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/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Haldy sweet. May I encourage you to let Dario go buck wild with the paint?
@Nate
When he asked me what color...I stalled trying to run through all the paint scheme's I'd seen in my head. Seeing me freeze up..he says- "Pink?...how about Pink?...I will do you a special pink", so now the order form reads- Dario's Special Pink.
@Haldy
oh he'll yeah. I wish I spoke Italian because english isn't up to the task of endorsing that plan with sufficient gusto.
@Nate
I wish I could explain how his eyes lit up when he was scribbling down Special Pink next to my fit numbers.
@Cogfather
Because it's shit! Besides that, the list is long. It makes sense on low pressure wheels such as MTB where it is popular, but on high pressure road tyres.
@Haldy
Whether or not you can explain it, I can picture it. Fuck yes.
@Nate
Yep , I got the puncture part! Just not why he is changing his own tub.
@Geraint
+1. Its ugly.
@frank
It's never been a problem even on those occasions when I slide back a bit further in the saddle looking for a bit of a change from my usual seated position. It's no wider than the saddle is above the seat post.
I used a couple of the rubber bands that came with my Garmin to hold it together so it's as tight as it can be for a tyre of that size.
I quite like the idea of something of a slightly heavier duty nature so that if I need it, it'll have a chance of getting me home on sort of shitty road surface that that seem to be destroying my tyres. A light weight TT tubular would seem to up the risk factor.