xbartx

There was cyclocross race close by and I rode my bike out to watch. Looked like a ton of fun and something that I would love to try.
I spent a couple weeks doing a bit of research and bought a one year old used bike that I could get started with.
There is at least one item on the bike that got by me from my lack of knowledge, it has tubular wheels.

The tubular wheels and tires that came with the bike look to be of high quality and quite new.
Are tubulars typically used for day to day riding and training or just for racing?
For a rookie, just starting out would it be best to buy an inexpensive set of clincher or tubeless wheels?
If I end up using the tubulars from day 1 or just on race day, I would think that I should pull the tires off and re-glue them.
Could it be cost effective to bring the wheels to my LBS on have them put a new clincher rims on?
Any advise or thoughts appreciated!

redlude97

you can check the tubular glue to decide if they need to be reglued but if they are more than like 2 years old they probably should be reglued. you should really only race on cx tubulars as there is no great way to repair on the road or trail while training and you cannot swap them on the fly like a road tubular with a spare because the way they are glued is much stronger than a road tubular. If they have a good tread that is for all around purposes save them for race day and get a set of tubuless clinchers for training and racing as a backup set. They are also easier to change to different treads if you end up really liking the scene. Its a lot of fun even with minimal experience so just get out there and race!

caloso

Everybody I know who has tubulars for cross saves them for race day. Getting an inexpensive set of training wheels is a great idea.

xbartx

I did reach out to the seller and found out that the tires were bought and put on over the summer by his LBS, so the glue and tires are less than a year old. I will start looking for a suitable set of clinchers.
Shimano Dura-Ace 9170 C40 are what came on the bike and said to be a year old. They seem to be nice rims, but are they a good choice for XC? Would I be better off selling them to fund a better XC suited rim?
Any suggestions on a set of training wheels in the $400 range?

xbartx

Any suggestions on a set of training wheels in the $400 range?

redlude97

that is a pretty nice set of carbon disc tubulars that would fetch a fair penny from the right racer. Probably enough to buy a set or two of tubeless aluminum wheels and tires. I would personally keep them for CX if I knew I was going to stick to it, but it might be overkill for a beginner and there is always a nonzero chance you will damage/break a rim in a race or training

caloso

No idea about disc wheels. If you're asking about rim brakes, I'd get something like Shimano RS-100 wheels. Not the lightest, but inexpensive, reliable and serviceable.

xbartx

Yes, I do need disc brake wheels. What are the major differences between a road and CX wheel?

caloso

Where they're ridden, mostly. The wheels on my CX bike are Ksyrium SL's or Shimano R-501's. Road wheels, with knobby tires.

xbartx

I have heard this brand recommend before, any thoughts on these being a good set for my needs?
HUNT 4 SEASON GRAVEL DISC WHEELSET

ziggie204

Do go ahead and put some fresh sealant in them. 40ml should do fine. You can train on them, but you have to accept the fact that you might put a gash in it that the sealant can't handle and then you'll be gluing a new tire. If you do, buy a can of Vittoria Pit Stop and put it in your back pocket. It should seal most issues unless it's in the sidewall, then you're just gluing a new one. If you want to get a second set of rims, I'd go tubeless. You can run them at lower pressure and have spare wheels in the pit. Tubulars for CX are awesome, spend some time learning about pressure and what to run them at. Showing up to the line with too much pressure in them defeats their purpose.

M1T

I agree

chadtrent

I would look at something like the Nugent A220DCW. I have these on my gravel bike. They are a little over what you are wanting to spend but I have beaten the crap out of them and they are still nice and true.

msu2001la

Welcome to 'cross racing!


Mostly just for racing because the tires are expensive, and it's nearly impossible to repair a flat on the side of the road. Unlike road tubulars, it's really hard to pull a properly glued CX tubular off of a wheel without tools, so carrying a spare tire is of little use. There are some portable sealant options like Vittora Pit Stop that you can carry, that *might* seal up a small puncture, but I usually just assume I'm calling an Uber if I get a flat when I'm riding my tubulars.


On the flip side, you're only going to get a couple of seasons (at most) out of a good glue job, and my understanding is that you can't really remove and re-glue CX tubulars (this according to my LBS that does a TON of CX tubular glue jobs) so you may as well ride them while you can!


I'd recommend getting a second set of clincher/tubless wheels for training, and to have as a backup on race day. Tubulars are big upgrade and since you already have them you may as well use 'em.


Are you asking about rebuilding the Dura Ace wheels with a clincher rim? I suppose this could be done, but I would just get a second set of wheels, rather than having your LBS rebuild the set you have with new rims.


Those are super nice carbon tubular wheels and if the tires/glue job are less than a year old I would suggest keeping them, riding them (sparingly) and using them on race-days. They will probably be fine for a year or two. Tubulars have a big advantage over clinchers in that they can be run at lower psi, which is a big advantage when racing. I run my tubulars around 22-25 psi, whereas I won't go much below 35 on my clinchers. It makes a big difference. There are some differences between road wheels and a purpose-built CX wheels, but for a rookie I wouldn't worry about it so much.


If I were you, I'd probably order up some generic carbon clinchers from Superteam or Yoleo or one of the other chinese online brands. You've already got a nice quality race wheelset, so I'd have no concerns taking a chance on something like this as a second set for training.

xbartx

Thanks for all of the replies.
I went ahead and ordered a set of wheels just to train on. I have a brand new pair of WTB cross wolf 700 x 32 tires that I got for next to nothing that I can start off with. The wheels are due to be delivered in the next couple days!

chas58

Enjoy! FYI, I spend most of my time on 40mm tires. Unless you are racing in an internationally certified event (UCI), no one typically really cares. Shoot, the last race I put a 50mm tire on. All depends on what your frame will take, but do yourself a favor and don't limit yourself to 33mm tires. Hopefully USA Cycling and/or UCI will do away with that out dated 33mm rule (Kinda made sense with Canit bikes, but its kinda silly to limit a disk braked bike to 33).