LarrySellerz

Ive been keeping my eyes out for some carbon wheels, and found this https://www.ebay.com/itm/11533679859...cAAOSwFVxiJpnv which looks like a steal, but ive never dealt with tubular. From a short google search it seems like slightly dated technology, but still useful for racers. I was thinking about putting this on a bike to ride around town for errands instead of racing, is tubular a stupid idea for that application? This wheel is much cheaper than others listed, and I wonder if its because its tubular or because there aren't enough close pictures or something else. thanks.

edit: placed bid

mprince

KerryIrons

Yes.

WhyFi

Very practical. Go for it.

wolfchild

Go for it...hopefully tubulars will stop you from being a nuisance to other riders by asking them for tubes.

alcjphil

Tubulars are still used extensively in bike racing. However, those wheels are really, really dated technology

ThermionicScott 

Doesn't sound like a great move for someone who does not want to be self-sufficient, but sure, I'll follow along...

urbanknight

Woah, Spinergy Rev X, the "spinning blades of death". Blast from the past!

70sSanO

If you have never used tubulars, I’d pass. Just because the wheels look cool, don’t buy them. They are freewheel wheels and most likely will just sit and never be used. And few people will be interested in buying them from you. A waste of $200.

Also, there is exponentially less chance anyone will be able to help you out if you get a flat.

I’m not sure you can retract your bid, but because there are more than 2 days before it ends, you should be able to cancel it. Don’t wait.

John

LarrySellerz

What do you mean by this, whats wrong with the 7 speed freewheel?

LarrySellerz

Yeah i'm kind of excited, hopefully it doesnt explode. Plan on keeping it on a commuter/shopper for a weird flex

tomato coupe

With those wheels, you'll be able to bandit any charity event at any time, and no one will ever question your participation. In fact, you'll have so much bike cred, you'll be able to bring a dozen friends with you on the ride, and it won't cost any of you a dime.

trailangel

If you ride on tubulars, it's easier to strike up a conversation with the opposite sex... shirt or no shirt.

79pmooney

You are headed down a path that could become a real pain. 7-speed FWs are known to break axles because there is a long portion of axle between the bearings on the drive side and the dropout. Larger and stronger riders have much more issues with them. I gather from your previous posts you are strong and not easy on gear.

I don't know what you know about tubular tires. They and their mounting system is radically different and there is zero cross-compatibility. Also, no-one else on your ride is going to be using them. That means when you flat *(and you will) it is fix, replace, get a ride or walk home. Fixing takes hours, skill and a special patch kit none of your fellow riders is going to have. Replacing the tire isn't hard but two caveats. 1) you have to be carrying a spare. No one else is going to have one and very few shops will have one. And 2) unless you address this specifically, a road change spare will have minimal "stick" and have to be babied along until you get home and can re-glue it.

Edit: The wheels are cheap because on one wants the system. Plus Spinergy wheels were famous for issues decades ago. but even high quality conservative race and training tubular wheels are easy to find cheap now.

LarrySellerz

yeah ive broken atleast one (I think two but one is undiagnosed) axil on 7 speed freewheels, kind of thought that the one on this spinergy might be an older and better build quality than the new trashy ones I'm used to.

SurferRosa

Uh huh.

70sSanO

30+ years ago, not a lot. I still have one bike that is running a 7 speed freewheel. I’ve been doing this since there were cog boards at your local LBS.

The problem arises when you buy a tubular racing wheelset. If it doesn’t work out for you, few people will want that wheelset.

My understanding is that tubeless sealant can be used in tubulars. This helps if you get a flat. But if the sealant fails, the only access to the tube is to open the stitching, tubulars are sewn together, and hopefully pull the tube out far enough to patch and then sew it back together and glue it to the rim.

For a grocery getter this seems an enormous amount of effort for the accolades you’ll get for those rims.

John

LarrySellerz

I thought spinergy rev x wheels will only go up in price over time. The technology is outdated but the cult following is not going to go away any time soon, its a timeless wheel. Tubular makes it more unique even if only I know. People will buy them just to hang on a wall. I admit the 7 speed is pretty ugly on it

Koyote

Post of the Day.

So you start a thread looking for advice, and then -- before anyone posts anything -- you make a bid.

Gosh, Larry, it's almost as if you don't really want honest advice.

70sSanO

Depends on the cult. Most of them die off with the generation. And tubular wheels are probably dead for most people regardless of generation.

If they were clinchers, that “may” be a different story. Still, when the cult needs to explain the desirability to later generations who run tubeless on better wheels, I’d expect a shrug.

John

urbanknight

If I recall, those wheels were close to $1000 per pair back in the 90's. I have yet to see them go up in value.

genejockey 

The cheapest tubular tires you can get are probably going to run you $50 each, and they'll be really skinny.
And they need to be glued on.
And if you get a flat, you can't just put in a new tube, you have to put on a whole tire, which you'll have to carry, so you'll need to buy 3 tires. You may be able to get by bumming $5 tubes from passersby, but nobody's gonna give you their tubular tire if you get a flat.
And any tubular you could afford will probably be really skinny.

Then there's the wheel. You weigh 250, you say, which may be beyond what NEW Spinergy wheels were rated for.
You're looking at a rear wheel, which would be carrying most of your weight.
If it's a 130mm wheel, the axle is prone to bending, and you'd be putting a lot of weight on it.
Rev-X wheels are famous for catastrophic failure, even under riders who weigh a lot less than you
These wheels are probably 30 years old, with who knows how much use
You'd be buying without having seen or handled them.
You're not known for taking good care of your stuff.

But apart from all that.....

ThermionicScott 

This might happen.

mstateglfr 

You knew nothing about the wheels at the start of this thread and you are now a confident speculator on the projected value of the wheels moving forward?

LarrySellerz

I thought that they were couple hundred dollars a decade ago and have been steadily increasing in price. Atleast the ones that have been converted to fixed with the surly fixer are rising in price