What tyre do I buy for Peugeot Vitus 181?

[Peddler101]

Hello, I am currently restoring an old road bike. All the information I can find is that it is a Peugeot Vitus 181. Special double-butted. Serie Legere.
I know that it has tubular tyres (sewn together with the inner tube), but neither on the wheel rim or the bike frame does it state the type of tyre needed or even the size. I have looked on the worn tyres I am trying to replace but I can't find any writing on there either. Can someone help? (Photos attached).

 

[Cycleops]

Being 70/80's bike I'm sure they'll be 700c, x 23 or 25c, not cheap to buy now. You'll also need some adhesive too. The old glue will be a pain to remove, try spirit. Don’t forget you’ll need one to carry as a spare in case of a puncture.
Good luck.

You'll need a special tool if you want to remove that Helicomatic freewheel.

 

[Sharky]

Don't forget, you'll need to buy three! One for the spare.

And good luck with fitting them - new tubs can make Marathons seem easy!

 

[midlife]

Vitoria Rally are cheap and cheerful if you just want something to get you going, about fifteen quid each.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Don't forget, you'll need to buy three! One for the spare.

And good luck with fitting them - new tubs can make Marathons seem easy!

I can remember heating them and pulling them against the sole of my foot to try and stretch the bloody things to fit. They were essential for racing before clincher tyres improved in weight and quality, but high maintenance.

 

[Sharky]

I can remember heating them and pulling them against the sole of my foot to try and stretch the bloody things to fit. They were essential for racing before clincher tyres improved in weight and quality, but high maintenance.

My memories as well. And trying to get the tubs running straight after the glue got hold. Messy.
But once on they were good.

 

[Cycleops]

Puncture resistance is poor unless you get Gatorskins at sixty quid a go so better be brushing up on your sewing skills.
Combined with the above you can see why many swap out the rims for clinchers.

 

[avecReynolds531]

No experience of tubulars, sorry: always used clinchers.
Posting to say I like the frame a lot - Vitus 181 is a quality tubeset.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[BalkanExpress]

As @woodbutcher said you can pick up cheap tubulars for about the same as the price of a tyre and tube.

They are a faff to fit, but you might as well give it a go once and see if you ever want to do it again.

First up the rims will need the old cement clearing. This is always a bit messy and if the rims are old and well encrusted then it can be really messy. I prefer using a heat gun on a low setting and then giving the softened glue a crape with a wooden lolly stick. Don't let the rim get too hot, have a go on one section and then move on to the next, repeat as necessary. Others may suggest using glue dissolver, acetone, or something else. These all work, but if the glue is old you may need a few attempts and some elbow grease.

If you intend using tape to fix the new tube (I'll come back to this) you should have as clean a rim as possible. If you decide to use glue you can get away with a cleanish rim.

Next up you will need to dry fit the tubes to give them a bit of a stretch This can be a fight, watch a couple of videos and look at how to do it. Stretching helps when you get around to gluing/taping.

Taping is much less messy than gluing, if the rim is clean then I'd choose tape every time. Glue can get messy do not do it at the kitchen table, gloves are good, and I use making tape on the braking surface of the rim to keep the glue off. Whichever you chose, again watch a few video's first.

Is it worth the effort? It's very much a personal and financial choice, I find that cheap tubulars ride no better than good tyres. However, good tubulars are lovely. This may of course be selection bias but is also because I ride fairly wide section tubulars 27 or 28mm so you can drop the pressure and they still roll well.
Just realised that I have dromed on far too long.

Have fun and try not to glue yourself to the bike...please dont as me how i know that

 

[midlife]

If you decide on tape try Tufo tape, YouTube have fitting videos

 

[woodbutcher]

If you decide on tape try Tufo tape, YouTube have fitting videos

Tufo is the way to go, easy to fit if you follow the video !

 

[woodbutcher]

As @woodbutcher said you can pick up cheap tubulars for about the same as the price of a tyre and tube.

They are a faff to fit, but you might as well give it a go once and see if you ever want to do it again.

First up the rims will need the old cement clearing. This is always a bit messy and if the rims are old and well encrusted then it can be really messy. I prefer using a heat gun on a low setting and then giving the softened glue a crape with a wooden lolly stick. Don't let the rim get too hot, have a go on one section and then move on to the next, repeat as necessary. Others may suggest using glue dissolver, acetone, or something else. These all work, but if the glue is old you may need a few attempts and some elbow grease.

If you intend using tape to fix the new tube (I'll come back to this) you should have as clean a rim as possible. If you decide to use glue you can get away with a cleanish rim.

Next up you will need to dry fit the tubes to give them a bit of a stretch This can be a fight, watch a couple of videos and look at how to do it. Stretching helps when you get around to gluing/taping.

Taping is much less messy than gluing, if the rim is clean then I'd choose tape every time. Glue can get messy do not do it at the kitchen table, gloves are good, and I use making tape on the braking surface of the rim to keep the glue off. Whichever you chose, again watch a few video's first.

Is it worth the effort? It's very much a personal and financial choice, I find that cheap tubulars ride no better than good tyres. However, good tubulars are lovely. This may of course be selection bias but is also because I ride fairly wide section tubulars 27 or 28mm so you can drop the pressure and they still roll well.
Just realised that I have dromed on far too long.

Have fun and try not to glue yourself to the bike...please dont as me how i know that

l know this sounds a bit weird but l use washing up liquid neat , to soften the glue ,even really hard old stuff goes all limp waisted when you show it the Fairy liquid. Makes me wonder what the hell is in the stuff.

 

[woodbutcher]

l know this sounds a bit weird but l use washing up liquid neat , to soften the glue ,even really hard old stuff goes all limp waisted when you show it the Fairy liquid. Makes me wonder what the hell is in the stuff.

Wristed not waisted !

 

[PHL67]

Hello, I am currently restoring an old road bike. All the information I can find is that it is a Peugeot Vitus 181. Special double-butted. Serie Legere.
I know that it has tubular tyres (sewn together with the inner tube), but neither on the wheel rim or the bike frame does it state the type of tyre needed or even the size. I have looked on the worn tyres I am trying to replace but I can't find any writing on there either. Can someone help? (Photos attached).
View attachment 538357 View attachment 538358 View attachment 538359 View attachment 538360 View attachment 538362

I use tubs on a few of my bikes, mainly old Peugeot. Inflate and leave for 24hrs this then helps with shape and a little stretch then go on easier. I clean old glue off with a fine wire wheel on a cordless then run fine wire wool over them. I use rim tape and find them easy enough to put on. Line up centrally on rim and push onto rim tape. Pull rim tape cover off as you go. I have these on my 531 competition and my Vitus 172 with Normandy large flange rims on Mavic rims.

 

[Gunk]

I’ve just swapped a set of Challenge Criterion tubular over to a pair of Vittoria Corsa clinchers as I wanted conventional tubes for convenience and the old Challenge tyres were badly cracked, However tan wall 23c or 25c tyres don’t come cheap, mine were just under £100 for the pair.