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Gluing Tires

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Gluing Tires

Old 08-12-20, 08:31 AM
  #1  
Cowboy905
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Gluing Tires

Would like to get your opinions on this. I haven't really kept up with trends and don't do my own bike maintenance (live in tiny condo)

I have tubular tires on my road bike and I skipped my service apt this year due to COVID and no bike shops being able to take me. I got my tires glued last year at a shop that i'm not particular fond of.

I've called 2 shops around me asking to get my tires looked at to see if they need re-gluing (i'm paranoid) and the first one replied "tubulars? how old is your bike?" and i told him i've had it around 10 years now to which he said "weird, i would have thought a lot older if you're running tubulars" so i didn't bother taking it there assuming they don't have much experience. The next shop said they no longer glue tubulars and they just tape them saying it's less messy and tape is just as strong now.

Is there any truth to that? Can I just get new tires taped instead of glued or should i find another shop?

Thanks,
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Old 08-12-20, 08:39 AM
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This could help you decide whether you need to glue your tires again.


A lot of riders use tape now. It works very well. It is a lot more expensive, though.
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Old 08-12-20, 08:41 AM
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Thank you. I'm going to watch this. For the record though, when i buy a new tire, they should be glued instead of just taped right?
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Old 08-12-20, 08:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Cowboy905
Thank you. I'm going to watch this. For the record though, when i buy a new tire, they should be glued instead of just taped right?
Tape works very well, it is a lot more expensive, though.
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Old 08-12-20, 08:59 AM
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Don't tape. Use glue.

If you're tires have already been glued on for a year and you already have a solid base of glue on the rim and tire, it's not too hard to re-glue them. Just pull the tire - carefully to not damage it. Apply a layer of glue to the rim and the tire, let it dry 24 hours. Then put a layer on the rim, let it sit about 5 min. Spray a thin layer of water on the tire - helps it slide on and sit easier - and then put the tire on the rim.

Make sure the tire is centered. Then roll it around on the floor to press the tire in. Inflate about halfway, roll on the floor again - straight and at an angle. Then inflate fully, roll again. And let it all dry. You're good to go.

One tube of Mastik 1 should be all you need for this. Acid brushes work great for spreading the glue, and they are cheap, so you can toss them when you're done. They cost like $3 at Harbor Freight for a bag of 30.
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Old 08-12-20, 09:24 AM
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Tape should be just as secure as glue (and has been), but starts with a clean rim and tire, so makes more sense with new tires than reglueing existing ones.

I don't believe I've ever pulled a road tire off just to glue it back on, but suit yourself.
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Old 08-12-20, 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by woodcraft
Tape should be just as secure as glue (and has been), but starts with a clean rim and tire, so makes more sense with new tires than reglueing existing ones.

I don't believe I've ever pulled a road tire off just to glue it back on, but suit yourself.

yea i would never. If my tires need "regluing" i'm just going to get new tires. It was more of a question if its acceptable that they're just taped and not taped AND glued.
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Old 08-13-20, 02:11 AM
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Originally Posted by woodcraft
Tape should be just as secure as glue (and has been), but starts with a clean rim and tire, so makes more sense with new tires than reglueing existing ones.

I don't believe I've ever pulled a road tire off just to glue it back on, but suit yourself.
Same experience here for me with tape. Have used Tufo tape for about 20 years, quick, easy but yes it should be applied to clean rims. Used regular glue also for many years but the need to wait a day for it to cure turned me to tape.

Last edited by Fox Farm; 08-13-20 at 07:19 AM.
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Old 08-13-20, 06:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Fox Farm
Same experience here for me with tape. Have used Tufo tape for about 20 years, quick, easy but yes it should be applied to clean rims. Used regular glue also for many years but the need to wait a day for it to cure turned me to glue.
I generally wait overnight for my freshly glued tires to be ready. It’s been more than 30 years and never a problem.
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Old 08-13-20, 08:22 AM
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I've raced my tubulars (in crits, with very high speed and hard cornering) for 2-3 years without gluing (have always had to replace tires within 3 years). Agreed with the above about not pulling a tire off just to reglue it, unless the bond is already so weak.

This is another reason why it's important to glue your tires really well. They shouldn't be easy to pull off even after a year or three if you glued them right. The better the glue job, the less the rolling resistance.

Bad glue jobs make your tires slower.
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Old 08-14-20, 03:26 AM
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Paying someone to glue your tubulars is like paying someone to wash your dishes. It's easy. I think some people overdo it on the glue. I personally use two coats on the rim and one on the basetape, let it sit overnight and go. But I saw some used tubulars a professional team was selling for spares and by looking at them you could tell the mechanic just put one small coat of glue between each spoke hole. There was like a big dry space on each side of where the holes were.
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Old 08-14-20, 05:47 AM
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
Don't tape. Use glue.

If you're tires have already been glued on for a year and you already have a solid base of glue on the rim and tire, it's not too hard to re-glue them. Just pull the tire - carefully to not damage it. Apply a layer of glue to the rim and the tire, let it dry 24 hours. Then put a layer on the rim, let it sit about 5 min. Spray a thin layer of water on the tire - helps it slide on and sit easier - and then put the tire on the rim.

Make sure the tire is centered. Then roll it around on the floor to press the tire in. Inflate about halfway, roll on the floor again - straight and at an angle. Then inflate fully, roll again. And let it all dry. You're good to go.

One tube of Mastik 1 should be all you need for this. Acid brushes work great for spreading the glue, and they are cheap, so you can toss them when you're done. They cost like $3 at Harbor Freight for a bag of 30.
This is exactly right if you're gonna re-glue. Works for new glue job as well,
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Old 08-14-20, 08:32 PM
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Hard to get glue in Hawaii, so I went with the Carogna tape. As mentioned not cheap, but does a nice job. When I have pulled a tire (old tire) it's pretty hard to get off, but the tape sticks to the tire base tape (might not be so nice if you are repairing a flat) and leaves the rim clean. So if you have to mount a tire on the road (haven't yet with sealant) they suggest putting your spare on unglued (I would definitely use co2 and inflate on the high side and of course watch how I cornered).

scott s.
.
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Old 08-14-20, 09:16 PM
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I haven't ridden tubulars in 20 years but did since the early '70s. Settled in on using Tubasti for all my wheels except my good race wheels got Clement, Tubasti is a little different from Mastic or Clement becasue it does not set up hard but keeps some tack. I never stripped my rims. The longer they had been going and the more tire glues I'd done the more I trusted them. After a few I knew I could do a dry pull and mount a spare on the road and have a well glued tire by the end of the ride.

I am going back to tubulars as my current rims and tires wear out. Velox is still making Tubasti and a quick check shows a lot of current vendors. I would have no issues with riding tires on Tubasti'd rims for years or riding them after they've been sitting a long time. (Yes, I'd blow them up to around 80 psi and give them a good, hard sideways push.)

My brush-less glue application technique was pretty simple, Squeeze on a toothpaste bead between spoke holes (amount varied on thickness and condition of the old glue), take a folded small piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard, bend it with my middle finger to the shape of the rim, and go around the rim using it like a squeegee to spread the glue. Toss the paper. Fast and cheap.

Ben
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Old 08-14-20, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by colnago62
Tape works very well, it is a lot more expensive, though.
What he said!
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Old 08-16-20, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Cowboy905
yea i would never. If my tires need "regluing" i'm just going to get new tires. It was more of a question if its acceptable that they're just taped and not taped AND glued.
Huh ? New tires instead of $4 tube of glue ?
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