There was a time when bicycles were lovingly handmade by artisans who themselves loved the sport more than those for whom they built the machines. Lugs were filed to become Luggs; chain and seat stays were beautifully chromed for durability despite the grams it added to the frame’s final weight; spokes were chosen for their purpose and laced to hubs and rims in a pattern that suited the specific purpose the wheel was intended to serve. Throughout the process – from building the frame to manufacturing of the components – extra care was taken to make every element of the bicycle beautiful; these bicycles, when you are in their presence, radiate La Vie Velominatus.
As was customary at the time, components would be pantographed and frames repainted and rebranded, leaving behind little evidence of their origin. But hidden in the components and frames were symbols that the manufacturers stamped into their wares to preserve their identity; Colnago their Fiore, Cinelli their C, and Campa their Shield. These symbols have come to hold great meaning within the sport and we of a certain ilk scour the photos of our heroes’ bikes for evidence of their existence.
For a variety of reasons including cost, proprietary tube-shapes, and repeatability of production, these practices have largely died away in mainstream bicycle manufacturing; in fact, nearly every element in the art of bicycle building that requires attention and skill is slowing being eliminated from the craft. Ahead-set stems have replaced the need for a carefully adjusted headset and stem, sealed-bearing bottom brackets and hubs have eliminated the subtle touch required to hold a race in place with one hand while tightening the assembly with the other. By and large, the machines and riders are stronger than the terrain they race over, leaving little practical need for the attention to detail and customization that once came as a matter of course.
There is, however, one magical week of racing where the terrain is still stronger than the riders: the cobbled classics of de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. This is the one week during which the Pros still require highly customized machines and we, as fans, can scour the photos of our heroes’ kit, looking for the symbols tucked away in the components to discern their origins. One such symbol is the brass badge affixed to the valve-hole on Ambrosio rims.
These rims are chosen by the Specialists for their strength on the stones regardless of what wheel sponsorship obligations might exist within the team. Their mystique is further deepened for those of us living in the States because they aren’t available here. It follows, then, that the Golden Ticket, as I call it, is something I’ve coveted for as long as I can remember (which, admittedly, isn’t very long and, upsettingly, keeps getting less long) but have never had a good enough reason to justify procuring from Europe. But Keepers Tour, Cobbled Classics 2012 provided the perfect justification to go about finding a set and I wasted no time in doing so. Upon arrival, the rims spent the better part of two weeks sitting in my living room or next to my bed, patiently waiting for me to pick them up and rub my thumb over the badge, just to reassure myself they were still there.
Not long after the rims arrived, I excitedly loaded a picture of Boonen in the 2010 Ronde and turned the laptop to show my VMH.
Frank: Hey, what do you see.
VMH: Boonen. Goddamn, he’s a stud. Don’t let me too close to him; I can’t be responsible for my actions.
Frank: What about his wheels.
VMH: What?
Frank: Don’t you see? He’s got my rims.
VMH: You can’t possibly know that.
Frank: Openly shows his exasperation by groaning audibly and rolling his eyes. Yes, I do. Check it. You can see the Golden Ticket on his back wheel. Its obvious as shit. What’s wrong with you?
VMH: Sighs, pours another glass of wine. Exits stage left. Hopefully not for good.
*Coincidentally, on the same day that this article was being written, Inrng published a similar (better) article on a related subject of hand-built wheels. Well worth the read: The Dying Art of Wheelbuilding
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@frank
Second-hand view point here but my sensei/coach had this to say when we were discussing the merits of tubs:
I've used Tufo sealant in Tufo tubs and never punctured ... although I might have done and not realised!!! ;-)
Tufo sealant DOESN'T work in anything other than Tufo tubs though (which aren't repairable other than with the sealant). I've not tried other makes of sealant in other makes of tub but I've no reason to doubt it won't work ok.
For what it's worth I have had great success with Stan's when Mtn Biking. On some big ol' 2.4" tires with tubes I have had "would be flats" that have sealed almost instantly with just the loss of a little pressure.
I don't know if your tubbies have removable valve corse but if they do and you can get hold of a syringe (VMH is an ER nurse) it makes putting the sealant in very easy.
@frank
I read up on the topic and put a bit of Caffelatex in mine as by far the most common flat I have is from little bits of glass or wire, which in theory the sealant should deal well with, certainly enough to get me home. Caffelatex seems to get the best reviews.
