There was never any question in my mind that tubulars are more romantic than clinchers, and as a Velominatus I was always convinced that the additional time and care that goes into gluing on a set of tires would make you feel just that much more connected to your bike and the history of the sport itself. I was skeptical, however, that tubs would ride noticeably better – and even if they did – whether they would prove to be too much of a hassle to make riding them worthwhile.
Two and a half years after building my first set of tubular wheels and gluing on a set of handmade tires, I have eliminated clinchers from all my bikes. The ride is better, the gluing is a quick and easy process (once you learn a few tricks), and a tubular can be changed more quickly than a clincher. Plus the glue gives you a little buzz; what’s not to like?
The switch from clinchers to tubulars did require a change to my tool kit, however. This fact wasn’t immediately apparent to me and I went on several rides happily armed with tire levers and a spare inner tube. Gearing up for riding tubulars is a more subtle process than it is with clinchers, a fact which gives me no small amount of pleasure. First comes the approach to folding and carrying the spare tire, should you choose to carry one. Also, with the removal of tire levers, spare tube(s), and patch kits comes the introduction of repair sealant; in the event of a flat, the first tactic is to inject the tire with some goop and see if it seals itself, eliminating the need to replace the tire in the first place. This works splendidly in many cases, and appears to be a long-term solution as well; I have one particularly beloved tire which has been holding fast with sealant since a puncture over a year ago.
After a few iterations, my tubular-friendly survival kit has evolved into a beautifully compact system which takes up less bulk in my jersey than does the clincher version. It consists of a Lezyne Carbon Drive Lite rubber-banded to a tube of Vittoria Pit Stop and a Lezyne V5 mini tool. Nothing to it. On longer rides or rides with others, I will strap my tiny tub to my saddle as extra protection in the event the Pit Stop doesn’t work.
Tubulars ride better, corner better, are easy to mount, quick to change, give you a small buzz, and require a smaller survival kit than do clinchers. You heard it here first: friends don’t let friends ride clinchers.*
*Thanks to @Nate for coining this phrase.
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@Gianni
I've used Schwalbe, Bontrager and Stan's. One thing I really like about tubeless is that when they go they tend to deflate slowly as the air has no spoke holes to gush through. I may try running them again next summer but without sealant and only put in when I get a flat. That way the sealant should always be fresh to have best chance of sealing. Maybe also some more durable tubeless tyres will come onto the market. Interestingly I was dissapointed with the Bontrager tubeless as they did not hold air very well after a month or so. Kinda like a latex tube. When I switched to Schwalbe I also preferred the ride. I was surprised at the difference.
@antihero
Funniest crash of a buddy ever: my friend was riding his brand new Tarmac (circa 2005); after we ran through some debris he reached down to wipe his rear tire (first and last time ever) and got his hand wedged between tire and aero-ish frame, bringing him to an abrupt stop. He was able to semi-track stand for a moment and let out an "uh oh" before falling over with his hand still wedged.
We still laugh about that one and we don't wipe out tires.
@Charlie
The first thing I learned is that as soon as you have a layer of glue on everything already, it really doesn't matter how much more you put on; I have come home on a spare tire after cornering cautiously for the rest of the ride only to barely be able to take the spare off even after it hasn't been glued on (it just had a dry layer on it).
I slap on a layer of glue and I also don't sweat how long I wait; the conventional wisdom is to wait 10 minutes or so before mounting the tire but I just go for it right away. The glue can be a bit messy that way but you are moving along right away.
The second trick is to stretch the crap out of it as you first mount it; if you don't stretch it like crazy, you'll get a little lump in the tire. It also makes it easier to get the end of the tire on the rim.
Once it's mounted and aligned, I pump it up like a mutha and I'm happy to go ride the tire right away; I don't lay into the corners full speed and the tire will be a bit over-inflated from how I ride it normally, but its perfectly safe to ride.
@Thomas, @Teocalli
Are you guys using the Stans prophylactically or just post-puncture? Also, once its used, is the tire usable long-term?
What I like about Pitstop is that its fast, no core removal, and the tire can go flat (latex) and get reinflated without issue.
@RManneck
The biggest bummer is the expense of flats; there is a place here in Seattle that will repair them so that's an option. But so far I've not had to replace a tire yet. (Touch wood)
For the first time, I'll be riding carbon tubulars as my winter rain wheels; time will tell if that leads to too many flats to afford it. Until now I've ridden clinchers on that bike but carbon rims stop better in the wet so hopefully it works out.
@kenl
I'm a little nervous about winter debris, but I rarely flat my clinchers, so don't know why the tubs would be worse off.
@Zman
I think one of the big benefits of tubs is that the tire is one cohesive unit that doesn't deform irregularly like a clincher does, especially when cornering. From that perspective, tubeless clinchers are just as inferior as regular clinchers.
@Nate
Can't find gloves I like either.
@Rob
Crashing sucks ass but I've never crashed and only had rash on my hands. I guess I'm also a bit worried about the rest of my body.
But mostly I just plan for riding the way I want to experience it and don't assume I'm crashing (unless I'm racing).
@RManneck
HA! I attribute my lack of flats to riding farther out from the side of the road than most people do. Not riding over crap is the first defense against flats. Great point!
@frank there is also an outfit in Florida called Tire Alert that will put new butyl tubes in a tubular for $12 including return shipping. He'll put in latex tubes if you supply the tube. Also does base tape repairs. Touch wood, I have not required such services, but I hear good things. Note he won't deal with a tire that has had sealant in it.
@Ccos
I took my time, moved them into other applications (ie Zipp 404's to the VMH's CX rig) and was opportunistic about crazy-good deals.