BikePower

So Im out there about to put the new tubular tires on the 1986 Nashbar road bike and they seem to small. I cant get them on the rims to test fit them? Did I get the wrong ones? They say on the side 23 - 28". Vittoria Rally. I was told I have 700c rims. I cant find anywhere on the wheel where it says anything about its size. I hope I dont have to send these back and then wait some more for the right tires. Im really getting antsy to ride this bike!

ascherer 

Have they spent any time inflated in order to stretch them out? I recently bought a set of Vittoria Corsas and they spent a week or two unmounted and inflated (I don't remember, maybe 60-70 psi) before I tried to put them on rims. When I did it was not overly difficult.

gaucho777 

Sounds like you have the right size tires. You do need to stretch them out a bit before glueing. The first mounting can be a challenge but stick with it. Once you get it on the rim, inflate it to max pressure and let it sit a few days prior to glueing to reduce struggling with a glued up tire.

Bianchigirll 

Yep. They just need a little stretchy stretch. Most tubular users keep their spares hanging out on old rims.

unworthy1

the last thing you want to be is antsy when installing sewups, you have enough trouble so breathe!

Don't know why certain European makes call a 700C tire 28" but they do when it comes to tubulars. Maybe just to make newbies more antsy!

dddd

The 28" designation refers to the OD of the mounted tire.
But in this day and age, the tires that fit on 700c/28" rims aren't fatties that would have inflated to 28", they are tires that evolved into the skinny 700c tubulars of recent decades, still mounted to the same, very-old-sized 700c rims.

Don't expect durability from cheap tubulars such as the Rally, Giro, or Yellow Jersey and such. They tend to suffer a variety of failures not even related to punctures.
I haven't used them in about two decades, so they might have better quality control now. They were inferior to the cheap racing clinchers I used at the time for training, in terms of their durability. I had blisters appear under the tread many times, which led to blow-outs even running very modest pressures for my 150lbs.
Stepping up to Sprinters or Tufos, durability was quite good.

Maohaus

All of this sizing discussion brings up the question: "Are there 27" tubulars, or are they all 700C?"

SJX426 

@MaoHOUS - predominantly 700c/28. There is a t least one exception for junior racing, but I don't remember the size, something like 24"

pastorbobnlnh 

In Tubular lingo 27" = 700c and 28" = 700c.

I have no idea why there is the "27 inch" designation. If you measure the diameter of the tubular rim with an Imperial tape measure, you will come really close to 26 inches. I've seen eBay sellers who are not bike savvy list tubular wheelsets as "26 Inch Bike Wheels." I was able to purchase Dura Ace/Aero tubular wheelset at an amazing price last year because the seller listed them as "26 Inch" wheels.

Kai Winters

They are the right tire.
They are hard to get on a rim because they just 'sit' on the rim using glue to hold them in place so a very tight fit is necessary.
I always dry fitted my sewups to a spare rim/wheel to allow them to 'stretch' into shape before use. I'd let them sit for weeks or months before using them. Even then, depending on the tire brand, it is hard to get them on. Vittoria is one of the 'easier' to put on a rim and was my favorite sewup...Vittoria Corsa's 21mm ahhh those were the days.
They are difficult to put on a rim but the more you do it the easier it gets as you learn techniques to assist. I always sat on the floor and used my bare feet to hold the rim at one end while using my hands to bring the tire onto the rim.
I always started with a thin film of glue on both tire and rim...allow to dry for at least several hours then apply another thin film of glue to the rim and install the tire...once installed adjust the tire on the rim making sure it is centered...allow to dry for 24 hours before use...I never rolled a tire using this method.

cranky old road 

I bought a Sprinter 26" x 22mm tire a couple of years ago by accident. No idea what wheel it is made to fit. Make an offer LOL

jdawginsc 

Almost positive you are right. For the Triathlon 650c size maybe?

BikePower

great instructions im going out there now and install these babies!

Do you inflate them to full.pressure while they are drying for 24 hours before use?

Wildwood 

Everybody needs a rim for pre-stretching tubulars.


As to the question of, “Did I get the wrong ones?” The answer as always = Depends. Maybe you should have tan walls or the ‘green’ walls instead of black sidewalls. A pic of the 1986 Nashbar would help.
(the greenish color is obvious in better light)


Taping or gluing both work. Tubular tape is faster. As a longtime gluer, I now trust tape for tires 28mm or narrower.

SharpByCoop 

I just did a pair. first time for me, and it was HARD to pull around, even stretched.

i DID expand them according to Calvin on Put 100lbs of air in them overnight or longer as they came.

They WILL turn inside out, but apparently it won't matter. Mine fitted and are in place perfectly now (I used three coats of glue: Once on the rim and twice on the Tubular.)

Thanks to others for the insights on what 700c and 26/27" means.

Trakhak

More info on tubular tire sizing, from Sheldon Brown's tire sizing webpage:

"Tubulars existed in several different sizes, but only 700c and 26-inch tubulars are readily available these days. Beware: sizes of 26" and 24" tubulars are not well-standardized. Take the rim with you when buying a tire, and vice versa."

obuckler

Your comment about the tire turning inside out makes it sound like you aired the tire up before you mounted it?

if that’s the case, you will find it easier to mount with just a slight bit of air in the tire to hold shape.

SharpByCoop 

Yeah. I put 100lbs in overnight.

I wish I knew better, I took almost ALL the air out of them to mount. it was messy, yet I got it.

Next time I'll leave them inflated just a bit. Like mounting an inner tube: Give it some shape better than no air.

Thanks.

JohnDThompson 

I always stretch the tires before gluing them. Getting a new tire on the rim to stretch can be a challenge; I use zip-ties to hold the tire in place as I wrestle up the final section. Once it's on the rim, pump it up hard and let it sit a few days before removing it for final gluing/taping.

N.B. I don't recommend fully inflating a tubular tire off the rim; it will tend to turn base-tape out, and IME that can lead to the base tape separating from the casing later on.

BikePower

ooops

SharpByCoop 

Pre-inflate tubular @ 100lbs... That's how I did it. I referred to an installation video . I figured they knew better than me.

So far so good.

SharpByCoop 

Pre-inflate tubular @ 100lbs... That's how I did it. I referred to an installation video provided by Michelin. I figured they knew better than me. (Jump to 1:47)


But,.. I understand your caution. So far so good.

obuckler

That video guy is clueless. He says pre-stretch first (good advice). but he just airs up a loose tire— not mounted on a rim. He just airs it up. That is not pre-stretching!

And he doesn’t even air it up to 100 (which as you hear here not a good idea off a rim) —you can tell by how limp the tire was when he set it down.

You have to be careful who you listen to!

Addendum: As I think about it more, maybe he is saying one thing but doing another. I just looked at that part. Not the whole video.

I can see how it was confusing. So at best it was poorly presented.