I was riding with a friend last night who was sporting his new 404/808 carbon set. We were discussing his tubies and the advantages/disadvantages of them. I mentioned that he could ride on them while flat but didn’t really know anything specific about it. I have only read a blurb about on ST (so it must be true, right?).
Are they like run-flat car tires that you can go x miles at y speed? Or, are they ridable to the extent that you don’t have to stop immediately or risk the tire departing the rim?
From what I read, you can ride them without killing the rim. Clearly if you don’t have to, don’t… but if it means a 3 hr walk, or a 45 minute slow ride… ride slow. I think the idea is the rubber will protect the rim still? It’s not going to feel like a regular wheel though.
Two years ago at Steelhead my tubular punctured at mile 40, rode until mile 50 then it went flat I was averaging 23.2mph up till that point. This has been my only experience so I do not know if this is normal.
Maybe defining what “flat” means will help … to me that means less than 10 lbs pressure remaining. If that is the definition, it is very obvious that a tubular is flat and is not a good ride … certainly not 23 mph unless maybe off a steep hill. There is no cushion, so the tubular rim absorbs all shock … like a flat clincher rim … I suspect it could easily damage it. The deformed tubular sits differently and rubs on all sites of close tolerance on the wheels. This really isn’t a great situation even for limping in. It would seem that most tubie users would quickly replace the tubie with a spare … a quick issue for those of us experienced at it.
Dave