The simple answer is that people are afraid of changing a flat with a tubular.

Is that a reasonable fear, in your opinion? I've watched videos and such but it is always a different ball game changing a flat in the middle of a timed event.

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CG

Tubs are great, but as others have said people are scared because they can't change them (it's easier than a clincher, just different and, like anything, requires practice). Love my HED Stinger and still have it as a spare.

Along with recent rolling resistance reports showing clinchers are often faster (tube and tire depending) the pain of changing tubs the significant cost of a tubular tire.
I've used both I prefer clinchers others after the same experience prefer tubular. I like the options of clinchers. Sometimes I change tires depending on the conditions. Tubs were a real hassle and I wouldn't bother.

For race only, not such a big deal, but clincher is just more versatile, and the rolling resistance is better.

Tubeless is hands down better. It has its own difficulties but new and improved sealants are on the way and the industry is improving the clincher-tubeless interface...it will soon accelerate in the market.

I would also argue that most people want to ride their disc more than just racing (for better or worse) and a clincher is just more versatile.

Id rather run tubeless with a spare tube in my pocket (as always) than carry a pre-glued tubular along for my ride. Sealant will catch most things but as always, you are preparing for the worst hoping for the best.

before switching my bikes to disc brake, I had a few tubular wheelsets... indeed could not give them away..basically gave them to Enve when they had them tradein swap deal going on. Love them for hill climbing and descending but I can see why people want Clinchers ... only my Eroica bike is tubular.

It's hard to just sell the disc unless the buyer already has a tubular front. A good chunk of people who are making the jump to invest in a disc likely already have an aero set of wheels. If they're already invested in clinchers (say a 404 set), then they're not going to buy a tubular disc just so they can carry two different types of flat repair on race day. So if all you're selling is the disc (and not a tubular front to go with it), you're really limiting your potential buyers unless the buyer has no aero wheels now and is also shopping around for a separate tubular front.

The simple answer is people are too lazy to deal with gluing up tubs. A clincher is a 5 minute affair. A tub is a multi day wait period. Most folks want to just throw something on and go. Or spin a tire full of Stans and pop the air burst in and ride a tubeless.

On the road, a properly prepped tub is easier to mount than a clincher or a tubeless. I pulled one off a wheel I bought and used the acetone to clean it for 10min or so. Then over a couple days did the glue prep, and voila.

Most pro cycling teams still use tubs. There's many reasons why, some practical and some nostalgic or "comfort" related. But, you CAN ride a flat tub. You can't ride a flat clincher or tubeless. So a pro can ride for a KM or so and then get a team spare or neutral service.

Also, think about it, you can't pinch flat a tub or tubeless. What's a super common failure in a clincher? Pinch flat.

Sorry to say, that's how I got a Renn and an HED 3c for total under $500. Tubulars. Just the market.

I've pinch flatted a tubular before while warming up for a race. Very Irritating.

I've also cracked three rims without flatting the tire, though, so overall it's certainly tougher.

Geez. I couldn’t give away a basically new set of Stinger 9s. I just found that I never used them because I had to swap brake pads and it was just so much easier to hop on a similar deep clincher and go. Then you have the issue of the glue drying out and having to re glue them or worry about possibly rolling a tire.

I have toyed with building up a 13-14 pound climbing bike and doing a tubular 202 or 303 setup, but honestly I would only use it two or maybe three times a year, so my desire to spend the time and money to properly set up even a cheap pair of tubulars is waning.

I must admit I've benefited from the "fear of tubular" you are talking about. I'm racing tubulars because I can get tubular wheelsets way cheaper. I currently have a set of 60 mm and set of 90 mm and a disc...all tubular, all name brands (Zipp, Easton). I paid a total of $1000 for all five wheels (used from the ST classifieds). Sure, I could have probably scored a clincher Flo 90 and Flo disc for about the same money or maybe a little more. But having five race wheels set up and ready to gives me options.

I usually run some version of the Vittoria Corsa CX. That's a pretty good quality/fast tire with a latex tube inside. If I wasn't so superstitious, I even tell you that I've never flatted a tubular during the 30+ tris I've done on them. But I am superstitious, so I won't say that.

