DISQUS

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

Thanks to Jeremy Poon for creating this video and sending it to me. Shows how effective Stan's tyre sealant is. I've recently started using it in my tubs. It's a bit of a mess to put in at first but you'll wish you did it the next time you puncture.
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Running sealant in a tubular tyre from Pugno on Vimeo.

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Anonymous · 3 months ago

On the safety note: I have seen a couple of stacks when a tubular has rolled of the rim.. I assume that this is because they weren't installed correctly.

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

Yes, it could be because of improper gluing but there's also a good chance it has to do with very old glue. I never go more than a year without regluing my tubs. I might be paranoid, but after you've seen someone roll a tubular you can never be too sure.

Leigh · 3 months ago

And we wouldn't want that, maybe you wouldn't see another Birthday. Happy Birthday Cylingtipsblog!

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

Thanks Leigh! My records show that it was last week, but I think my facebook page says it's today. Either way, close enough...

pip read · 3 months ago

Has anyone had experiance with Tufo tyre glue tape? I've done two sets one for the TT bike and one for my Race Bike, after trying the traditional method and making one hell of a mess I think the Tufo tape is the way to go.
pip

Tommy P · 3 months ago

You can run tubulars with a glue-like solution pumped into them. This extends their life dramatically as it plugs up little holes and cuts.

Anyways, more recently I've decided to just forget about tubelars. There are clincher wheels now light and fast enough for racing and durable enough for training and riding day to day. I run the current Dura-ace wheels and they are great. Campy have an equivalent also which from all reports is quite good.

If I need to go aero.. Like when I need to get to Cafe Racer for a coffee real fast, I have a set of old Cosmic Carbones. Oh, and they are permanently set up on my other bike so I don't need to adjust cassettes, brakes etc.

Jeff tee · 3 months ago

Today's generation of bike riders don't realise how good they've got it.
Back when I first started riding in the 60s the only option for a "clincher" was a Dunlop High Pressure tyre which had a diameter of 1-1/4". I haven't used "singles" for years and can't imagine myself going back to them, not with today's range of light clincher tyres and wheels.

Lloyd · 3 months ago

Ahhhhhh......I just bought tubs!!!

Have Bike will travel · 3 months ago

I have tried to put a tubular on a carbon rim. What a mess! it took me over two hrs, my hands are covered in glue and so is the rim. Lesson learnt leave it to the professional not worth the effort. Don't try it at home.

Bentspoke · 3 months ago

What about wheels for TTs? I'm not keen on tubulars.. but it seems like if you want a solid rear disc wheel, there is little choice?

Neil · 3 months ago

Tommy P is referring to stuff like Stans tyre sealant. I'm about to start using it in my tubs as insurance against punctures in remote areas cause I just love riding on my tubular wheels so much. You can tell an improvement in ride comfort and cornering over clinchers

Neil · 3 months ago

Have bike will travel. The first time is always the worst. Sounds like you were using too much glue. I got my tubs in March this year second hand with punctured tyres still glued on. I got them repaired and the wise old man that did it showed me how to install them. After mounting 5 tubs I could almost do it now without spilling a drop of glue. A latex glove is quick & handy for spreading glue on the rim with your index finger.

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

One trick with gluing tubulars and to keep the job clean is "masking" the braking surface with electrical tape (it stretches nicely to the curvature of the rim). When you have the tire mounted, cleaning up only involves peeling off the tape rather than getting into solvent and elbow grease.

I also use rubber gloves for my hands. Nail polish remover works well to clean up any mess. The only thing to be careful of with nail polish remover is that it may damage the decals on the rim if it touches. It may peel them off or smear the ink on them.

hard_man · 3 months ago

I would be interested to see what percentage of the PRO riders still use 'singles' ... they are the best but you pay for it in time and money and hassles.

CT can you post up the top 20 riders from this years Tour and what type of tyre they used .. preferably before 11am as I need to go out then .. thanks in advance.

Didn't see you boys out this morning at 6am .. still sleeping eh !

HM

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

I'll get right on that list hard_man.

;-)

Tim · 3 months ago

dear HM, was Hollywood really out on the 6am ride this morning or did he text me at 5.16am with Vuelta results just to trump me? ;-)

Have Bike will travel · 3 months ago

This is the reason why one should read Cyclingtips before one tries to do something new. I did take the advice of stretching your tyre on a spare rim.

Adrian · 3 months ago

I'm with Jeff Tee. When I was introduced to racing mid late 70s the only ones who rode clinchers were juveniles because they weren't allowed to. We used singles (as we called 'em) for training and racing. On the track you'd use a full on contact adhesive, on the road was it Wobler? Wolber? had a glue that stayed reasonably sticky so you'd peel off the flat, stick on the new one and pump er up. The biggest sin would be to roll a single, but no one ever got LBS to put one on. Not sure most of them would have known how back then, and, well, you were just expected to do it yourself. As long as you looked after them (you'd often brush them after riding through gravel) they seemed to last pretty well, but a training single back then was, I think, $20 to $30. But having returned to cycling, no way would I bother, the cost, the effort, just too boutique for me.

