Originally Posted by
Dawes-man
After using cheap tubulars for a couple of years I was persuaded (was it by RoadFan?? Thank you, whoever it was!) to try some better quality ones.
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The first thing I noticed, when I put a couple on rims to stretch them, was how much neater the construction was - they just oozed quality in comparison with what I was used to. Then, weeks later when I fitted one, how easy it was to get it straight onto the rim. It was almost as if I couldn't get it on crooked even if I tried, it seemed to just naturally want to sit straight. In fact, it took me a few minutes to realise that the checking side-against-side I was so used to doing was unnecessary. No bulge at the valve, either.
This is probably sacrilege but I fitted just one to the back of my Hetchins to replace the burst Gommitalia... in a hurry and all that - but even at 8bar it feels far more pliant/absorbent of shocks than the others. It's just more comfortable, although that could be partly due to the 25 mm width against the 22mm that I'm used to. I can't speak to how it handles as I still have the Gommitalia on the front but I expect it will be better due to its rounder shape.
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My only small complaint is how quickly the tyre loses air. The Gommitalia needs air adding once a week, or 10 days, but the Veloflex needs air almost every day, certainly every other day. I wonder if this is normal? Would the Roubaix be any better? I say it's only a small complaint as I've quickly got used to putting in air more often. It's already part of the routine.
To sum up, I can confidently say that I will NEVER buy another cheap tubular.
Dawes, I've scribbled a lot about sew-ups here over the years. I'm glad you saw some benefit from it!
If you're losing air every day and you've tested for punctures (water bath), then your tires most likely have latex tubes rather than butyl rubber tubes. Losing air by the next day is just what latex does.
I'm riding less on tubulars the past few warm months. Trek 610 has old Conti 3000's (pretty supple, 28 mm goodness), Terraferma has 650b Hetres, and my Mondonico has 27 mm Challenge Paris-Roubaix tubulars. And I'm trying to ride the Terraferma more to build acclimation and sort out fitting issues.
When I went to the Challenges on that bike I took off some Servizio Corse. I liked those tires, but I like the Challenges a lot better. I'm sure some of it is simply down to air volume, but I also experienced easier installation with less messing around to get the tires to sit right on the rim. I'll still use up the cheap tires some day, but I certainly prefer the Challenges on the road.