hrdknox1

What brand tubular tire do you recommend to carry for a spare?

Steamer

A proven tire you took of your wheel because the tread was starting to get too thin.

JohnDThompson 

AFAIK, all tubular tires fold. You could also carry them "bandoleer" style, figure-8 with an arm through each loop and the cross on your back. This is good for when you think you might need multiple spares.

Used tires that you've patched are good candidates for spares; they already have some glue on the base tape, which will help hold them in place.

waters60

Exactly.

Doge

Tufos. Light, fold small, high pressure, and you really don't want to ride them.

woodcraft

https://www.tufotires.com/tufo_elite_jet_tubular.html

160g. About 1 1/2 X the size & weight of an inner tube.

Fits in saddle bag.

Actually super fun to ride on, if it gets to that.

McNamara

So...when I go out for my first ride on tubulars, what should I carry? Kinda hard to prove a tire before I've used it.

woodcraft

Plus if was too thin to ride on so you took it off, maybe it's now disproven...

Dean V

It really depends on your situation.
If you ride in an area where punctures are more common you would want to use a reasonably robust spare.
Especially if being stranded with a second puncture is going to be a major inconvenience.

Steamer

Same as what's on your bike. If this stresses you out, stick to clinchers

Steamer

Remove it before it gets too bad. Not suggesting threadbare.

woodcraft

Just poking fun

This is how far my last one got-



Here's the Tufo Jet tire with a tube for comparison. Costs $60+ but used as a spare it doesn't wear out.

waters60

I assume the Tufo has been glued and ridden, or at least glued? That is the beauty of the used spare. It fits well on the rim and had enough residual glue that it won’t be rolling.

woodcraft

It turns out that that one does not have any glue on it- it goes in a backpack with the around-town bike. It's 20mm and fits tight, I can't imagine cornering hard enough to roll it.

The same kind for the road bike spare is glued and has been used maybe twice.

I trashed one of these once in winter when I put it on after getting a leak, then rode through a flooded area and ripped the sidewall,

so now I consider bringing a more robust spare for that condition. I also bring a bigger tire for off-road or mixed rides.

It's kind of the same deal on the CX bike- a regular road tire as a spare if the 33mm tire flats. It works because the smaller tire will stay on better

than a poorly glued CX one and of course is easier to carry.

hrdknox1

This seems like the perfect spare I want to carry...compact and durable. A few others have also recommended Tufo's (elite). I think I'll go with it as the spare just to get me home.

Doge

Compared to what?

Doge

2 CO2 bottles and adapter, Stans No-Tubes sealant, the valve stem wrench, a Tufo wrapped up.

Find the leak. Is it small? Glass, Goat head? Take valve off, use half bottle of Stans, make sure it gets to move around, screw in valve, CO2 inflate, spin slowly for 30sec. Ride home.

If the cut is big, think about a ride share and reglue at home.

If ride share is not an option - use Tufo.

cycledogg

I agree, but "ride share" would be my last option. YMMV
Cheers

msu2001la

How do you get the glued tire off the wheel?
I'm a bit naive on this topic, but I feel like there's no way I could rip off one of my shop-glued CX tubulars by hand. I've never tried, but I assume when the shop removes them, they're using tools of some kind? Maybe it's not as hard as it looks.

Anyway, I carry a can of Vittora Pit-Stop, a spare CO2 cartridge and just hope for the best. I've never had to use it, and have no idea if it would even work. I'm always nervous about flatting on my tubulars so I tend to only ride them for racing and in limited training situations where I'm OK calling for a ride. Maybe I should consider getting a spare tire to carry and start riding them more often?

JohnDThompson 

Usually I can just grab it and roll it off the rim. Once you get a short section off the rim, it becomes easier. For particularly stubborn cases you can shove a tire iron between the base tape and the rim to get it started. I like steel tire irons because they're thinner and easier to work into tight places. Not sure if I'd use them on carbon fiber rims, though.

Doge

I do not glue as much as some do. I've gone from light glue, to heavy glue to what I think is a good balance. Also glues and rim shapes have changed.

Anyway, if you glue the edges very well with Mastic One you really need to just break/crack the edges to peel the tire off. A super glue job will often ruin a tire in removal is not done carefully.

You CAN put a rod under the tire and roll it and remove it without damage. This is not a roadside technique. I typically have tires I care a lot about re-using/re-purposing. So my response above about scrapping the ride and taking a car ride home.
I have not had to do that since ride shares have been in business. I did get a glass cut last week and Stan's fixed it. When that was my kid's tire, I'd carefully remove it, then use it for me and he'd get a new one.
This is a non-flatted very nice tire I wanted to move to another rim. This technique works well for a very tightly glued setup. As this was for track - I glued more than a road setup. The rim was also narrower.

cycledogg

Can one carry a spare with TAPE applied but leave the outside protective covering on until need to apply? Or will the tape get all messed up and create a mess?

McNamara

Thanks, that sounds like a plan.

Doge

I hear the new tape is better. The tape I used in the past would not come off the rim easily. I expect tape would work.
The purpose of a spare is to get you home, and be replaced with your proper tire (later), not rip around a corner as in a race*. So you really don't need to be concerned very much about the bond if you agree with that premise.


*Nobody replaces a tire during a race and continues despite a certain movie.