DS · 3 months ago

It's Wolber - a french manufacturer. Still got a pair of their rims on my late 80's road bike.

Twoeee · 3 months ago

I am used to changing Hollywood's Tubulars. Never seen a guy puncture so many times. No matter how much practice I have had, i still make a mess and rip the gloves.

Eucalyptus Oil also works well for cleaning and smells nicer than Nail Polish Remover.

Pip - The tape maybe cleaner but I would rather the safty of heaps of glue. Double sided sticky tape should best be left for extra security for a Garmin GPS Unit.

hard_man · 3 months ago

Holly wood's singles....

10 flats in 10 weeks ... new single each time plus the petrol for the GF to come and pick him up on the other side of Frankston each time...

very expensive !

Billy Buster · 3 months ago

Clinchers too!

Jeremy · 3 months ago

Tip 1: always clean tyres before/after a ride
Tip 2: STOP, if you think you've run over some glass, clean tyres
Result: no flats with tubs

Cleaning: Shellite with Rubber (chemical resistant) gloves. Works well with Jantex which has the Tubasi glue ideal for taping up Vittorias.

Roll Off: As Mr Tips, has pointed out, you need to check the adhesion. In the wet, water will soak up the base tape and adhesion will be reduced. Cornering at 45degrees at full gas or on rough terrain just isn't very wise. If you are a hard man, stick with Mastik One and Contis.

hazey · 3 months ago

Tubular wheels can be difficult but well worth the effort!

When I brought mine I was thrust into the deep end, a world of leaking valve extenders, glue vs. tape debates and the like. What I learnt from the experience:

Do your research before gluing etc; there are a heap of resources online that can point you in the right direction of doing the job right. The more you read the fewer problems you will have if you are new to the process. One website I found helpful:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id...

Get good valve extenders! I bought my wheels second hand (with tubes attached) and found that the valve extenders (topeak ones that fit over the top of the valve) where installed poorly and where very problematic to use. Continental and Vittoria make a set that works with tubs that have removable valve cores that are very reliable and easy to install, they simply screw into where the valve core is located.

http://www.vittoria.com/index.php?option=com_co...

Using a truing stand while applying the glue to the rim saves a lot of mess whilst improving the quality of the job. However after spending over 2k on a set of wheels I couldn’t really afford one! I got past this problem by suspending the wheels (from the ends of the skewers) using string from the roof of the workshop I was in. This method was surprisingly stable and allowed me to rotate the wheel while gluing.

Have Bike will travel · 3 months ago

I had a flat while riding tubular and have to catch a train back from Frankston. Which is not pleasant especially when it is packed. After my messy affair trying to stick a new tyre on, I am too scare to use my set of tubular wheels. I have put the blue sludge in just in case a get a puncture.

Question: Does this stuff work? and how long will it last? Has any one have has experience with this stuff?

Anonymous · 3 months ago

I had a puncture on a brand new tube and bought some 'Slime' just to see if it would seal it. Once I got the tire off, put the slime in and re-glued I havent had a problem with it. I've done about 5 races on that tire since and it seems to be working well. Sure beats forking out $100+ for a new tire.
Tubes are great, but I dont understand why people train on them. Keep them for racing!

Have Bike will travel · 3 months ago

Problem is I don't race and same as a lot of others, we just want to be part of the gang! Wanna be a pro!

Jeff tee · 3 months ago

Adrian is making me reminisce. When I made the transition from juveniles to juniors I got some 2nd hand wheels and brand new singles. They seemed to cost a fortune. My first 2 races I punctured both tyres and I think I ended up using some that my brother discarded as "unuseable". I remember sticking them on with Bostik. The referee used to go around and ensure the tyres were stuck on. Do they still do that?

Adrian · 3 months ago

And as a juvenile did you have Mitchell's? They were those clinchers that were smooth and seemed to be as rare as hens teeth (I was in Shepparton and the local juveniles guarded theirs jealously). Since they were the only thing out there they had them for track and road. First wheels I bought I got off an old bloke, he used shellac and showed me how to do it. Looked beautiful. Think I did it once on the road wheels but takes days (paint a layer let it dry, repeat. A lot). And yeah, they did used to check didn't they?

Jeff tee · 3 months ago

Ah yes, I remember Mitchell's. I think they were out of my price range. (or my parents price range!)
I was talking to a couple of guys last Saturday about the bikes some parents are buying for their kids. My bike for the first couple of years of racing was an all purpose road/track bike. Just turn the back wheel around and you've got a choice of fixed or freewheel. (We weren't allowed gears anyway.)Put on a couple of brakes and there's your road bike. Oh so simple.

