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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@MangoDave a lot of the light older rims are too light to build a viable rear wheel spaced for 10 or 11 speed. Not sure the details but probably worth some research before you get too far.
@MangoDave
H Plus Son tb14s, Mavic reflex, are both popular tubular rims as well.
@MangoDave Another modern option is the Kinlin TB-25. Same weight as the Nemesis, but half the price. The 25mm V shape is pretty stiff, so you can get away with 10/11 dish and fewer spokes (it comes in 20/24/28/32).
@Nate
Thanks Nate. I don't think I'll look for older rims, I'll stick to current models. Plus, for some reason I keep thinking my hubs are a new model, but reality sets in and I realize they are 14 years old already. I'm not getting older, must be some kind of a time warp.
@pistard Not too familar with the Kinlins. So far, my "research" has been a quick google search while pretending to work. The only thing that has turned up is that some people have complained about cracking the Mavic Reflex.
It must be a sign from Merckx, so far no one has threatened to hit me with a frame pump for considering destroying a perfectly acceptable set of Open Pros in order to build tubulars.
@minion
According to their own website, the H Plus Son TB14s are clinchers designed to resemble a tubular. Maybe I'm missing something.
Spa
@MangoDave
Yes, they are clinchers. For a while there were rumors that H Plus Son might do a tubular equivalent or their Archetype (also a clincher), but no dice so far.
If you can find them, the Ambrosio Montreals in hard ano are similar to Nemesis but less expensive and slightly lighter. If you're going to run a 25mm tire you could also consider the Bike Hub Store TB415w, a 23 mm tubular rim similar to the Major Tom. Haven't used it, but have read good things about it. @nate has some Hed Belgium tubulars; they're supposed to be pretty sweet too for a modern 23mm rim.
@Nate
Nice when you can find something that fits well. I tried both the Antares (a full season) and the Aliante (still on my CX/rain bike but not really digging it. If you can demo an SMP it's a good option. Steve Hogg has a comprehensive post on all the different SMP models and another from a reader about the impact of the SMP for him. Not trying to be an evangelist here; looking to share what info I've found.
@teleguy57
Those Hampstens are sweet-ass looking bikes and its a dream to have one. To hear he helped you out getting the fit right is just all the more awesome.
I was going to point out the different stem/fork in the second shot. Very nice looking steed!
Gianni swears by that saddle and that is good enough for me, although I'd rather have my groin amputated than ride one. But that's just me.
Yeah baby!
@Chris
That photo would be much more meaningful without the landscape and with some fucking gravel, git!