I've never paid more than $40 for one of those Corsa CXs (always new). That's about the same as I pay for the Conti GP4000SII's I throw on the clincher box rims I use on the road bike.

Anyway, I am happy take advantage of the downward market for tubs...and will probably continue to do so for some time.

Man I’m bummed. I only opened this thread to say: you can give one to me!

I ran Conti tubies on race and training wheels exclusively for 15 years back in the day. It was expensive and extra work... but I have ridden a flat for a couple of miles into T2... and changed a tubular tire quickly numerous times. I recall a thread where relatively accomplished cyclists complained that the “mental stress” of “worrying about a flat” kept them from considering tubular during a race. I have pinch-flatted a enough times to be overly cautious (and slow) with a clincher change. I love my Zipp 404’s, race exclusively on them, and am confident that I can change a properly prepared tubular tire as quickly (or quicker) as a clincher. In fact, practicing quick changes is part of my race (and tire) prep. Frankly, I’m guilty of avoiding my disc because I’m “afraid” of the crack pipe.

Do you carry a can a sealant and preglued tubular when you run the tubular race set up?

I’ve decided to take advantage of the tubular decline in value... I’m hunting for a pair of tubular 808s. On e-bay some people have priced them with the decline in value in mind while others still think they can get good value.

1. Rolling resistance - there are many more tire options that are clinchers and faster than every tubular tire out there except for corsa speeds.

2. Flats/spare - how do you carry a spare pre-glued tubular tire that is hidden from the wind? And then what do you do with the flatted tubular tire because you can’t litter? You can easily hide a tube from the wind but a tubular tire is another story. Pittstop works maybe 25-50% of the time.

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blog

I'm not going to argue that tubular is better than clincher. If I was able to find comparable wheels for the same price in clincher, I would go with clincher. But, as long as I can buy the same tubular wheels for half the cost of clinchers, I'll stick with tubulars.

Re #1...Rolling Resistance. There are still some pretty low RR tubs (Vittoria) as long as you stay away from those with butyl innertubes (Conti, Zipp, etc.), and do a solid glue job.

Re #2...Flats/Spare. You can get a pre-glued spare tub wrapped tightly enough to stash away in ALMOST the same space as a clincher innertube. A Velcro strap to keep it tightly wrapped. If I ever do flat a tub in a race, and the Pit Stop doesn't work, I would simply put the flatted tub where I had the spare stashed.

Let's assume I am working on a limited budget of $500 for a set of race wheels and tires. I can get a 808 front (tub) and Sub 9 disc (tub) both for about $400, l have $100 left over for a nice pair of Corsa CXs with latex tubes inside. That set up is likely faster than any clincher setup I can put together for the same $500.

About crr

Based on this:https://docs.google.com/...BOeFmO3-_8/htmlview#
the zipp tangente sl speed should be way to go?

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The bulbular profile of mounted tubulars has to be a negative in terms of aero performance, no?

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

If someone is giving away Tubular wheels, I'll take them all day long!

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Mike

That list doesn't include the tubular version of the Corsa Speed. If you look at this data, the 23mm version of the Corsa Speed would be roughly equivalent to the 27mm SL Speed. And as fast as any of the tested road clinchers except its own stable mate. And almost certainly significantly more aero at ~4mm narrower. The 27mm SL Speed may not even fit on many TT bikes.

I use the Corsa Speed tubbies on my outdoor track wheelset. No complaints, though they're *very* thin, like an indoor track tubular. I wear through rear tires on an asphalt track in 400-500 miles. Definitely a racing-only tire unless you like gluing tubulars like monthly (which I don't).

Hello CeeGee90 and All,

Who would have ever have 'thunk' it would come to this just a few years ago when clinchers were shit and sewups were King?

Perhaps, just perhaps, the tide will turn and sewups will rise again .... light weight tires and rims ..... self sealing .... easy puncture repair ... or flat proof .... 3M type adhesive tape that preserves Crr values and makes installation and removal easy .... tape on 'retreads' that extend tire life ..... tech innovation to the rescue.

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

Do any of you use tape to mount the tubs and if so how do you prep the spare?

It’s really just ease of use. 90 percent of people in a triathlon wouldn’t know what rolling resistance is. They’ve used clinchers on their regular wheels forever so they keep using that on their race wheels.