Excel Sports has had some fine deals recently.

https://www.excelsports.com/vittoria...ular-road-tire

I got Continentals Competitions for the same price in the fall, $96 for 2

BEWARE OF SHIPPING! You have to have $99 for free shipping

Back to the future…found these in a small parts drawer and decided to mount them as I was doing some brake work. Hoping to finally get a proper ride on the Vittorias tomorrow. 58F in February in the Hudson Valley of New York, aka False Spring.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bc1fcc378.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf33c266b.jpeg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30f8bca83.jpeg
Made it out for 20 miles today, official first ride on tubulars in at least 40 30 years. Relevant data: I weigh about 190 lbs. and had the front at 90 and the rear at 100 psi. My impressions are positive, the Vittorias are smooth and supple, not a big gap between the Rene Herse and similar supple clinchers on my other bikes. These are 30s, and I run 33-36 on my other bikes except my Mercian which barely takes 28. Most of the roadways I rode are smooth, but one has a cracked surface and it wasn’t uncomfortable, all my teeth stayed in place! :)

I still experience that a quality of ride which I can’t characterize that distinguishes tubulars from even the better clinchers. Glad I have them.

I've been riding the clincher Vittoria Corsa G+ since they came out. The exact same tire, only stitched up and glued on is just nicer. Likewise, I cannot say why. And - you can go a size smaller without issue. Even two. And if you have to step down three sizes, nice tubulars start becoming the only decent ride. (Cycle Oregon on those tires, only in 25c front, a skinny 23c rear because I really wanted to do the ride on a 1983 race bike. 98 psi front, 110 rear. 150 pounds. Sweet!)

Actually I am pretty convinced that having all the air of the tire cross section between the rim and the road is just plain better.

Boy, that is some shiny chrome goodness, there.
Appreciate the report! I picked up some of the same Vittorias from the sale a while back & have built up a set of tubular wheels to go on my Holdsworth and I'm really looking forward to giving 'em a try. Unfortunately, the Holds is currently stripped down and waiting for me to get my **** together and get it painted or powder-coated...

...and ascherer just look how neat a taped tubular looks! Glad to hear how satisfied you are with the Vittoria tires.

[MENTION=94771]ascherer[/MENTION] - I love all of mine, both tubular and clincher. Try a higher pressure and see what you think. I run mine at 125/130 for 23 and 25's. They feel more sure on the road.
You may want to reverse the front tire scraper to match the rotation direction.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1f8da93_3k.jpgBianchi1971IntegratedHeadset on Flickr

106 miles yesterday on my glued 22mm Sprinters and Ambrosio Nemesis.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1f0a7d467.jpeg

I keep two tubular wheel sets ready to go: a free hub 130mm set and a FW 126mm set. This morning I moved the 25mm Sprinter Gatorskins from one wheel set to the other after I took off its 22mm Sprinters. And moved the Sprinters to the wheels that had the GS. Took about 1hour. Fresh glue on 4 rims with nicely stretched Continentals—easy peasy.

Totally tubular beer.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4bfb01607.jpeg

Yes, running the tire scraper facing forward as SJX426;23153743 does both means less happens when a twig follows the tire and the grit, oily water, etc. brushed off blows forward and away from your brakes and headset. Yes there is blow back but that's maybe 10% of the total brushed off instead of more like half. Your glasses won't do as well on those fast descents with your chin racer style on the handlebars on wet days so there is that.

A Very Slow Tubular Leak Question:

I know this is about to curse my good fortune, but since first mounting and riding tubulars in 2015, I've never flatted my tubulars. I don't use sealant because I tend to let a bike sit for a long time before rotating it into use. I ruined two very nice Vittoria Course tubulars that I did add sealant to because it ran to the bottom and hardened (expensive lesson learned).

My '71 Paramount P13 has been wearing a set of Schwalbe One tubes since 2015, and the rear tire has developed a very slow leak. It will drop from 100psi to 80psi in about 3 hours and will be flat in about 12-15 hours. I can't find anything puncturing the tire. I've not bothered to remove the wheel and place in water to locate the leak. I cannot hear the air leaking.

The tire in question is beginning to show its age. A few cuts and scrapes on the side wall. Thinning in the center of the tread with a few nicks and cracks here and there.

Looking for some collective advice as to how to proceed:

1. Add sealant and see if it stops the leak and ride?
2. Use this as an opportunity to look for the leak and patch my first tubular?
3. Celebrate the nine years of flat-free riding and mount a new set of Schwalbe Ones (I bought an extra set a while back)?
4. Other options?

