Originally Posted by fawudd (Post 21695075)

I recently retrieved my old Vitus 979 with Vittoria sewups that had been sitting indoors away from UV for about 20 years. Amazingly, the tires look good, hold air well, and felt fine on a ride around the block. Then they went for a 10 mile ride while I waited for new tires to arrive, then another, then a 15 mile ride. These are flat rides with no high speeds. Even though the new tires arrived, I have repeatedly delayed making the change because it is not my main bike, and it rides as well as ever. 2 questions :

1. How risky do you think it is to keep using the tires for 10-15 mile flat rides at low speed ?
2. Once the tires are changed, and assuming they come off the rim in one piece, would you keep one of the existing tires as a spare?

Thanks

Originally Posted by pastorbobnlnh (Post 21667068)

I don't know how rim weight effects the ride qualities of tubular tires, so I can't speak to that part of your question.

However, I'm a big guy, while currently a reasonable 210 for my 6' 1" height, I've weighed at times as much as 300+. The bike with tubulars I ride the most is my '71 Schwinn Paramount P13 which runs Fiamme Ergal red label tubular rims on HiE hubs. Fiamme are known as lightweight rims (not certain of the weight) which can be a bit touchy about keeping true. In my experience, I've not had any trouble with these rims going out of true and the roads here in the NH mountains are notoriously rough (plus I ride a good bit of dirt and gravel roads). Of course YMMV.

IMO you are safe to use lighter rims as long as the wheels are built and tensioned correctly. I'd err on the side of the more spokes and crosses of the spokes the better, in order to achieve a very sturdy and durable wheel. Best of luck on your decision.

Originally Posted by Classtime (Post 21672444)

tcpasley GL330s are pretty light. I'm at 160 lb and I wrecked a pair in a couple of pot holes. I still have a pair on one of my regular riders and they have been fun but when they are banged up, I won't be looking to replace them with same. (I write this now but light wheels are a kick and who knows.) If I were you, I'd get a pair of Ambrosio Nemesis which are still available. I have Nemesis on one bike and have ridden them on multiple very rough events and they are like new. Mavic Tubular Open Pros are still around but we don't know what the future of Mavic will be. I don't think Velocity is making the Escapes anymore so replacement rims will be hard to come by and you may as well find a pair of GP4s which I have also ridden on the rough stuff and they are "bullet proof". In sum: Go new and go Ambrosio.

Originally Posted by CV-6 (Post 21703219)

On the wheel tubular repair. Pics don't show.

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...re-repair.html

Originally Posted by seedsbelize (Post 21707809)

How does one generally find the puncture, when the air is escaping the tire from elsewhere? Surely there is a method.

Originally Posted by WGB (Post 21719300)

As I venture further afield on tubulars the reality is that sooner or later I'll be switching out a tire. I priced a "real" tubular holder on the 'Bay and no way I'm eating $49 + shipping.

Any photos of how people carry spares (not around shoulders or in pockets please)???

Originally Posted by 79pmooney (Post 21719344)

Edit: Not a perfect fold but close.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...adbd17c90c.jpg

Ben

Originally Posted by Scooper (Post 1831779)

Ummm. Too many flats, too long for the glue to dry, too messy.

Solution: Clinchers and a patch kit.

Been there, done that.

Originally Posted by San Rensho (Post 1834267)

My technique.

1. Stretch the tire. Ideally, put it on the rim and inflate to max pressure and leave it for 1 week. If its 8pm and you need to race on it the next morning, try this. With no air in it, try to get the tire to stretch onto the rim without too much resitance. It should go on snug but easily by hand, you shouldn't need a pry bar/ tire remover to get it on. If it goes on, good, proceed to step 2. If not, sit in a chair grab one end of the tire with both hands, hook the other end under your feet and progressively apply pressure to stretch the tire. Go slowly but you will likely have to apply a lot of force to stretch, just don't go ape and rip the tire apart. Stretch until it goes on just snug, but easily.

2. Prepare the rim. Rough up the rim with a wire brush or coarse grit sandpaper. Clean meticulously with brake parts cleaner. Put masking tape on the side of the rim where the brakes pads make contact. This will save at least minutes, if not hours, of cleaning and recleaning to get glue off the sides of the rims.