Jake · 3 months ago

All this talk of nail polish remover/solvent to remove glue begs the question does this affect the integrity of the carbon ??(I assume you're using carbon rims)

I managed to run over a dropped glue tube and have glue splattered all up my carbon forks but I've been to scared to use solvent to remove it for fear of affecting the carbon..

Tony · 3 months ago

Might need more research but there's this
huge article that confused me a lot - but around page 271 it starts to deal with the plasticizing of carbon-fibre composites. Bearing in mind this also mentions the detrimental effects of water on the composite and hopefully that doesn't mean rain will turn your bike into a puddle. Its dealing with total immersion for a period of time, not wiping it over and washing it off.

Like I said - need some answers from a manufacturer as I'm sure there's too many variables from the weave, to the finish coat etc.

Juz · 3 months ago

There was a fairly recent Leonard Zinn article on Velonews about using solvents on carbon and the conclusion was that you could go to town with your nail polish remover, and you would pass out far before it did any damage to your carbon fibre wheels.

GP · 3 months ago

Slipping on a tubular isn't so bad, you just need to stretch them before you try and glue them on.

Slip (or ply) on the new tubular first without any glue, pump up to 80odd psi and then let them sit there for a day. Then take them off, place glue on both the rim and the tubular. bang. done.

PS - I've not used my 404's for some months, got 4 flats in 3 weeks. They're now collecting dust under my bed, but looking forward to bringing them out for summer.

PPS - how did the ride with Wendy go?

Enjoy. GP.

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

Wendy and I keep postponing because of the poor weather. Friday should be beautiful so let's hope for then. I'll keep everyone posted...

Simon. · 3 months ago

How do the new Maxic Cosmic Cabones SL or SRAM 60's compare? I know they are clinchers and have Alloy Braking Surfaces but they also give you a nice deep rim. I'm not interested in the hassle of Tub's on the road (Track on wooden boards is fine). Would these wheels be any lighter, or Better than my Fulcrum Racing 3's.

cyclingtips · 3 months ago

With regards to the valve extenders, I did a post a long time ago about a trick to install and seal them properly

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2008/12/tubular-...

Basically you wrap a bit of plumbers tape around the tyre's presta valve before putting on the valve extenders. This will create an airtight seal and it'll make pumping them up much better

Jeremy · 3 months ago

As a earlier post mentioned, only use extenders made by Vittoria/Conti/Schwable. The open types like Zipp/Reynolds just don't work. Whilst the Topeak version may appeal to newbies and have all the benefits of the Vittoria/Conti/Schwable ones, they rattle, break, and leak.

I don't understand the apprehension of changing tubs out on the road. I can change them quicker than clinchers. Will do a how to video in the next couple of weeks once my new tubs are built.

Juz · 3 months ago

A lot of people talk about tufo tape, both positive and negative, without mentioning the important part. This is that it is recommended for use with tufo tubulars, which differ from conti and vittoria in that they don't have a central seam running where it meets the middle of the rim bed- these get in the way of the tape contacting the tire, which has got to lessen the effective contact. Some other tubulars are somewhat like tufos eg schwalbe. Vittorias also are covered in rubber that you have to scrape off. Tufo tubulars certainly are harder to strip off rims when stuck on with their tape than with mastik one or conti glue. I have not heard of anyone rolling one, but there is so much smoke, mirrors and romance about tubulars that who knows what the most secure way is!

Ian McGinley · 3 months ago

Be careful with tube fillers like slime or whatever with latex tubes. Latex tubes leech air rapidly compared to butyl tubes. With the slime in a latex inner tube, it could cause the tube sidewalls to join and nor separate when inflated again, particularly if the wheels are limited use for race day only. Check the pressure twice a week, and preferably keep them off the floor so the sidewalls don't collapse.

Also think about rotating the wheels to keep the slime moving, and never let the wheel settle at the valve for the slime to bind up the valve also.

Andy · 3 months ago

I use Zipp valve extenders installed per the manufacturers instructions, i.e. wrapping the valve stem with teflon tape without any problem at all. I often ride the 404s for fast rides with mates and racing and always carry a Vittoria Pit Stop can with me. I've only had to use it once *touch wood* and it was brilliant - combination of sealant and CO2 canister. Only needed a bit of a top up with the mini pump and I was rolling again faster than if I'd had to change a tube. Also, a very *PRO* tip for rattling valve extenders is to take a short piece of electrical tape and impale it through the middle with the valve stem. Slide it down to the rim and press it into place - no more rattling!

Mike in Utah, USA · 3 months ago

In the 70's I rode sew-ups on my Masi. Anytime there was a possibilty of picking up some debris the technique was to reach down and let the tire rotate against your gloved hand to knock it loose. Or there was a little flexible gizmo called a tire-saver that mounted with the brake caliper bolt - accomplished basically the same thing.
But flats happened none the less. I remember the patch kit in the metal tin and cutting open tires and going through the whole process. I also remember getting two flats in less than a half hour. The second tire is probably still hanging in that big oak tree by the road.