We can mimic the pros in many ways; kit, bikes, shaving our legs. Even if we’ll never ride like them, we can try (mostly in vain) to look like them. We’ll buy a piece of equipment because our favourite pro endorses it, or even adopt trends that the peloton have, such as alloy classic bend bars, slamming a 140mm stem, or putting those plastic sticky things across the bridge of our noses (yep, I actually did this in the mid 90’s when Tinker Juarez was rocking them on the mtb World Cup circuit. It didnt help a bit, and I looked like a twat). There are many pro traits that are certainly frowned upon and should never be attempted, like wearing the rainbow bands or maillot jaune. Then there are things we would love to be able to do, like snort cocaine with 18 yo models, but there’s as much chance of that as Cav finishing the Vuelta. And finally, there’s things that we can do, but are probably too cautious or conservative to do.
Like running tubs.
We know that every pro bike has the tyres glued to the rims, but how many of us actually own a set of tubs? How many would like to own a set? How many get the fear of Merckx put up them at the mere thought of getting caught miles from home with a flat? Ok, I hear you say, they’re only for racing, but how many of us are good enough to benefit from the reduced chance of a pinch flat on the cobbles, or the decreased rolling resistance from a 100 gram weight saving? I’m not seeing many hands… anyone, anyone? But still, I want some!
I’ve been on a mission to find a light set of wheels for Il Profetta, and scouring eBay and TradeMe has coughed up quite a few sets of tubs. Some going pretty cheap too. Several times I’ve been poised to push the ‘buy now’ button, but like a kid too scared to jump into the river from the highest bridge in town, I keep pulling back from the edge. It’s like, I might hit the water wrong and break my neck, but probably won’t. At worst, my shorts might fall down while scrabbling back up the bank to dry land, with the other kids pointing and laughing. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take. Clinchers are like having extra-strong elastic in the trunks, plus a drawstring for back up. Tubs on a punter’s bike are like a pair of Speedos on a fat bastard.
Just as I was ready to give up the idea of tubs altogether, we received an impassioned email out of the blue from an enthusiastic sew-up fan going by the moniker of “Tubolari”. He suggested in no uncertain terms that it was less than hardcore to ride clinchers or even to use tyre levers to remove them. The most surprising thing was, he wasn’t a grizzled old Italian mechanic or former Belgian domestique, but has only been riding for a year. Is it merely a case of wet-behind-the-ears zeal, or is he onto something? Should we all be digging out under the house and storing a stash of tubulars in there to age them? Let’s see…
Tubolari’s reasons for riding tubulars:
- You get to say you ride tubulars with a smug grin.
- It is an appropriate procedure to simply ask for tubulars in determining whether or not a bike shop is a REAL bike shop even if you don’t plan on buying tubulars.
- Tubulars are generally relegated to the lightly used sections of a store thus making you more hardcore because you need to blow dust off of the packaging just to read the specs that you’ve already read online.
- Personally, I use tape (Velox Jantex 76 Competition tubular tape) and that pretty much takes the hassle out of it. I think though, it makes me less hardcore than those who use glue.
- I love it when a machine breaks (tubbie flats), it shows that a machine is just as vulnerable as a human. I love to bring my machine back to working order like a doctor. It also gives me a reason to don my Campy cap and sing Italian tunes like in Breaking Away.
- Subjective qualities:
- I take a corner at speed with tubs (Gommitalia Challenge $30 a pop) and feel the bump (I begin to panic) but the tubbies have already deflected around the rock and I’m safe, I grin and press on.
- I take a corner at speed with clinchers (Continental Grand Prix 3000, $75 a pop) and feel the the bump (I begin to panic) and jump about what feels like half a foot sideways (I check my shorts, they are dry), I press on.
- I joined a charity ride as a volunteer (ride guide), I am the official tubular tire repair/changer mechanic and get my own car, walky talky and office. The office I use will be for participants to drop off their tires and wheels for spares so I can SAG them on the ride. Not bad for starting road biking last year right?
- Piling spare tubs in your jersey gives others a conversation piece when on tours with your local club.
- Merckx rode tubulars so it seems only fitting ;).
- Tubulars are like wine, you like some, you don’t like others. Some go well with Steel and some go well with Carbon Fiber.
Some compelling points for sure, and it’s hard to argue with his passion. Or is it? Keeper Gianni loves an argument, and can refute the strongest of opinions with a sneer, or just by hitting the reply button;
Yeah, yeah, senor Tubolari, talk to me in a year when you have peeled off, opened up, patched, re-sewn, re-glued, and re-glued more a bunch of tubolaris. Sure you may get laid more often riding tubulars, but trying to get a girl’s bra off with all that tubasti glue on your mitts is tough.
I’ve done my time with them and moved on, tubless road clinchers is where I’m heading, the great beyond. Come with me.
Cheers, Gianni
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View Comments
I hear clinchulars are where it's at.
I have made the move to tubeless on my Baum (Campy Shamal 2-ways) and so far results have been good and not so good.