3. Apply the glue. ****er up both the rim and the tire and don't skimp on the glue! Hang them both up to dry overnight.

4. Put the tire on the rim. The glue is contact cement, so remember, once you touch the parts together they STICK. Put just enough air in the tire so it barely holds its shape, put the valve in the rim. With the valve at 12 oclock, put the rim on the floor perpendicular to the floor. Grab the tire with both hands, each hand about 1 foot from the valve. Now pull the tire apart and simultaneously push down and place the tire on the rim. The idea is to stretch it is much as possible before you put it on the rim. Repeat until you get about 1/2 way around the tire, flip the tire over and continue on the other side, it gets easier now, because you can hold the wheel with your foot while you pull on the tire to stretch it as you put it on the rim. Quickly straighten the tire on the rim. There should be a bead of glue between the tape on the tire and the rim. Remove masking tape.

5. Test your handiwork. Inflate to max. pressure. Try as hard as you can to roll the tire off the rim with your thumbs. The tire should not move at all and the tire tape should not come even slightly unglued from the rim. If this is so, go out and ride/race! If not, let it dry some more overnight and check in the morning. Hey, the masking tape works, doesn't it? No grabby brakes, no squeal.

Originally Posted by WGB (Post 21719583)

Ben

Thanks for input. Should've said I want to keep tire clean to protect glue as well as keep dirt off which might interfere with a good tire/rim seal.

I saw a post somewhere where the tubular was folded into a sock and that was then placed in a thin tube which was installed in an underside down tube water bottle cage.

I can't use my underside cage with a bottle as my cranks catch the bottle so may just wrap as you did but then cover in a plastic bag to keep dirt off it. I know they make tool sets that fit water bottle cages but wondering if this method is a bad idea. Any thoughts???

Originally Posted by DiabloScott (Post 21719810)

Nice presentation.
I use a cord to tie the tire up, and a toe strap to attach it to the saddle rails. Had one fall out once, cheap insurance.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...06406973d.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...79f71e5ac.jpeg

Originally Posted by tcpasley (Post 21723771)

I have 3 old Vittoria Corsa CX Servizio Corse tires that came with a lode of "free" wheels I picked up. They were still barely attached to the rims with fossilized red mastic and none will hold air. The treads and high thread count sidewalls are in decent shape, but the sidewall latex is long gone. I thought I might try to patch one, and opened it up to find the latex tube was split beyond repair.

These look like they were quality tires back in the day. I have some latex tubes, and I was contemplating sending the tires and tubes to Tire Alert for repair. I would also have to seal the sidewalls with Tent Sure or Seam Grip or Cork Renew. I could even try to replace the tubes and base tape myself, as an act or penitent self-flagellation.

Has anyone had luck with Tire Alert repairing older tires like this? Or is replacing a tube more than I should attempt? Any advice is appreciated.

Originally Posted by woodcraft (Post 21724487)

I've never had a tire that I thought was a candidate for replacing the tube, & putting time & money into old & unknown ones would only be for learning or practice.


Obtaining and replacing basetape in particular seems way too hard and unlikely to succeed.


I did this repair kind of for kicks- it worked and I rode it for a while, but wasn't expecting much, and no money was invested.

Originally Posted by tcpasley (Post 21724616)

Thanks. Good job on that repair.

I hate to throw away anything I can fix, but on further consideration, I think I'll hold off and use the latex tubes in my best clinchers to see if I can believe the hype about the ride quality. I looked into replacing tubes, and I don't have the heart to either cut open a whole tire and re-stitch it or cut a new tube and splice it. And the old tubulars are only 700x20, which wouldn't support my prodigious quarantine mass these days.

I'll save my time and splurge on 2 new 25mm Sprinter Gatorskins instead of 3 sketchy repaired tires.

Originally Posted by woodcraft (Post 21724710)

Good choice, except for the gatorskin part.

Originally Posted by tcpasley (Post 21724956)

Well, that changed pretty quick. They were in my cart at $45 and change, but magically went up to $55. Then I magically made them disappear from my cart. From now on I'll shop the British sites instead of the world's richest man's site.