How do you know when to replace tubular tires? Milage, wear, visible damage?? I am sure it is probably all of these factors, but what do YOU use? I could probably justify buying a new pair but how do I really know? I may need to buy a new pair but they are so damn expensive and I am in the middle of finishing my student teaching semester!
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Re: How do you know when to replace tubies? [konabro2]
[ In reply to ]
This is an excellent question.
All of the same rules apply for normal tire wear, plus a few unique to tubulars. First, the normal rules:
1. Inspect your tires for cuts. Minor cuts are forgiveable, anything that strikes you as borderline or even above is cause for replacement, depending on how much you like to change flats or how good you are handling a front blow-out at 35 mph. Inspect minor cuts for foreign matter such as wire, glass, stones. Remove the matter and re-inspect. Some minor cuts can be repaired with a drop of crazy glue.
2. Normal wear. If the cross section or profile of the tire is significantly changed from when it was new the tire no longer performs how it was designed to perform. That may make it unpredictable on wet or loose surfaces. Suddenly a tire that was fine on wet pavement becomes extremely slippery on wet pavement. If you observe a significant change in the "texture" of the tire material, it may signify need for replacement. Often a worn tire appears to have mini cracks or tears, very very small, in the tread rubber. This is particularly true of slicks. A tire like that is worn out.
3. Abnormal wear. You know how cool it is to fly into the transition area, shoot up to the dismount line and lay a big patch like you did on your Stingray? Super cool. Trouble is, it "flat spots" your expensive tires. Just like a flat-spotted tire in Formula 1 or Indy Car or NASCAR a flat spotted tire is destroyed. The rest of the tire may be fine, but that flat spot renders it ruined. The rubber is ruined in that spot (depending on how bad it is of course) and you may have damaged the inner tube with the heat from the skid. Flat spotting can also damage your valve stem without you even knowing it, slamming it against the rim and cutting the side of the stem. Flat spotted tires ought to be replaced.
4. Vitrification (I don't even pretend to know how to spell it correctly). This, I am told, is the $64 word for dry-rot. Baically the sun, chemicals, heat and age or a conspiracy of those factors casue the tire tread and casing to become brittle. It's dead. Replace.
Now, the ones unique to tubulars:
1. Base tape seperation. Lethal. Your base tape can be firmly glued to your rim but unless the base tape (orginally part of the tire) is still solidly glued to the tire you are in a dangerous situation. You can tell when base tape is seperating fromthe tire casing becasue you can see it at the sidewall- it is just peeling away. Cotton or silk casing tires usually go first. Nylon aramide and other synthetics like TUFO and Continental seldom ever experience this. It is usuallly the effect of age, exposure to harsh solvents (such as chain degreaser) or sun.
2. Lumps. Sometimes a tubular looks like an anaconda that just at a big deer. Well, maybe not just like that, but you know. They get odd lumps. That isn't OK. Something is going on inside the tire. Get ride of it. The weird guy at the bike shop who has been working there twenty years, doesn't have a life and is always there (holy shit, that's me!) can't fix it. This is the 21st century. Just as you throw away your S.O. when they get a lump on them do the same to your tires. Exactly like your former S.O. enough money will buy a new, perfectly configured model. Tubulars usually do outlast relationships though, and are less expensive. They ride better too with no risk of disease.
If you take good car of your tubulars they will last a few seasons. The key is, keep inspecting them and protect them from bad things.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
All of the same rules apply for normal tire wear, plus a few unique to tubulars. First, the normal rules:
1. Inspect your tires for cuts. Minor cuts are forgiveable, anything that strikes you as borderline or even above is cause for replacement, depending on how much you like to change flats or how good you are handling a front blow-out at 35 mph. Inspect minor cuts for foreign matter such as wire, glass, stones. Remove the matter and re-inspect. Some minor cuts can be repaired with a drop of crazy glue.
2. Normal wear. If the cross section or profile of the tire is significantly changed from when it was new the tire no longer performs how it was designed to perform. That may make it unpredictable on wet or loose surfaces. Suddenly a tire that was fine on wet pavement becomes extremely slippery on wet pavement. If you observe a significant change in the "texture" of the tire material, it may signify need for replacement. Often a worn tire appears to have mini cracks or tears, very very small, in the tread rubber. This is particularly true of slicks. A tire like that is worn out.
3. Abnormal wear. You know how cool it is to fly into the transition area, shoot up to the dismount line and lay a big patch like you did on your Stingray? Super cool. Trouble is, it "flat spots" your expensive tires. Just like a flat-spotted tire in Formula 1 or Indy Car or NASCAR a flat spotted tire is destroyed. The rest of the tire may be fine, but that flat spot renders it ruined. The rubber is ruined in that spot (depending on how bad it is of course) and you may have damaged the inner tube with the heat from the skid. Flat spotting can also damage your valve stem without you even knowing it, slamming it against the rim and cutting the side of the stem. Flat spotted tires ought to be replaced.
4. Vitrification (I don't even pretend to know how to spell it correctly). This, I am told, is the $64 word for dry-rot. Baically the sun, chemicals, heat and age or a conspiracy of those factors casue the tire tread and casing to become brittle. It's dead. Replace.
Now, the ones unique to tubulars:
1. Base tape seperation. Lethal. Your base tape can be firmly glued to your rim but unless the base tape (orginally part of the tire) is still solidly glued to the tire you are in a dangerous situation. You can tell when base tape is seperating fromthe tire casing becasue you can see it at the sidewall- it is just peeling away. Cotton or silk casing tires usually go first. Nylon aramide and other synthetics like TUFO and Continental seldom ever experience this. It is usuallly the effect of age, exposure to harsh solvents (such as chain degreaser) or sun.
2. Lumps. Sometimes a tubular looks like an anaconda that just at a big deer. Well, maybe not just like that, but you know. They get odd lumps. That isn't OK. Something is going on inside the tire. Get ride of it. The weird guy at the bike shop who has been working there twenty years, doesn't have a life and is always there (holy shit, that's me!) can't fix it. This is the 21st century. Just as you throw away your S.O. when they get a lump on them do the same to your tires. Exactly like your former S.O. enough money will buy a new, perfectly configured model. Tubulars usually do outlast relationships though, and are less expensive. They ride better too with no risk of disease.
If you take good car of your tubulars they will last a few seasons. The key is, keep inspecting them and protect them from bad things.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Re: How do you know when to replace tubies? [konabro2]
[ In reply to ]
I had a conti that lasted me 51/2 seasons. The cords were showing when it finally lost air. ( I generally don't make time for bicycle maintenance, not smart but hey,
I would rather be out training.) Another good reason I like contis is I can go a week or two without adding air.
Hell that would take me 3-5 minutes!!
signed
busy guy
I would rather be out training.) Another good reason I like contis is I can go a week or two without adding air.
Hell that would take me 3-5 minutes!!
signed
busy guy
The synthetic casing tires seem so far superior to the cottom casing ones.
The ride qulity of cotton Vittorias is a little better than Continental or TUFO, but they simply don't hold air very long and seem more fragile.
Your experience bears mine out as well mdtrihard.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
The ride qulity of cotton Vittorias is a little better than Continental or TUFO, but they simply don't hold air very long and seem more fragile.
Your experience bears mine out as well mdtrihard.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com