Tubular tires risks?

[Milzy]

Do any of you still ride tubular and if you get a puncture what do you do miles away? Phone call of shame? I’ve seen some mega light wheelsets for decent money but are Tubular. I suppose you could carry glue rim strips and a tire with you.

 

[Sharky]

No longer ride tubs, but when I did, always carried a spare, two if going on a long ride.

Also carried a repair kit of the usual patches, plus razor blade, wax thread, needle and thimble. And on one occasion, repaired a tub by the road side.

Also rode home once with a flat tub, with it still stuck to the rim.

 

[Fredo76]

One bike has a spare sew-up, the other has sealant and a valve core remover.

Both should have both, really...

 

[fossyant]

I only raced on them but I'd carry a 'used' spare tyre which already had the adhesive tape on.

 

[DCLane]

I use them on velodromes and time trials with spare wheels at the velodrome.

Once I tried commuting on cyclocross tubs which worked fine for a few months until I got a flat going to work and realised I hadn't left spare wheels at work.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think I've lived my entire life without even seeing a tubular tyre.

I thought they were purely for racing, not for solo riding out "miles away".

 

[Sharky]

This is what the real cyclists did .......

 

[Big John]

They're usually quite expensive to buy too. I never knew anyone at the club that used tubs. Nowadays the trend seems to be tubeless. Some newcomers have never even heard of tubs.

 

[rogerzilla]

They were used in professional racing until very recently (sometimes with fake decals for wired-on tyres, if they were sponsored by a firm trying to sell mass market tyres). Main reason is the light weight of tub wheels, although they also roll better under some circumstances, and can be ridden flat while waiting for the team car.

SOP seems to be to use tub tape, or to use sticky rim cement (not shellac) and to rely on the residual cement to stick the replacement in the event of a puncture.

 

[Webbo2]

Sungod who mainly posts on the ex Bikeradar daily thread, uses them all the time even riding round London. He has sealant in them.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Do any of you still ride tubular and if you get a puncture what do you do miles away? Phone call of shame? I’ve seen some mega light wheelsets for decent money but are Tubular. I suppose you could carry glue rim strips and a tire with you.

I've never ridden tubeless; we only rarely see them at work either: most people here use tubed tyres.

I can't remember the last puncture I had, it was certainly years ago, maybe decades.

 

[Sharky]

I've never ridden tubeless; we only rarely see them at work either: most people here use tubed tyres.

I can't remember the last puncture I had, it was certainly years ago, maybe decades.

Tubular and tubeless are not the same. Tubular have inner tubes and are complete tyre and tubes in a sewn up "sausage", which are glued to a different shaped rim. In the event of a puncture, replacing a tubular can be done in ultra quick time.

 

[Dogtrousers]

In the event of a puncture, replacing a tubular can be done in ultra quick time.

Is that so?

I always imagined that it would take ages, because of glue and so forth. But I've got no experience of them, I've only read about them. As said above I don't think I've ever even seen a tubular tyre (unless it was already on a bike).

 

[Sharky]

Is that so?

I always imagined that it would take ages, because of glue and so forth. But I've got no experience of them, I've only read about them. As said above I don't think I've ever even seen a tubular tyre (unless it was already on a bike).

Would probably take me about 4 minutes and have done in a race. Wheel off, old tyre pulled off, new one replaced and pumped up. A CO2 pump , which I didn't have would make it quicker.

Usually, there is enough glue on the rim, to enable the new tyre to stick.

Getting a "new" tub on the rim is an art and sometimes enormous strength. Those older tdf riders would have practiced.

 

[Milzy]

Would probably take me about 4 minutes and have done in a race. Wheel off, old tyre pulled off, new one replaced and pumped up. A CO2 pump , which I didn't have would make it quicker.

Usually, there is enough glue on the rim, to enable the new tyre to stick.

Getting a "new" tub on the rim is an art and sometimes enormous strength. Those older tdf riders would have practiced.

These days they use sticky tape strip instead of actual glue. Sounds faffy.