motosonic

So, I picked up a set of full carbon Dura Ace C24 tubular wheels for a steal and since this is my first set of tubular wheels, I figured I'd ask for some advice.

I know this is one of the most common debates in cycling...Tubular versus clincher.. so let's hear what you all ride and why.
I've run clinchers since I started cycling but these sort of fell in my lap, they're a fantastic looking wheel, super light.
Should I use them for daily rides, training, etc? I don't race, although I do have a duathlon this year, but other than that I'll just be riding century, metric century and random group rides.
So, any advice is appreciated.
Thanks

rpenmanparker 

It's wheels. Just ride them. BITD everybody rode tubulars.

PepeM

You already have them, might as well use them.

motosonic

Good points, I likely will.. but is changing tires really as bad as I've heard?

sbxx1985 

Clinchers then tubulars then clinchers. Then tubulars.

rpenmanparker 

Doesn't have to be. Use gluing tape instead of glue. Carry Pit Stop aerosol sealant. But no matter how you go about it, for most people it is less trouble than clinchers and tubeless.

PepeM

Care to expand? How would one go about repairing a flat on the side of the road?

motosonic

Yes, I'm curious too. All the videos I've seen make it seem like it's a 3 day process.

JohnDThompson 

Indeed. I even did loaded touring on tubulars.

Get some of the "pair and a spare" tubulars from Yellow Jersey at 3 for $50. They're decent tires and won't break your heart (or your wallet) when they flat, as all tires eventually do. Eventually, when you're feeling like splurging, get some nicer tires.

JohnDThompson 

I never fixed tubular flats on the road side. Just put your spare on and finish your ride with that. Then toss the flat tire in the corner to deal with later, on a rainy day or during the off-season.

motosonic

You mean one of these spare and a pair tires?

79pmooney

Tubulars 1973-late '90s, early 2000s. I used Tubasti on all my wheels (after a bad spell with tape) except on my racing wheels and rode many races on my training wheels with Tubasti. Good stuff - as long as you don't get it too hot. Never goes completely hard or dry. I never cleaned my rims and only addressed the dried stuff it it was getting lumpy. Best part was on-the-road tire changes. Pull off the old tire, put on the replacement and ride. Don't corner hard for a few miles. Pull and re-glue when I get home.

Rims with years of build up gave me the biggest sense of security. I didn't trust new rims with their first set of tires. Actually felt relief when I got that first flat and that tire was hard to pull off. Then I knew when I glued on the next, it could be trusted.

Speaking of trust - I trust a flatted tubular to stay on the rim until I can stop. I've had a clincher come off after blowing, jam in the seatstays and send me for a top ten crash. (I was totally unprepared for the lock-up. Riding on the bare rim was like riding on ice and I was doing all I could to stay up, off the curb beside me and nurse the speed down to a good crash speed. Locked up at about 22 mph. In my tubular days I got several high speed flats over the years. Heart stoppers, yes, but otherwise non-events

Ben

JohnDThompson 

Sure. Or one of the tires you patched the last time you had some down time.

JohnDThompson 

+1 this. Especially when a front clincher flats. You're lucky to have any control.

PepeM

When you say 'pull off the old tire,' what does that entail? Just pulling hard with your bare hands?

79pmooney

You carry a tubular patch kit with needle and thread. Also one or two good spare tires. You also learn to ride like your tires are really important. (Experience is a great teacher.) (Now this is advice from the days before sealants. But since not all flats are seal-able, carrying as many tires as you might need is still good advice.)

Ben

Scarbo

If you have the rims, use them! Generally tubulars are for racing and clinchers are for training. But, some people just ride on tubulars all the time. See if you like them.

rpenmanparker 

Thst's absurd. No one that I know would attempt a tubular repair on the road. No one. It is rare to find anyone who will still do it at home. In general tubular patches and resewings make for a crappy job and a crappy spare tire from then on. For $25-40 you get it done professionally. I wouldn't do it any other way.

Sealant is the first try of choice nowadays. After that, you just change out the whole tire to your one spare. Because the first tire and puncture is unrelated to a second, unlike so often with clincher patching, two flats on one ride is exceptionally rare. And then sealant would also have to fail twice. You should ride most of a lifetime on tubulars and still never experience that.

Doge

If you flat often clinchers are easier to change (not using the sealant option) and a tube costs less. These days the best repair option is a cell phone and friend, parent or spouse. If you don't have those then there is good reason for clincher.

Equal weights - (rim and tire), tubulars will flat far less. A Roubaix tubular weighs about what a weight weenie clincher setup weighs. That is rim, strip, tube etc.

So choose the tire wisely and you will likely have a better experience with the tubular.
Go for a sew-up - one with thread and latex tube.
Veloflex, Vittoria, Continental (not Tufo) etc.

rpenmanparker 

It could be like that. Or use Psimet's method. Work a tire tool under the tire. The use it or the shaft of a small screwdriver pushed all the way underneath from side to side. Pull the screwdriver all the way around the rim to unglue the tire.

Doge

Depends if I want the tire and who glued it.
Ideally (and yea, I get it is flat) I break the seal with my thumbs and 20psi or so of pressure.
If flat, peel the tire rather than pull. I am not into these super tight glue jobs (very 80's), rather, I prefer a tight seal that breaks at the edges with good thumb pressure and allows bare hand removal. Some of that is the glue choice. Mastic One is hard to beat.

rpenmanparker 

But why do you flat often? Not counting thorns and other sharp stuff like glass the most important of the reasons don't affect tubulars. Clincher tubes are very prone to pinch flatting. And many clincher flats are from poor patching of a previous flat or not removing the sharp from the tire and letting it puncture another tube. None of that happens to tubulars. They can pinch flat, but much less commonly than clinchers. And in most cases the same hazard can't cause a second flat if you just change the whole tire. Your flat incidence should go way down.

Doge

Near San Clemente, where I live, not so far go south lots of goat head thorns. Go north, broken beer bottles etc. Then lots of tacks and staples and screws from all the home remodeling/construction.

Where my son goes to college - nothing. Nobody gets flats. He rides tubulars on 100 mile rides without spares.
Last weekend they had races Sat/Sun. I was in the support car. There were NO wheels (except mine) in it. There were no flats I knew of both days.

So - it depends.

79pmooney

I always carried the patch kit. It was small and weighed basically zero. Only used it once, 40 miles from home on a very long day. The repair got me home. And meant that long day did not become an "epic" ride. (1977, no cell phone, no cars in my household. I was in rural Massachusetts. No buses. Doing the repair beat walking by a lot.) I rode most of a lifetime on tubulars but before sealant. 30 years, 100,000 miles.

PepeM

How would one determine whether a tire needs to be reglued or if it is safe to ride?