The Not So Good
I first started with Hutchinson Fusion 2s and in the space of a few months got three really big cuts in the tyres that I certainly haven't got before. One of the cuts was able to repair itself whilst I was still moving, which was pretty cool at the time - but not before spraying my bike and myself with a bunch of latex sealant which made me and the Baum resemble a porn starlet who had just been on the receiving end of a money shot.
Once I got home and cleaned up I had to ditch that tyre - the hole was sealed but it wasn't a permanent repair.
The other two times, the massive cuts required insertion of a tube - which requires the Hands of Heracles on a Campy rim and another soiling at the hands of Lord Latex. And the tyres were dead after that.
The Good
Have now switched to Hutchinson Intensive 25s and have not had any trouble since. The ride quality has been great.
So for me, jury is out on tubeless - as more tyre makers come into this space, I think it will improve further.
Or will Road Tubeless be the Betamax VCRs of cycling. A far better product than clinchers (VHS) but never get the customer take up.
For now, am running clinchers on my no. 1 bike - even in races. And I hear you on the marginal gains that tubulars might give a plonker like me. I would benefit more from not eating huge amounts of cake disguised by coffee shops as a "muffin".
I do like Turbolari's reasons and I wish I could say I run tubulars.
I have 2 pairs. Oli's hopefully tickling one pair back to life for me now. 400 gram difference (for the pair) between them and an identical set of rims with gatorskins on em. Won't ride clinchers on the track because Wanganui's banking scares the shit out of me and there's no way I'm riding clinchers on that.
Wait, what's your point? You want the Tubular fairy to make you a better rider?
Vittoria rep on tubeless
Need to scroll down to get to the letter. I own ultegras that I can run tubeless but can't see the point.
PS I have 3 pairs of tubs, not 2.
Oh, this would kick off a discussion lasting for days in my favorite German cycling forum. One thing is for sure: tubbies have rather a higher than a lower rolling resistance compared to clincher tires inflated to the same pressure. And the rolling resistance and "feel" of tubulars very much depends on the mechanic and if he is a master in the art of gluing. And there is also no higher puncture resistance of the tubulars. It is just that they cannot flat due to wrong installation as it may happen with the inner tubes of clincher tires. And they may lose air less quickly than the latter. So if you ride on your own w/o a mechanic in the service car and complete wheels that you can use as replacement in case you run flat on the roof the car, and you have to pay for spare parts yourself than you should stick to clinchers.
But they have a big advantage when it comes to cyclocross (or Paris-Rubaix-like events). You can run the big tubbies (32-36 mm) at much lower pressure than the clincher tires having a lower risk for snake-bite flats at the same time. This gives a lot more control. So I run Dugast Rhinos (and in the next season also Challange Limus) tubulars for cyclocross. And I mount them using the famous Tufo tape. (see picture below) But on the road I will continue to use clinchers. I run ENVE clincher rims with 25 mm Conti GP4000S with latex tubes. This combination runs incredible smooth.
And I tell you what: w/o the development of carbon rims probably nobody except some pro's would ride tubulars for road racing anymore. It is just that carbon clinchers are not easy to produce, are >100 g heavier per rim compared to the tubular version, and come with the drawback of insufficient heat dissipation.
And of course when you are riding on the track, tubulars are the better choice simply just because you can run them at pressures >>10 bar. But you probably don't want to run with a 20 mm at 12 bar on the road ...
Oh Eddy H Merckx, the fats in the fire now. This debate will go between all us assholes for weeks.
I have settled on one truth: I don't need more bike shit. I need more time to ride the shit out if my bike.
@Eightzero
Amen.
@minion
The point (as I understand them) is that you can (and should) run them at lower pressures so you get a far better ride.
Different levels of rolling resistance in cycle tyres (as explained to me by a fella who has a First from Cambridge in Materials Engineering) has virtually no effect on speed etc.
@Marcus
Oh yes, it has. Even if you run the same clincher tire at the same pressure on different rims this can have a significant impact, at least on a rough surface. As mentioned I run 25 mm Conti GP4000S. I inflate to 6.5/7 bar (front/rear). And it makes a huge difference if I run my ENVE Carbon clincher wheels or my Mavic CXP33 on my fav climb. (At ~20 km/h the aerodynamics of the wheels has no effect.) But due to the slightly small rim diameter of the ENVE rims the tires have more place to flex. So they have a virtually higher diameter. The rolling resistance is much lower. The ENVE wheelset runs smooth like silk. With Mavics almost every road feels like riding in Flandern. You should try it yourself.
But tub's vs. tires is like Christianity vs. Islam (or vice versa if you like).
Where are the surly rules when you need them?
Tubs feel different. Tubs can be lighter than clinchers, if you can ebay the right pair. I like tubs. I like clinchers. You'll never glue yourself to yourself with clinchers.
@grumbledook
Carbon clinchers weigh the same as carbon rims with al brake tracks. Longevity or braking won't be as good. How many tires can you remove with levers before you fark the rim? I don't know so I might wait for other people to figure that out. Wheel companies have figured out how to make the next most expensive part of your bike more, consumable shall we say.
I'm not an early adapter is all I'm saying.
@Marcus
Mrs Marcus must be an understanding woman.