this is the advantage of any tape probably, it is this way for Tufo which I used. It’s real slick way to mount. For me I also found it a big disadvantage when I had to change out an old one. The tape stuck so good it was extremely hard to remove a tire and I realized I would never be able to do this out on the road.

On the earlier comment on Pit Stop ... I tried a couple of cans of it. It sealed a slow leak once for a Tufo well, but on a Corsa tire after a flat it worked for a few rides but not for long, Same hole opened back up later so just unsewed it up and repaired it normal the old way.

A couple of beginner tubular questions:

Vermont roads--even paved ones, of which there are not many--tend to be rough. The narrowest clinchers I use are 28mm, so I'd like to start with some wide, relatively low-pressure tubulars. I can't see 22mm tires pumped up to 140 psi working out well for me. What's a good beginner option in a wide tire, preferably a butyl-tubed one?

Will tires of that width fit well on an early 70s rim that was probably designed with 22-24mm tires in mind? I can't give an actual width, because I don't have the wheels in hand yet.

Also, is anyone here riding on a set of Tufo HICC 28s? They seem to be reasonably priced--an important criteria for me--but I can't find much information about them.

My Griffon has Veloflex Vlaanderen (27mm true-to-size) glued to Ambrosio Montreal Durex rims (Specialized hubs complete the package). My Frejus TdF also has Vlaanderen, this time fixed to AVA rims. Both sets of rims date from that era. I've had no problem.

My Redcay has 25mm Vittoria Rally tubulars (substantially cheaper than the Veloflex tubulars). Can't recall the rims at the moment, but again, no problem.

I'm not sure there is a truly wide tubular tire at an entry level price point. I get Vlaanderen for about $60 on sale. The Rallys can be found for about half that. I would be happy to ride my Redcay on Vermont roads.

I wouldn't worry about latex vs butyl tubes. The time it takes to bring the the up to pressure before a ride is minimal. In my mind, the improved ride is worth it.

I did a motel to motel tour of around 400 miles in New England (including VT) last fall on Vlaanderens and had no problems at all. I used rear panniers. We rode mostly on pavement but some hard pack and some gravel rail trail. I’m not obsessive about tire pressure and guess I was riding them at something like 70-75 psi using a thumb test. At home I pump them to 60psi up front and 75 in back and they are very comfortable. I weigh 170.

I like those pressures, and I also weigh 170. So useful information, thanks.

One of the nice things about tubulars is that you can run them at low pressure without worrying about pinch-flats, so unless you're in competition, there's no compelling reason to use super-high pressure. They also tend to have the ride comfort of somewhat wider clinchers. I suspect a 25mm tubular would provide a similar ride to your current 28mm clinchers.

In my experience, tubular rims are quite tolerant of tire width variety.

I haven't used them myself, but most reviews of the Tufo tires suggest they are not the most lively-feeling tubulars.

Two Sides
 

Hmmm,

Viewed the I suspect you reference, and right at the beginning he says it is a "new" tape by 3M specifically designed for tubular tyres. His shop's store offers it for sale. The video was posted in 2017.

yes that is the video. I don’t know if he mentions the 3M # on the tape but I believe there is a generic substitute for the same tape that is like 4 or 5$ per roll.

I ride Vermont gravel daily, and the Vlaandaren is my favorite tubular for that purpose....70-80 psi, I weigh 175. Light, surprisingly tough given how soft the sidewalls feel-- a great riding tire. Not cheap, but you can find them for $50-60 on sale, which isn't terrible.

I used to use Tufo tires when I first started with tubulars--- those things felt like bricks by comparison. I still have one untouched, sits in my spare bag, hope I never have to use it....

I've been pretty lucky with "soft" sidewalls--- I guess the ad guys would call them "supple". Only one major sidewall cut in the last 5 years, on a 3 day old pair of Soma Supple Vitesse clinchers. I repaired the sidewall with dental floss, rubber cement, and a piece of an old tire as a boot--- still holding!

N

gluing tubular tires to rims is not a place I would prefer to cheap out on. ymmv

Splurged and purchased an Rene Herse service course 25mm. I have about 250 miles on it. Ridden on streets, dirt, gravel. Running just on the front wheel. It's pretty dang nice at about 80 psi. Recommended. Waiting for the roubaix to get back in stock to put on the rear.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...72adb68cc5.jpg

Jantex tape release strip?
 

