tubulars vs. clinchers

When I was younger I raced on tubulars and they were great. It seemed that most in my area used mavic gel330 or 280's with Vitorria cx's and cg's. They roled great and were very light because of the rim and tire. The problem these days is that in order to get a good sewup you have to spend a lot of money. The new tires really roll excellant (clinchers) and in order to get excellant sewups you have to spend a lot. They are also very hard to reair and making them work as well as they did. There are places to send tires to have them fixed but is expensive too. If you want to use them try them for climbing races.

When I was younger I raced on tubulars and they were great. It seemed that most in my area used mavic gel330 or 280's with Vitorria cx's and cg's. They roled great and were very light because of the rim and tire. The problem these days is that in order to get a good sewup you have to spend a lot of money. The new tires really roll excellant (clinchers) and in order to get excellant sewups you have to spend a lot. They are also very hard to reair and making them work as well as they did. There are places to send tires to have them fixed but is expensive too. If you want to use them try them for climbing races.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by thepaperescape
this debate could have been done before, but i'm looking for opinions on the debate of tubulars vs. clinchers. this involves not only the tire(/tube) aspect but the rim design as well.

i am working on buying a serotta legend to eventually race and was wondering which way i should go. i am leaning towards campagnolo parts, but any suggestions on anything else is greatly appreciated.

for people who have tried many things, and wish to take the time to inform me, tell me the differences between the two products; or just suggest products to me.

I have ridden clinchers only for years. About 4 years ago, I was given a former pro racer's factory set of Spinergy Rev-X wheels that were tubulars. The wheel/tire combination transformed the ride of my way-too-stiff Cannondale. I love them. But - after a full season on them and getting 7 flats, I decided I needed a clincher wheelset for everyday riding and training, and use the tubulars for racing only. Much better! My favorite clincher tire that is the closest feeling to the sew-ups is the Vredestein Fortezza Tri-comp. I can't tell them apart - and no flats all season!

Oh - and as to the Campagnolo vs. anything else question - Campy's my favorite, but that's quite a debate. Your high-end Serotta deserves to be clad in Record (in my not-so-humble opinion).

Dave

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by thepaperescape
this debate could have been done before, but i'm looking for opinions on the debate of tubulars vs. clinchers. this involves not only the tire(/tube) aspect but the rim design as well.

i am working on buying a serotta legend to eventually race and was wondering which way i should go. i am leaning towards campagnolo parts, but any suggestions on anything else is greatly appreciated.

for people who have tried many things, and wish to take the time to inform me, tell me the differences between the two products; or just suggest products to me.

Have to agree with the person who recommended Vredestein Fortezza-Tri Comps. They're pricey, but I get very good wear on them and have never had a tire I felt more comfortable on in a criterium. I use them for all of my needs now, race on a new pair - then transfer them to my training wheels when I get in to the wear. Mileage? Probably race them close to a thousand miles before moving them to the training wheels ([censored], I don't know if that's right...a lot of races, I know that) - then install a 'tuffy' tire-liner and they last forever.

Campy vs Shimano? I was converted to Campy by my woman a couple years back. I had always preferred the Shimano shifting system for sprints - didn't have to release my thumb grip to shift like in Campy. However, after I took the plunge and raced for a season on Campy - I'll never go back. We have Chorus 10 on our racing tandem - and it's a dream. I race on Record 9-speed now on my single (I'm using my Shimano 9 speed racing wheels - and they work fine), but when I upgrade to 10 speed, I'll probably save the money and buy Chorus. Nothing but good things to say about that system.

And finally - tubies are great, if you can afford them and have a LOT of confidence in the person who glues them on. Ever see a tubie roll? It's ugly. The clincher technology is so good now, I see no reason to buy otherwise....and yes, I've got a tubular wheelset I use for hillclimbs. Heck, they ARE lighter.

Hope that confusion helps,

Michael

I have a 1989 OLMO which I restored and now ride on weekends. For authenticity sake I kept the tubular rims even though I hade the wheels rebuilt. I use Continental Giro tires which feel nice and last quite well, good puncture resistance. I also have a more modern se with Mavic clichers and Vittoria open all weather tires which cost as much as tubulars and provide a similar feel. The sew ups are still better.

During a long distance race a few years ago I came across a guy who was swearing loudly at his tubulars. I have never had a puncture during a race (I use clinchers) but he'd had SEVEN during that race alone! Considering the expense I decided to stay with the Clinchers... 😉

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by nomad
During a long distance race a few years ago I came across a guy who was swearing loudly at his tubulars. I have never had a puncture during a race (I use clinchers) but he'd had SEVEN during that race alone! Considering the expense I decided to stay with the Clinchers... 😉

I use Continental Competition tubs on my classic Cinelli Super Corsa and they're superb.
Having said that they're is nothing more tedious than fitting a tub on the rim in the first place and I wouldn't bother fitting tubs on a modern bike.The difference between clinchers and tubs is negligible these days.

Tubs don't puncture more often than clinchers. The frequency of flats depends on the type of tire you are using and the surface you are riding on. To ride ultra lite tubbies that are designed for time trials on city streets is of course asking for trouble. If you ride a reasonable set of training/race tires like Conti Sprinters you can get hundreds and hundreds of trouble-free miles, or you can hit a piece of glass at the wrong angle and get a flat on the first ride. This is true of clinchers as well. The difference is that with tubulars the flat is destined for the trashcan (unless you have the time, patience and skill to repair them) whereas with a clincher you are merely facing a innertube patch job and the tire lives on.

Clinchers have come a long way in the past 10-15 years, but tubulars do ride better. They are, however, more expensive and time consuming.

For me the issue is do I trust myself to really maintain tubulars properly, and to glue them properly in the first place. My life is busier now than it was when I was young, and I don't have the patience to deal with tubulars anymore. Clinchers are very low-maintenance set-ups that make my life easier so all my wheel sets have slowly been converted to clinchers with the exception of one remaining set of tubulars that I ride from time to time.

Tire-wise I am a die-hard Michelin user for all my tires, 4WD included!

Go with Campy for such a nice custom bike. Most people only build one dream bike so go all the way.

I always raced on tubulars and trained with clinchers. About 10 years ago there was a great difference. But now I train and race on Michelin Axial Race clinchers. They are top of the bill, but pricey.
A lot of times I fell just because of heatening the glue by getting down a mountain. Last Tour de France only tubelars were used in timetrials.