Thanks, will order a couple more. Since I’m using tape, should I carry anything but the spare to get home, then re tape the rim?

Were it me, I'd always carry a bit of extra tape just in case some pulls off the rim during the removal process of the flatted tire. I always lose a bit of tape from the rim, as bits tear and stay on the tire while pulling it off.

DD

I have finally dipped my toes into a tubular world. Tomorrow, I'm having a N.O.S. Nisi Corsa Stretto laced to a 36H Atom aluminum, rear hub. Is there anything, in-particular that I should tell the builder? (I'll probably use the Sapim D.B. 15-17g spokes). The front Nisi rim will actually have a Bayliss/Wiley steel hub, (both small flange).

Assuming this is a dished hub for a freewheel or cassette, you'd be better off using 14-16 for the right rear. (Different length anyway. Making them bigger helps keep them from getting mixed up though this shouldn't matter to a pro builder.)

I absolutely love 15-17s all around on my fix gear wheels and same but 14-16 right rear on the geared wheels. My Mooney wore a set of the latter with GP4s in the 90s. Those wheels went 17,000 miles with a couple of tweaks of the spokes. Rear rim failed when I bunny hopped a crack and missed. (Brakes and super abrasive Pacific NW lava dust. No sidewall left.) Had to bump on home with an inch deep indent. The sewup didn't care.

I'll do that. It makes sense to me. I run straight 14g on my long-distance bike, which has clinchers. (Try to avoid surprises, because I carry no phone). I used 15-17g on the Constrictors I just built with fixed-gear Hardens.

Custom hoops are pretty specific to you, your wt, your purpose, the chosen spokes/nipples etc, but one piece of advice given your choice of parts, go brass nipples, sounds like this build will be permanent as alloys are weaker and I have popped a few over time.

I am 170 lbs and the roads are very smooth. I'll talk to him about brass nipples. So, there is nothing to consider, specifically, when it comes to building on tubular rims, vs clincher? I don't know how much experience he has with tubular, but he seems quite experienced. He has built clinchers for me, before.

Nothing I can think of - except leaving off the rim tape. Spoke selection and pattern should be no different at all.

no difference at all between tubular build vs clincher, in and of itself if all things equal. its all the same in reference to your weight, riding style, cadence--spinner vs gear masher, purpose of wheels--ie hill climbing vs all day touring, so generally especially with your choice, they are going to be overbuilt for 170lb'r, so go for longevity and do 3 cross, brass nipples and your going to probably never see the day you'll need to replace them

I picked up a Cross bike about a year ago and it came with Tubular wheels. I ride pretty much indoors but am seeing a bunch of organized gravel rides and am thinking I want to give it a go.

Question: I see tubular tires up to 34mm wide (Gommitalia) but the majority are 33mm. I have done some searching but not finding any wider options. Do they exist?

thanks, chris)

I suppose you might find something larger if you look hard, but regulations prevent the pros from racing on anything wider. Pros likely represent the largest market for tubulars. The bikes they ride are also designed around those regulations, so won't fit anything much wider. The good news is that quality tubular tires of any width tend to ride more like wider clinchers.

Not just pros - any sanctioned race.
I've seen some reviews on tubular gravel bike tires that go wider than 34, but they weren't good reviews.
I also don't think I've seen road tubulars wider than that.

I have some 50mm Schwalbe Racing Ralphs but Schwalbe seems to have got out of the tubular business and the residual supplies of the 50mm tires seems to have dried up. Dugast shows tires up to 50mm on their website. ReneHerse carries some FMB's up to 34mm. They are pricey.

tubulars on gravel are an interesting thought, quite unorthodoxed for sure, but...packing a spare...you can mount w/low pressure and change without glue in the pinch and in a straight line home....interesting if it works for you! Let me know

dano

Thanks for all the replies...

I did not not know about the regs. Thank you for that.

I did find 38mm on Dugast and Challenger. Have to see if anyone in the US carries Dugast.

I am 61 and no heroics in my riding style...so tape, which is light, FTW!

I purchased the bike off ebay and it came from an ex-cross racer with Cole tubulars. Essentially I paid for the wheels and they came with a bike (Reven Voltage). I think it is a nice setup coming from a 15 year old Kestrel. I want to try the tubular which is new to me.

Prices have gone way up!

I don't think Tubulars will be more likely to flat than tubeless which is the go to tire system for gravel events. 33 is pretty wide and with sealant, go for it. If you don't make the podium because of your tires, then build some new wheels:love:

I communicated with Jonathan Page back in 2020, at which time he was the US distributor but the website no longer seems to be good. I just learned this morning that Vittoria bought out Dugast in 2021. Back in 2020, Jonathan told me one could special order custom tires - any tread/width - from Dugast at the same price as the stock tires. As I recall, the turnaround he quoted at that time was pretty fast. I have no idea what the situation is now.

I'm deciding on some tires to try on my Nisi Corsa Strettos. Has anyone used the Bontrager R4's? I like the fact that they are 320tpi and skinwall. 700x25 is 290g. Fifty bucks is not too expensive.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e...-tire/p/12295/

Unavailable at the moment but interesting tire. Concern is durability for street tire vs race tire.

No! There is nothing unorthodox about running tubulars on gravel. A 120 years ago ALL races were run on gravel and tubulars. Very few non-city roads were paved. All racing was done on tubulars. More recently, look at any of the classic Tour de France (1920s, 1930s) photos of the high mountain climbs. No pavement, no clinchers.

I raced New England in the '70s. We did a few stretches of unpaved roads for a mile or two on full race tubulars with no issues. (No one talked tire width numbers back then but I'm guessing the common Criterium Setas were roughly 21mm. I ran ~110psi. I cannot say I enjoyed the gravel but invariably the race slowed down when we hit it and it made for an easy way for this not so fast hill climber to get to the front! Now my winter cyclocross tires on "heavy" 400 gm rims could go all day on gravel with ease. (Boston's roads weren't much better and in places, the potholes worse.)

I've been riding cyclocross on tubulars for years. No complaints at all.

Fave these days are Vittoria Corsa Control Graphene 2.0 in 30mm width, black/skin wall. Consistent quality expectation out of the wrappers, perfect true as if machined on a lathe, fast quiet plush ride.
Tag me whenever a deal is found. They're pricey like car tires. Cheer's

Well, I do say it is unorthodox still yet, given if you have 100 riders out on gravel now, i'll bet you count 100 on either clincher or tubeless, so it is counter to the current practice to propose its orthodoxy to run tubular

Correct: 120 years ago, as I understand it, the first tyres were tubular (i believe exclusively tubular) and thats all they had for years, but that was 100-120 years ago

I too have raced on 21mm tubular, on occasion had the gravel segment and agree, it can be done, I will say, I puckered up in the saddle when we did the segments, and the pickle is if you do flat, you better be packing a replacement
I'm not opposed, just saying, its different and not many that I have seen are doing it, albeit, I have thought about doing it but would like a bigger volume 35mm tyre or 36mm.but haven't seen many offerings on the market either