For my first venture into tubulars, I've pretty much decided to go with Jantex tape, rather than glue. (I was interested to find that it's been around for longer than I'd thought; Eugene Sloane recommended it by name in the 1970 Complete Book of Bicycling.)

I've read several reviews where users have complained about the tendency of the paper release strip to tear when pulled loose from under the newly-positioned tire. That sounds really annoying. But I also found one mention that the old paper release strips have recently been replaced by a tougher and more reliable plastic strip. Is this the case? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's had some recent experience with this product.

+1 on the Vlaandaren. I have run them on Mavic GP4 rims, Campy hubs and the supple is real. I also run Stan's in them as I have had good experience with Stan's sealing on a latex tube.

I am now to the point that I run latex + Stan's in my clincher setups particularly with VO/Rene Herse lightweight tires to get that same supple feel that is great on chip seal roads.

any one have any experience with vittoria corsa control? theoretically the replacement sorta for the beloved Pave?

I am about to pull the trigger on a second wheel set for the 85 team miyata...the current clincher conti gp 5000 in 28 are pretty good, but still want to go tubular for a number of reasons

and one more any love/hate for conti sprinter gatorskin?

Refer back to post #1517 and a few after? Is that the tire you are asking about?

I have had great experiences with the Gatorskin. They were my first Tubulars (size 22s) 9 years ago because they had a reputation of being the most durable and I didn't want to be repairing my first pair of tubulars if it was avoidable. I didn't know any better and they rode fine. Then I got a pair of Gatorskin 25s to do the BWR which is a mixed terrain event and I was very pleased with their durability. If your objective is to experience the smooth ride that fine tubulars are known for, the Gatorskin is not your tire. Continental Competitions were smoother (but a ***** to mount) and my nice tires now are the Vittoria Corsas. I plan to do the BWR again next year and I will get a new pair of Gatorskins unless someone can convince me that the Corsa Control as sidewall protection that comes close to the Gatorskin's.

I don't know about corsa control. But I've put a ton of hard miles on my corsa elite. On dirt, gravel, wet pavement, and it's an awesome tire. Latex tube. I seek out pave sectors.

I used Jantex tape on 25mm and 22mm tires, probably 2 years ago. I was a bit gentle pulling out the adhesive's cover strip, but no problems. And I would agree that the ability to mount the tire on the rim and inflate/deflate the tire several times before pulling the strip is good.

I found a large can of mastik (unopened), so I may be gluing for a while. Rhetorically: how does a guy misplace a good sized can for 2 years?

They ride absolutely fantastically. But, they’re ridiculously expensive, are nearly impossible to actually REPAIR. The Tufo tape makes them easier to mount, but if you use tubular glue they’re a total pain in the ass. But, boy they sure ride fantastically.

Sorry, "they" being what? I found the Veloflex Vlaanderen tubulars on my Griffon to ride fantastically today. :)

I made this plea in another long-running thread, but I'll make it here as well. If you're responding to an earlier post in the thread, it really helps if you quote some part (even an itsy bitsy teeny weeny part) of that message. We are discussing many different brands and models of tubulars (and occasionally clinchers when someone goofs), so knowing what specifically you're writing about is helpful.

not exactly there is the corsa g and the corsa control g the control g is supposed to have a little more tread and some other features for rougher roads. I had corsa g clinchers (actually still in garage) and there were a great ride, but i had huge flat issues...switched to conti GP5000 clinchers and not flat problems, and rides is almost the same, but they are not offerieng gp5000 tubular thanks

I was about to measure my current tires to check for clearance options for replacements and realized I had no idea of what the 'standard' is for measuring tires. How do you measure a tired.... caliper for width or height or??? thanks

squirtdad I doubt there's any standard. I inflate to riding pressure then use calipers to measure the actual width. Then I measure the gaps (chain stay, brake bridge and chain stay bridge in back and fork crown and blades in front). That leaves me with a simple calculation with the smallest gap and tire width to determine the max tire width. I generally subtract 1-2mm from the result as a fudge factor.

My tubular tires and my clincher tires too are sitting unused, all except for those on the Bianchi which goes on the trainer now.