As Keepers Tour crossed from dream to reality and routes over the cobblestones of Northern Europe were sketched out, with it came the familiar tingling in my fingertips and uneasy sensation at the base of my spine as my mind starts its irrevocable journey towards categorizing as mandatory an unnecessary indulgence. I was going to need a wheelset and tubular tires that were up to the job.
The folklore goes a long way towards that justification; Paris-Roubaix is the race where every trick of the trade is exploited to deliver riders safely to the finish. Equipment which usually carries riders for a season or more finds itself in the trash heap after a single day on in Hell – maybe good enough for training but certainly not be trusted for another race. Special wheels are built, and only the strongest tubulars are glued to the rims. Aldo Gios, De Vlaeminck’s mechanic, is said to have aged his tires in his wine cellar to allow the rubber to harden, making them more resistent to punctures.
Ignoring the possibility that there may be some difference in strength, speed, or skill with which the Pros ride over the Cobbles, it didn’t take me long to determine that it wasn’t so much a matter of wanting a set of tubulars for Keepers Tour, but that it was indeed my obligation. I have a responsibility, after all, to the attendees of trip that I not fall off my machine and bash my head open on a cobblestone. Messy, certainly, but it may also frame the event in a somewhat negative light, and I think we’d all like the opportunity to do this again some time. The only way to assure I don’t suffer some catastrophic equipment failure and jeopardize the trip was to build a set of wheels based on the same components the Pros select for the purpose, and line them in the same rubber they choose. Logical, really.
The seduction of symbols was the first phase, followed quickly by the art of building wheels. The final step was to procure the right tires for the job. FMB is perhaps the most revered name in hand-made tubular tires; inspection of photos of Roubaix will reveal the pale yellow or green sidewalls of the FMB Paris-Roubaix tire on many of the wheels bouncing over the cobbles – often rebadged on order to satisfy sponsorship obligations.
I needed a set, naturally.
The tires were ordered in December, as from January onward Francois (of Francois-Marie Boyaux from which FMB takes its name) becomes overburdened with orders from the teams riding Roubaix and indicated he wouldn’t have time to squeeze in an order from a nobody such as myself. They arrived in February, at which point they displaced a few bottles of wine to age in the darkest corner of our basement which doubles as our wine cellar. Having mounted another set of tubs on the wheels in order to bash the bejezus out of the wheels so as to make myself a little less certain that I buggered the wheel building process, they had to wait until this past week to be mounted.
They have not yet been ridden, but they certainly look the business.
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Gluing on a tubular tire is a glorious study in patience and settles beautifully in the intersection between art, science, and ritual. And the glue smells distressingly fantastic.
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What the Seven looks like now having had a respray (obviously in homage to you know who).
There are a couple of rule violations here, I am sure, including fact that its a compact and I've a 12-27 on it (useful on the Paterberg and the Koppenberg, believe me). Its set up for Flanders sportive on 30 March (shame the Keepers tour didn't decide to participate). Crosstop essential for arresting progress on cassein in event that might involve >15k Belges and hellingen. The new Vitt Paves have a single green stripe down the middle rather than 2 green stripes (see front tyre vs rear tyre), which is mildly irritating. It'll get saddle bag (Arundel Tubie) to carry spare tub and a C02 canister. Rear wheel is tied and soldered.
@Tubular Swells
NICE!!! I am registered for this years' P-R Cyclo in June and will be riding 27 mm Pave' tubulars on HE'D C2 Belgiums. Did the tubs give you any trouble? How many bars did you run in them and how much do you weigh (if you do not mind me asking!). Thanks!
@Tubular Swells feel free to post as many pics in as many places as you like. I'm sure none of us will grow tired of looking at both the bike in its current form and when previously in action.
Jealous? Certainly, but only in a good way.
No trouble at all. I overinflated them (110psi) because I always do and because I was paranoid about pinch flats, which was ludicrous in retrospect. I will run 90psi in Flanders, I reckon I could get down to 80psi without any problems. I carried 2 spares (24mm Paves) which turned out to be a waste. 74kgs. I confess to have become slightly irresponsible about tubs and pinch flats on the basis I've never managed it. Glass cuts, yes, pinch flats, no.
Before anyone comments on the Knog light in the first photo citing a rule violation, in my defence if you do the full 255km you start pre-dawn and they insist on you riding with a light. By the Arenberg I had forgotten I had it on.
IF paint jobs are superb. (Apologies for the Syncros seat post, I needed a 27.22m seat post at short notice and this was sitting around in the shed.) With the Ambrosios on, this one has rolled around Flanders. Another triumph of income over ability.
@Tubular Swells
Nice rig. I am also fond of the Ambrosios with 36 holes in your previous pic. But soldered spokes, while old-school, doesn't add to strength of the wheel. Just my hubmle little opinion, but I wheelbuild and I am just not convinced.
WOW, I just rolled over to Velominatus Level 1!
@Tubular Swells
Super info! I, also, purchased and have two 24 mm Paves for spares for the ride and weigh just a kilo or two less than you do. Thanks so much for telling me. Helps my planning tremendously!
@Tubular Swells
Great looking IF! Is that a man satchel under you saddle? WTF?
@gaswepass
I built up a set of relatively inexpensive CX wheels last year- Velocity Major Tom Rims, Sapim Spokes, DT Swiss Hubs and Dugast tires... show them to you next week- they made a HUGE difference in the handling characteristics of the bike. The Toms are 22MM wide so the tires profile is quite different from a clincher.