Ive been using the tire rolling resistance formula on analyticcycling.com, and it is showing that premium clinchers are like over a minute faster(or more) than premium tubulars(w road glue), pretty much any way you set the variables.
Are there other variables I am not taking into consideration?
I dunno about the tires, but this doesn’t make sense to me either… effect of losing 10 pounds over 1000 meters on a 3% grade at 250 watts… Nearly 10 MINUTES? Can’t be right, thats only .6 mile, right?
Benefit From Less Weight
This Much Less Weight 5 kg
Over This Distance 1000 meters
On Hill of Slope 3 Decimal
Faster by 589.18 s
Ahead by 66.67 m
Frontal Area 0.5 m^2
Coefficient Wind Drag 0.5 Dimensionless
Air Density 1.226 kg/m^3
Weight Rider & Bike 75 kg
Rolling Coefficient 0.004 Dimensionless
Power 250 watts
I think thats 10,000 meters
.
Nope! 1000. Did it twice!
you must of typed that in incorrectly. this is what the model puts out.
**This Much Less Weight** 5 *kg* **Over This Distance** 1000 *meters* **On Hill of Slope** 0.03 *Decimal* **Faster by** 4.35 *s* **Ahead by** 32.41 *m* **Frontal Area** 0.5 *m^2* **Coefficient Wind Drag** 0.5 *Dimensionless* **Air Density** 1.226 *kg/m^3* **Weight Rider & Bike** 75 *kg* **Rolling Coefficient** 0.004 *Dimensionless* **Power** 250 *watts*
It’s been known for a long time that anything soft between the rim and the tube increases rolling resistance. That’s why Tufo tape is the biggest offender.
Tubulars have base tape, glue, and casing between the tube and the rim.
Why is everyone in the TDF riding tubulars? or am I wrong and they are riding clinchers?
You’ve got a 300% grade in there - should be .03 decimal not 3 decimal.
I did check the archives but there is soooo much on the topic it was hard to find what I was looking for.
Would I be better off racing tubulars or clinchers?
I was thinking the same thing - Lance and crew analyze about everything to death.
I do think the main reason the tour guys ride tubulars though is #1 comfort as they do generally ride better and #2 safety as tubulars tend to flat less and you can control/ride still with a flat. These guys are at serious speeds all the time, even on the flats, and a clincher flat in the Alps, Pyrenees would be disastrous. They also have no need to change the tire with the mega SAG support they have.
Training, I ride clinchers because of the ease of changing in carrying. I race on tubulars and carry no spare. I’ve never had a flat on a tubular tire in several thousand miles. I’ve lost count how many clincher flats I’ve had (mostly pinch flats).
I do think a few teams use clinchers, maybe 3-4 out of the 21 in the Tour.
Dave in VA
Every cycling guru around always has the same basic statement regarding this question:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A RACING CLINCHER
If you mount and glue a tubular correctly they are faster and safer than any clincher ever made.
Every cycling guru around always has the same basic statement regarding this question:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A RACING CLINCHER
If you mount and glue a tubular correctly they are faster and safer than any clincher ever made.
Interesting opinion. I would have to say that the Tufo clinchers are every bit as safe as a tubie. Probably more in my opinion. As anyone who has put on can attest, there is NO way one of those is coming off the rim once put on. Faster could likely be argued 
M~
OMFG… Tufo TC’s are like “unchangeable.” I think I had to use pliers, BIG pliers, to get mine off. Bulletproof. Makes a great training tire.
Actually once they are stretched out they are pretty easy to change…eventually. 
i do like the added confidence that I can likely run over anything and they will likely come out ok. Crap…I am probably jinxing myself saying that…
M~
Rode 30 miles this afternoon on my first Tufo tubular clincher (rear wheel only). I like the feel and cornering as well as the 150 psi I had in it!! Seemed pretty damn fast to me! This evening I’m changing my front to the same tire!!
Paul hi,
I’ve been riding these all year and been wondering if all the “Tufo’s tubulars are slow talk” is also true for the clincher-tubulars. It’s very hard for me to say but I think they are at least equal to other expensive clinchers in terms of rolling resistance.
Dave in VA
I did 2 races in 2 days about 4 weeks ago and at my age its tough to recover from that. I did a sprint tri on Saturday and a 40K TT on Sunday. This is the first day I felt good since then. The tubular clinchers felt great. Seemed as though I was back to my old self after 4 weeks. Don’t know if it was the tire or not. I’ll ride a bunch this week and let you know later if it was just today or the tire. BUT, the tire did ride much better then the clincher I was running. It was a high end clincher but I can’t remember which one. The Tufo felt smoother and cornered MUCH better. Now that I’ve mounted the first one, took about 10 minutes, the second one will be much faster.
Here here…
Faster to change (with a pre-glued spare) then a clincher…
No pinch flats…
Lighter wheels are possible (worth more than the drag coeff? assuming that is actually valid…)
My Tufo’s pumped to 200psi on my Zipp 404’s FEEL quicker than my 150psi Conti clinchers on my training wheels, therefore they ARE!
The end.
Frasertri.