Of course on Saturday I rode over some fender bender debris, putting a hole in my rear tire the diameter of a pencil, well beyond sealant. First time I've had such a puncture on any kind of tire. I was almost home and just Van Summeren'd it the rest of the way. I had been riding without a backup tire as most of my routes would allow me to JVS back to public transport in the event something like this happened far out on a ride but I'm rethinking that and looking at adopting the classic spare under the saddle with toestrap approach.
@frank
I know of several people who have used 10-20ml Stan's solution and rate it for all but the biggest holes. The only downside is that over time it can dry and/or coagulate causing a lump of rubbery stuff to noticeably and audibly roll around inside the tyre - in a clincher the lumps can easily be removed, but that's a lot trickier with a tub.
@frank
I used Stan's in my CX tubs with great results. NOT a lot, but technique matters. Get it in the tire. Spin said tire. Remove tire from bike and flip it parallel to the ground and slowly rotate and shake. Flip over and repeat. Getting the gunk in all the nooks and crannies is what seals it tight. All those years of mountain biking are finally paying off...
@Oli
Thanks Oli (and @Chris, @paolo, @Nate) - that's more what I'm after. I've heard it works, but what are the drawbacks. Based on the feedback, I'm loathe to put it in my FMB's, though I might not care too much for training tires where the security outweighs the downside of the rattlerattlerattle.
@frank
Weight primarily I reckon, but it's probably all of about 20gr/tire.
I think in my research I read that the Caffelatex doesn't coagulate like the Stan's but I can't be sure nor can I be bothered to replicate the work. You could probably found what I found with a bit of Google-age. Other issues -- if you have a big puncture (like I had this weekend) you might have to clean up some sealant residue on your frame. Another tip is to position the valve stems correctly when inflating -- at about 4 o clock, to let any sealant drain out of the stem before you pump, to prevent leaks/sprays of sealant.
@Anjin-san
Great info - thanks!
And don't let your latex tires with sealant go flat and leave them sitting. The sealant will stick to itself and tear the latex tube from the inside.
@frank
I agree with Nate and the only sealant you'd want to use in your tubs is Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex.
The best way to repair the tubular without compromising on riding qualities is of course an old needle and thread method however since new tubulars are getting harder and harder to repair this way sometimes you'd have to use sealant.
I did many tests and tries on my old tubs I kept over the years and despite the Caffelatex Espresso instructions saying that it will fix punctures up to 1mm I had luck repairing bigger cuts of 3mm.All you have to do is use it properly.
If lets say you have a flat on a road and want to use Espresso Caffelatex it's important to deflate the tire fully,locate the puncture which is usually caused by a small sharp glass,take that small glass out of the tire and while injecting the caffelatex from the pressurized can hold the cut in the tire with your thumb until you fully empty the espresso cartridge.You will feel the tire is filling up with air and you should continue pressing with your thumb finger until the puncture seals itself.You will have now around 5 bars in your tire.If you don't cover the puncture with your thumb the sealant will simply spray you and the frame and it might be not enough latex left to seal the puncture fully and then you're fucked buddy!
If this scenario occurs you need to refer to old school method when sealants were not known or used and take off the punctured tire and replace it with the pre-stretched and pre-glued tube from under your saddle or your jersey pocket.So even if you carry a 1L bottle of sealant ALWAYS carry a spare tube as this liquid shite might not work.
If you want to have more than 5 bars in your tire to pump it up use a mini hand pump rather than cartridge inflator.High inflator pressure might cause just sealed area to burst.
If you don't want to carry Espresso can on your rides use Caffelatex sealant from the large bottle.Carry it in a small 20ml bottle and use injector and a mini hand pump in case of puncture.
Stans works well and it's stronger however the tubs just don't feel the same after injecting 20 ml of it.It may be only 20g however rotating mass in your wheels feels rather more.Most of the time too much sealant gets the wheel out of balance and it spoils the plush ride on a tubular.
Caffelatex in comparing to Stans is ammonia free and behaves different as it's a foam rather than a liquid.As you spin the wheel caffelatex foams and spreads more evenly preventing from any imbalance.Plus I never noticed blocking the valve when using it and what is very common with other sealants.
Personally I'd only use sealant when my tubes are almost done(30% of lifespan left) and when I'm sure I will not be repairing them with an needle and thread.And injecting sealant as a preventing measure before you even get a puncture is a total waste of a tubular and its qualities.Sorry but only fools do so as you may wear out the tire completely and never get a puncture.