So… I’m new to the aero wheel jungle and i have a few questions. And i know this is the only place to get a real answer. I’m not out to start a big clinchers vs. tubulars discussion I can read a lot about that in other post. So here it goes…
Gluing tubulars… why is that really done? “just” to keep the tire in place? Or is it a, better safe than sorry thing? Lets say i have a glued tubular and have a flat in a race, can i just replace the tire, finish the race and then glue later? If i don’t glue is that just a matter of time until the tire then comes off and i have a horrible crash? Are there any alternatives to gluing, like tape and other stuff?
If it should have any relevance the wheelset I’m considering is a 2013 Zipp 404 + 808 firecrest tubular. Right now i’m using Mavic Cosmic aluminum clinchers, and i NEVER used carbon wheels before.
If you only race is a straight line and do not turn, gluing a tubular is not necessary. The air pressure will keep it in place. However, if you decide to deviate left or right of the line (such as a turn in the road, going around a slower moving racer, etc), Newton’s Laws will smack you in the wheel and may result in your tire removing itself from the rim.
You don’t want to “roll” a sew up at any speed. I missed the first triathlon I was signed up for
because I had a flat on a training ride and changed my front tire using a more or less
“green” tubular tire.
I was not going fast at all, just turned a corner at a low speed near
the end. My elbow hit the ground hard so I couldn’t even use my left arm for a month.
yeah if you don’t have glue the tire will come off if you corner hard. When you get a flat, you put a pre-glued spare on and take turns slow and hope for the best.
Always try the pit-stop to fix a tubular flat before replacing an otherwise good tubular. I raced a season on a conti-comp that had flatted and just had a pit=stop in it.
Put a layer of glue on your spare, it won’t hold as well as a properly glued tire but it will lower the risk of rolling compared to a tire with no glue.
Put a layer of glue on your spare, it won’t hold as well as a properly glued tire but it will lower the risk of rolling compared to a tire with no glue.
I’ve never understood how the glue that you put on your spare doesn’t stick to itself when you fold the tubular up or lose its adhesive by being exposed. I see it as a whole lot of hassle for very little benefit IMHO.
The glue does stick to itself. And it does loose some of its adhesive properties. But it sticks to the rim better than an unglued tubular. You don’t put on your spare tubular to finish a criterium - you do it to get home pedaling, taking corners very easy, or finishing a TT, again not cornering hard. When you get home, you properly glue the tubular the same way you did with your original.
Can I ask why you are seriously considering tubulars? You clearly have no previous experience with tubulars and they are very particular to glue properly. It’s not the sort of thing you really want to screw around with - too much room for error. Especially considering the improvements made in rolling resistance and aerodynamics of carbon clinchers in the past couple of years.
But to answer your questions, yes, the glue is necessary to keep the tire in place. Even glued wrong you can still roll the tire off the rim. Your spare should be pre-glued and should provide enough stick to get you through the race…if you can get the flat tire off the rim. Ever see Norman Stadler’s meltdown in Kona when he couldn’t get his tubular off the rim?
You are right… I have absolutely zero experience with tubulars and i have always been kind of “against” using them but the offer was so good i had to considder it. But after a lot of “pros and cons” i did not buy them. For me personally the risk of problems were just too big. So i will just keep searching for a set of clinchers. But thank you for your answers anyway.
