The divisive nature of Rule #29 is not to be underestimated. It is but a humble satchel, but our rejection of its use sends people completely out of their minds. One fine gentleman even threatened my editor at Cyclist Magazine with cancellation of his subscription on the basis that they published an article wherein I espoused the virtues of going EPMS-less. If I recall correctly, the reader felt my writing was, “a black eye on an otherwise flawless magazine.” Some people, it appears, really love their saddle bags.
Nevertheless, the truth remains: they are ugly and there is no need for one if you choose your tools carefully and maintain your bicycle appropriately. Granted, if you prefer an al fresco lunch mid-ride and therefore require room for a baguette, some brie, and a nice bottle of Burgundy, you may require more than a jersey pocket. Similarly, if you are of the mechanical inclination that requires you carry a press for on-the-road headset replacements, you might also require some additional storage. That said, if your mechanical skills are at a level that your bicycle is in such a state, I might argue that carrying a cell phone and an emergency contact list is really all you need because the tools are unlikely to help.
But I digress. Ugly though the EPMS may be, it is obviously perfectly acceptable to tie a spare tubular tire under your saddle. This is for the obvious and irrefutable reason that riding tubs is for the more cultured Velominatus and strapping a tire under the saddle is the traditional way the Europeans have handled carrying a spare tire ever since they stopped carrying them strapped over their shoulders. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by the fact that a European Posterior Tubular is often mistaken for an saddlebag. One is a nod to our heritage, the other an abomination sense and style. Trust me on this.
But carrying a spare tub does pose a challenge: how do you roll it up into a small enough package that it (a) doesn’t sway (b) doesn’t rub the insides of your pistoning guns and (c) doesn’t fall off and get tangled up in your wheel.
The first two are a matter of what style of tire to carry. The natural inclination is to carry a spare tire identical to the ones you are riding on your wheels, but that is likely to be a 23 or 25 mm tire and will be rather bulky when rolled up. Instead, the spare should be considered an emergency tire intended to get you safely through the rest of your ride; you’ll be pulling it off and gluing it on properly when you get home, so it can be chosen for its folding size and weight rather than to match it to the tires you normally ride. Then comes the question of how to roll it up into a tiny package which can be neatly strapped under the saddle (see photos). Finally – and I learned this the hard way – if the tire does come loose over some unusually rough roads (say, washboards on a high speed gravel descent), you will want it to stay in the small bundle rather than unwinding and getting tangled in your back wheel.
European Posterior Tubular Guidelines:
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Folding a Tub/”/]
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@Nate
Ref Gianni's article a while back that he was surprise was not referenced by Frank............
@Geraint Ah, logic and rational thought. In an argument about the Rules and bicycling aesthetics, that's almost sweet!
@Geraint My take on the no EPMS argument is that through some careful consideration of what you actually need, you can fit your shit into jersey pockets without them bulging and sagging to the point of ridiculousness. It's a discipline that forces efficiency both in what you carry but also in your maintenance and it's valid over almost any distance (excluding sandal wearing beardy audaxing).
If you can do that then there is no need for an EPMS to sully the lines of your bike.
Spare tubulars on the other hand are a bit bulkier and threaten to overload a jersey pocket. For me, there isn't a more efficient way of carrying a spare tubular than under the saddle and I don't see why I should hide it away in an EPMS as it's not going to suffer from road spray, it's going to corrode as my multi tool would.
As for the 'look, I ride tubs' statement - isn't that what we have articles like this for?
In today's Velosnooze, Zinn answers a question about tubeless tire/wheels. And I quote:
@Gianni
Yeah, like I said 35 posts ago.
@frank
Out of an abundance of caution, I tend to over-glue my tubs. Removing them from the rim by hand results in nasty blisters on the thumbs, and often rips the base tape right off.
As such, I carry a tiny multi-tool that has an equally tiny knife in it. A couple of quick cuts plus few hard yanks and the tire is off the rim in 30 seconds flat.
@Chris
Popping the tub into a water bottle on the seat tube is a good option for rides that don't require lots of fluids.
@antihero
I tend towards over-glueing as well. I'd rather struggle with a tubular on the side of the road than come off when the thing parts with the rim. I read somewhere, could have been on here, that if you leave a small unglued or lightly glued section about an inch long you'll be able to get a tyre lever in to start prising it off. I've always gone for a gap non wider than a Pedro's tyre lever and that's worked for me but I don't think I would have been held up for too long if I hadn't. Once you get it started they tend to come off fairly easily.
@antihero
True, but completely useless when you're already packing a third bottle into your jersey.
@Haldy
I think the UCI has banned them, haven't they? There were a lot of them for sale round here about 12 months ago.
@Geraint
The tubular tyre is a beautiful thing. It is ciclismo and elevates the whole experience to a greater standard. What you are defending is just the daily common place.