shnibop 

read through several pages and am having trouble finding any actual recommendations for specific tires, soooo...

can anyone recommend a gum-wall tubular that would look/be appropriate for a 1982 cinelli super corsa?

this would be my first set of tubulars, the bike would not be ridden frequently, maybe 50 miles a month.

my 1st choice would be something that is ERA correct, rather than a newly released tire, but will do "new" if it makes safety/cost sense. looking to spend in the $100 range (possible?).

USAZorro

$100.00 per tire, or for a pair?

shnibop 

pair sorry

USAZorro

Continental Giros are pretty good tires. The "house" tires from Yellow Jersey are pretty good too. Have heard good things about Gommitalias also from several people, and gotten a mixed report from one person.

jebejava

I've been using Vittoria Rally in the 700Cx23 size, gum wall, $25 each at Universal. They've served me very well and the extra width gives a nicer ride.

I've tried some Clement of recent manufacture and they were narrow and harsh riding. I think I was unlucky, but the front Clement flatted in less than a mile on the first ride! I've also used cheap Gommitalia Basics, bought at some swap meet. They too were wider and lasted a long time. However, I just couldn't find them again, only higher priced Gommis.

USAZorro

Rallys are ok, but I don't think they ride as nice as some of the others.

garage sale GT

I don't know if Cinellis came with special tires, but the Vittoria Rally has a vintage look except for the fairly large tricolor logo. They are available in gumwall and have a diamond tread. The Yellow Jersey 3-for-$50 model also looks vintage. Yellow Jersey apparently found a tire they liked and asked the maker to keep churning them out without annual improvements, so the cost would be low.

What I mean by vintage is "gumwall with diamond tread". They'll look vintage to the average cyclist.

Chombi

Rallies are definitely down market comapared to many other tubulars, but at least it still gives a much better ride than any clincher setup I've ridden on. You do get what you pay for in the form of base tapes that are sometimes not as straight on the tube as most of us will like, and issues that usually arise with the tire base tape resisting to bed down completely against the rim at the valve area because of lumpy/thick base tape installation by the manufacturer, which I found to be typical with Vittoria's Rally tubes.

Chombi

ScottRyder 

I've been riding with Rallys until I experienced the difference with Dugasts that came on my newly acquired Paramount. They are truly lovely but wow, expensive.

Scott

Legnano47

One tip I learned is to tape up the braking surface (all the way to where the tubular meets the rim) with masking tape prior to applying glue. This way you can get a little messy and when all done, just peel off the tape and you're good to go.

Maddox

+1. I recently had my first experience with buying and riding sew ups, and I ended going with the Rally. While it may be "downmarket", it's certainly worked perfectly for me and I find them to be exceptionally smooth and tight in the handling department. No problems mounting, no problems with riding, no flats, no issues whatsoever. To me, they were a great purchase and I would have no problem recommending them to someone else.

SJX426 

Like this idea!

I have had at least 3 flats in the last 500 miles, all on the Ralley. Can't complain about the price too much but the run rate is not good. Thought about repairing but at the price, maybe not worth it. My last one was yesterday on the front. I was riding with a couple of other people and didn't see what I ran over. That one lasted 520 miles.

I would consider more expensive tires, but I can't justify the cost at this rate of flats unles someone can tell me it is different.

Given the lack of respect for tubulars, I have started to monitor tubular availability at a LBS that gets NOS ones once in a while. He ends up selling them to me at nearly 50% off cause he doesn't get demand for them and they are ususally part of a package purchase he makes.

sced

Unnecessary because a little mineral spirits (paint thinner) on a rag cleans the glue up pronto.

Legnano47

Again , These are just tips. There are different methods.
BUT, Mineral Spirits are not allowed in the house or near our hardwood floors. Also, I don't want it accidently wicking into the tire casing. Don't know what it would do to the glue or tube. Don't want to find out either.
I can glue up a tire while watching the Tour all from the comfort of my sofa.

gt95

+1 on Conti Giros. Maybe its me, but for some reason the Giros don't seem to get much discussion on the board, the Rally seems to have captured more attention. The base tape on the Giros I've had to date is more securely glued to the carcass. Seems like I'm constantly re-gluing the base tape on the Rallys.

I realize they are both cheap tires, but I have an easier time getting a good install with the Giros - they seem to be straighter than the Rally, and I get a better seating on the GP4 with the slightly narrower construction.

noglider 

When I rode tubulars, I sewed them up with dental floss. It's very cheap and very strong.

sykerocker 

I still do - it works too well to not use. And, another very happy vote for Rallyes. Five years running and they haven't let me down yet.