And, since we like pictures, here it is back in 2015, shortly after they were first mounted.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...720&fit=bounds

I would use some soapy water and try to determine the region of the leak. I would put in an ounce or so of Stan's, blow up the tire and give the wheel a good spin. I suspect that sort of slow leak will seal easily. Also, first be sure to look around the tire for flints. If the tire is retaining any glass, that slow leak might just get a bit faster, so you want to take the opportunity to remove any injuring objects from the tread.

Something also to bear in mind, that soapy water test might indicate a leaky valve stem, so you should check the core to be sure there's no garbage embedded there.

If it weren't for the distance (CA's a jaunt from MI), I'd get a few sixes for my LBS just as a sew-up joke.

First, make sure the valve core is tight. If that doesn't do it, sealant. I've not had good luck locating a puncture by putting tire in water as the bubbles are really only indicating where the air is escaping from the casing and that may not coincide with where it is escaping the tube.

Great suggestion to check the valve core. I did so and it did tighten another full turn. I've pumped it back to 100psi and will check pressure later today.

Kia ora pastorbobnlnh ! Having seen many and varied examples of your craftsmanship in these pages, and even one first hand, I’m shocked you haven’t yet attempted tubular tyre repair. I think you’d end up making your own modern-day Clement Campionato del Mondos before long! Endorsing other replies though, I’d wait for a tubular with a clear leak through a small cut in the tread or embedded glass fragment so be sure the corresponding tube leak is easily located. Beware air escaping at the valve base, I’ve chased that some distance along the stitching to find the actual leak and been left with a lot of restitching to do…

Fantastic-looking Paramount by the way. Normally I wouldn’t requote a photograph but decided to make an exception this case!

Stick it in water to find the leak. Although I haven't seen a leaky stem, it is worth checking out.
i have seen some slow leaks from punctures that required digging in the tread. Here is an example:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0d88b39_3k.jpgDeRosaVitGFlatGlass on Flickr

I have three tubes in the queue for repair.
I won't use sealant for the very same reasons you have experienced.

Fortunately, I don't get many flats either - but more than zero.
1. I suck at sew-up patching. I'm glad I tried a half-dozen times, and I know the process, but too much work for too small of a chance of success.
2. I generally don't use prophylactic sealant, but if I have a small puncture on a good tire, I'll try the sealant to see if it'll hold - and it does often enough and well enough to justify the attempt and make the tire last a lot longer.

I just checked the pressure after a 20 hour wait. It dropped from 100psi to just below 20psi. So not the valve core. :(

I'll try to find time today to pull the wheel off, dunk in water to see if a leak is detectable and will add sealant. The current condition of the tread and sidewall doesn't merit a full-blown repair. This tire has given me nine years of use with no issues until now. Tubular life is good!

Another low risk attempt might be to replace the 9 year old core with a new one?

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...29d4833d7.jpeg

Couldn’t possibly use anything other than an Italian-made engraver/scriber for keying the tyre bed of my Record Pave rims. Always scribed parallel lines on new rims back in the 80s/90s and never should have neglected that step last year when sandpaper didn’t scratch the surface…

^The Horror!

Final report on my very slow leaking Schwalbe One tubular:

Sealant took care of the leak. :D The tire was still holding at 100psi this morning after adding Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex sealant yesterday morning and pumping to the same. Now I just have to ride the Paramount every week to keep the sealant from pooling at the bottom and hardening.

Interesting. In four decades on sew-ups both garbage and excellent, I've never seen displaced bubbles if the tire is in good shape. The path of least resistance is through the puncture or at least very close. I do pinch the tire to look for tread cuts in the area to be doubly sure though.

A small vessel of water and dish soap is even better I think. You brush it on generously, and where the air escapes, there is a large and obvious bubble.

Nine years?!?!?!?! You're not riding that nearly enough. You should eat a tire in no more than two seasons. ;)

I will defer to your far greater experience. Perhaps I had one bad experience and never went back. I do have a tire right now that I could have another go at it with.

I've been riding tubulars since the 80s and I have also experienced what [MENTION=427857]L134[/MENTION] is describing. Not often, but more than a couple times. I have submerged a tubular to find small bubbles emanating from a general area of the sidewall (say a few inches long), and not always exactly where the puncture is. This seems to me more likely with a well-used tubular, especially when the sidewall has been scuffed in a particular area. Some people apply a sealant such on the sidewalls (I use barge cement on the sidewalls of my Dugast cyclocross tubulars) which might also affect where the bubbles exit. I've also experienced air coming out from the casing in the gap around the valve only to find--after peeling back the base tape and opening up the casing--that the puncture is not at the valve. :notamused:

A dried out casing may indeed give a false indication, but I try to touch up areas like that with latex emulsion because the bare casing is more prone to abrasion damage. In any case, pinching the tread around the bubbles should give you an idea where the damage lies.

Valve hole bubbling might indeed be displaced, but when I've had that, it was leading to an irreparable failure of the stem on some Vitt CXes.