategy for dealing with flats with tubulars? Carry a spare tire? Slime patches? Support van with a dedicated mechanic?

datlas 

I don't think slime patches will work with sew-ups. You should carry a spare.

Erzulis Boat 

Yep, gotta carry a spare. If you get lucky and don't flat for eons, you need to inspect your spare periodically, make sure she isn't "de-lamming" at the creases (folded up) and that the rubber is still sound. I prefer to keep a brand new tire as a spare (pre stretched) so I don't have to worry about dry rot and whatnot.

Pre stretching is merely slapping your tubies on the rim, inflating and then letting sit for a day, even though I usually just pump and wait a few minutes, take it back off, apply glue, then pop it back on.

The tire will have a backing (the part of the tire that nestles in the rim) and the trick is to get even protrusion on either side once it is glued in.................if it 'aint perfect your first few times, don't sweat it. Try your best, but they will ride just fine if they are not dead n&ts.

This is how clean you can get an install with some practice, no glue all over the place, and the backing is perfectly even.

guadzilla

Sorry, slime patches was the wrong phrase .

I was looking at the Tufo tire sealant listed here. There is also a Vittoria tire foam that inflates and also seals at the same time. Any good?

My main concern, to be honest, is flatting. I am not sure how much time it takes to remove and replace a tubular tire - if it is a matter of 5-10 min with a pre-glued tire, that's one thing. If it is 30 min or longer, bleh. If there is a way to fix the flat and complete the ride, that'd be ideal. I could always carry a spare tire, worst case.

On a related note - how much air do you guys typically lose in a latex tube after a 3-4 hour ride?

Thanks again for all your help so far!

V.

Erzulis Boat 

If you flat, you just pop the old one off, put the new one on (no need to apply glue*) inflate, and start hauling ass once again.




*If the cement still has some tackiness, it might take a year of no flatting for the stuff to dry out too much. I only re-glue every 2-3 tire changes.

guadzilla

Gotcha, cheers!

Erzulis Boat 

Ok- I am seeing where this is going!

I carry my spare in my center jersey pocket, as I hate the Euro-Pro off season look with the thing stuffed between the saddle rails. Just carry the spare, no miracle goop is gonna save your ass when it really counts in my experience.

guadzilla

Noted. To be honest, I am probably going to get a bottle of miracle goop anyway (at $10, why not?), but point taken re carrying a spare tire - will order 3 tires

Am trying to decide between the Vittoria Evo CX (a tire I've been keen on trying out - in fact, I was planning to get the clincher version once I wore out my current Michelin PR3s) or a Tufo S33.

V.

merlinextraligh

I used to carry a can of Vittoria Pit Stop, as well as a spare tire. But I never had any success with it.

I have used Stan's tire sealant, which is similar to the Tufo tire sealant, and it works pretty well on small holes.

You need a tire with a removable valve core for the Tufo or Stan's, (which the Vittoria EVO CX do have)


Air loss over 3-4 hours is neglible. Perhaps 10 pounds or so in 24 hours.

merlinextraligh

And as for the spare tire, pre glue it, let it dry, and then fold it up. The glue on the tire, and the remaining glue on the rim will be enough to get you home.

guadzilla

Thanks again for the feedback. I am planning on putting the tubulars on 50mm wheels, so I reckon I will need replacement valves anyway. It appears that running tubulars is not that much more complicated than running tubeless MTB, actually.

As for the latex - only 10psi in 24 hours? That's nothing. My current butyl tubes lose about 20 bars after 4 hours riding + 20 hours of non-use. That's pretty insignificant.

Cheers,
V.

umd

Me neither

DubT

Forget the glue use tape! I used glue for years and just converted to tape, it does a great job! Just follow the instructions.