I am thinking about getting a Renn Disk. I have a front clincher. It appears that the conventional wisdom is to go tubular for the disk. I think I understand the pros and cons, but is there a lot of performance difference if I choose to go with a clincher? I really don’t want to carry two tubes and I don’t know if I will stick with my 650cc bike for that long. Thoughts?
I’m old school I guess, but I firmly believe in tubulars for race wheels. I got a 650c Renn tubular this year, so no big surprise there. The one caveat I’ll mention is that it took 14+ weeks for them to deliver the wheel. There seems to be a quality control issue with Renn’s aluminum rim supplier as I understand it. 700c’s get more business, so the 650c’s may have a longer wait time. Clinchers were available much faster according to other posters on ST durng the same time frame (April -July). Call Renn up and see if the rim issue has been resolved. Otherwise, you might need to be patient for a tubular rim and think about racing on it next year. But order now!
Thanks much. I spoke with Renn - no difference in the time to produce tubular versus clincher and can get it quite quickly. I think I will go with the tubular as I will likely go to a tubular on the front.
FOLLOW UP Qs: Do you need special brake pads with the Renn Disk?? Which cassette do you recommend - I am thinking 12 -25??
Big performance difference no. I always ride tubies.You should try them out and see or rather feel for yourself.
Thom aka Dirtball
Trianthes,
No special brake pads required for a Renn disc, at least for the clincher version. I have one.
Racing clincher tires have advanced quite a bit aver the last few years. The performance difference between racing clinchers and racing tubulars is very small, unless you are comparing the best racing tubular tire to the worst clincher tire. Some of the pro cyclists ride clinchers. They wouldn’t do that if there was a serious disadvantage for doing so. It would be hard to accept the tire endorsement if it meant losing the possibility of winning the race.
trianthes
My suggestion is that you get these new square wheels that are going to be the rage. Appearance wise, they don’t look like they make sense- but I heard that deboom, reid, mccormack etc are all getting a set- should be pretty trick. They also weigh 36 pounds a piece, before you fill them with water. Now again, I am a skeptic, but the pro’s are jumping on the bandwagon. Check out this site- www.youwillnotbeatdeegan.com- that is where you can find a set.
Good luck buddy boy
The tubular wheels have aluminum breaking surfaces as well. In fact, the entire outer rim is aluminum. This is the part that Renn was having supply problems with. Not to knock Renn, but in this day and age of partial disclosure, understand that yes either a tubie or clincher wheel can be built quickly, in less than a week,*** if*** all the components are available. I woould still order well in advance of any key race if you go this route. As far as cassettes go, that is really a personal choice based on a lot of factors - your conditioning, terrain where you ride, races that you do, your riding style, strengths, weaknesses, and on and on. I’m definitely not qualified to opionate on that question.
Try changing a deep dish clincher in a race like a 404… The tubular will change out much easier and faster, I sold my 404 clincher’s and bought tubulars for this reason alone…
Anymore shit from you and I will have to make it a point to come to Petosky and kick your ass in your home port.