Chombi

Don't really know if I mentioned it earlier in this long thread but I'd like to throw a vote in for Schwalbe Milanos. discovered them after I've been riding Vittoria Rallies. A bit more expensive but it's a higher quality tire than the Rallies. Base tapes are nice and straight with no lumpiness as some Rallies have. They are also much lighter. the ride is a bit more comfortable as the tire seems to be more complaint overall with thinner feeling tread and sidewall material. I haven't rode them that much yet, but I suspect that they will be less flat reisitant than the Rallies, but the ride quality is a definite step up. It pretty much is in the lower mid-price portion of the tubular market at around 40-45 bucks a pop.

Chombi

Oldpeddaller

Nah, Nostalgia's not what it used to be!

Tubulars are awesome - always have been always will - and that's my totally subjective view! Tub 'socks' really were socks back in the day. We'd hang a bare tub on a toestrap under the saddle, but in the summer the glue would pick up dust and in the winter the whole lot would get wet and covered in mud. Socks go in the washing in pairs and end up as singles in the drawer three days later - it's an immutable law of nature. So, you leave the lonely sock there in the optimistic hope that it's partner will magically appear some day. Never does - that's another law of nature. They must have a bad homing instinct and a strong migration urge. So, instead of binning them all, we'd pick a nice looking long one, pop the glued & folded tub inside with a few other bits, twist and knot the top and strap this cool looking sausage under the saddle. Then go riding, British Clubman style, hopeful that we'd never need to untie that sock. I only punctured a tub once - an a day I'd left my spare behind after cleaning the bike. Luckily a passing rider was carrying a full sock and took pity on me. Nostalgia in spades!

gaucho777 

Anyone have any advice for repairing/filling a small but deep gash like this?:

Fred Smedley

I believe you can cut a small section of sidewall from a old tire and boot it with glue covering your hole.

noglider 

That looks small enough that you can fill the hole with crazyglue.

Road Fan

That's certainly the basic method.

In a pinch folks have used essentially anything flat that happens to be handy as an emergency boot. You really just need some layer between the innertube and the tire to prevent the innertube from herniating through the hole and bursting. And BTW, this issue is not limited to tubular repairs. Because one does not usually repair tubulars on the road, rather replacing with a spare that you carry, it's not usual to have the tire opened up on the road. But, we are talking about emergencies ...

Dollar bills, other premium paper, and large leaves have been used. I'm not diligent about carrying good tire repair stuff on rides, but I do have a few old cotton tubular carcasses that I can cut up for boot-stuff. In the shop (my Tire Repair Room in the basement) I've used contact cement to glue the booting patch to the inside of the original tire. I don't know if it's really a good idea, though. I really don't get flats very much, any more.

Essentially the glue is needed to hold the boot patch centered on the hole so that innertube pressure will force it against the inner surface of the tire carcass, and to hold it in place while riding. The friction due to that pressure essentially prevents the whole works from herniating through the original puncture hole. The boot patch also helps to carry carcass tension due to inflation pressure, in the region of the hole. If the carcass is not too badly weakened near the hole and if the boot is large enough to spread out that friction and carry tension in lieu of the carcass, it should get you home. In the few places I've ever read anything about booting, you need a piece maybe 1.5 inches by 3 inches for an effective boot.

I've used Shoe Goo to fill tread gashes for which the carcass underneath was not exposed or at least damaged. I think it's good to keep the cotton threads under the tread protected from direct road damage.

Road Fan

..... might work! But there's a lot of pressure trying to force the inner tube through the hole. Once it starts to press through the hole it makes a little balloon, expands through the puncture, and finally bursts when the innertube wall gets too thin. But, it's been a long time since I've booted anything, so I don't mean to say that booting or other tread stopping is always necessary. I've certainly only done it rarely.

Bianchigirll 

well this was fun. when I was home over the weekend I picked up and old wheel, nothing special a HF Record hub laced to an old "bark n Squeal" super champ. the tire was a rather tired looking 20yo or so Wolber 290 Classic, not the best when new. I was hoping to get atleast one more ride out of it. about 7 miles into my ride KABOOM!! the whole tire seperated from the base tape and rolled off. luckily I was able to stay upright but had to try and roll a few feet to slow down and wider shoulder.



the worse part was I thought I would seek refuge in the shade tres by the Jehovah witness church but there were dozens of nasty little horse flys and gnats lurking there