Yesterday I had a fight with a tubular while glueing. And ended up with 10 digits of glue fingers. After trying many household cleaners to remove and finding my can of brake cleaner with a broke nozzle I finally used my wife’s suggestion of essential oil lemon oil. Took it right off. Please note I don’t endorse any product nor would I recommend using anything other than what your wheel manufacturer recommends on wheels. But thought id put it out there that lemon oil removed Vittoria glue like a champ.
Goof Off sprayed onto a towel or rag and work it off.
Acetone.
I always kept goo gone on standby, back when I rode tubs, but generally I wore gloves while gluing the tires… an ounce of prevention is sometimes worth a pound of cure…
Just don’t get it on your Hootus.
Thanks for this, I am looking at removing tubular glue from my cyclocross wheels this weekend. After a quick YouTube search, I found this video from Zipp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY7polDoW1c
The video recommends either Acetone or Goof Off, otherwise the warranty will be voided. If it’s good enough for Zipp to reccomend, I think I can trust it 
See picture attached if curious. Here’s hoping I can get away without spending too much time on it!
unless it’s really nasty or you ripped off the previous tyre and left a bunch of the base on the rim, I’d just glue over it. Usually you get a better adhesion than on a “clean” rim anyways.
That sounds like a good trick, and probably not as bad for you as soaking your hands in Goof Off and all those other things.
For future reference, another option is to just use Vittoria Mastik Pro glue (not the same as the old Mastik). Mastik Pro comes off easily with just soap and water (from hands or rims). I actually apply it with my bare fingers, and then simply wash my hands in the sink. I CRR tested it against the old Mastik and found no difference. It’s not the cheapest stuff around, but it’s well worth it in hassle savings.
For future reference, another option is to just use Vittoria Mastik Pro glue (not the same as the old Mastik). Mastik Pro comes off easily with just soap and water (from hands or rims).
I’ve read that Mastik Pro doesn’t work with Conti tubs, which use a cotton bottom layer that’s designed to soak up a layer of glue and then bonds with the layer on the rim. This glue only works with Vittoria and Bontrager tubs.
Morelock is right, there is no point in removing the glue as it already provides a good base on the rim for the new glue and the solvents in the glue will partially “melt” some of the old glue to further enhance the bond.
As far as getting glue off your hands, mineral spirits on a rag works well for me but you really should wash your hands with some moisturizing soap right after.
rich
Just don’t get it on your Hootus.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-do-i-get-herculiner-off-of-my-hootus.18595/
Hah I remember that. And also “Charlie send him his gears”.
Those two threads have become legendary.
Goof Off sprayed onto a towel or rag and work it off.
goof off this time, but nitrile gloves (with another over glove) next time
acetone is largely okay for you; no big harm if you inhale a bunch of it. Goof off/ goo gone/ any similar tar removal solvent is nasty. I would know, as I’m a trained chemist. In people’s favor is that at least they don’t use benzene in that solvent mixture, but it doesn’t hide the fact that it’s still not good. Xylenes are nasty (ingredient of Goof off professional), and so is ethylbenzene; aromatic alcohol isn’t much better… Get a powerful fan to reduce the amount of vapor you inhale (respirators won’t work here)
What worked for me and is much less messy than using goof off is using a hair dryer and my thumb. Heat a 2" section for say 10s, it will melt the glue, then rub the area with your thumb, it will peel off easily. I had a glass of water to cool my thumb as it gets hot!