Anyone use a track tubular for a spare - to carry for less weight. Is it useful for a spare in a race?
Anyone use a track tubular for a spare - to carry for less weight. Is it useful for a spare in a race?
Cliff notes: Yes, light, held up find, rolls tight. For more read this http://www.thomasgerlach.com/2011/10/gold-standard-gear-best-tubular-spare.html
Thomas, will you have any updated data on Tufo’s lineup for use as a spare on the blog? Not having been familiar with their products in 2011, I don’t know whether the track tubulars of 2014 are of similar construction and compactness. For example, the 19mm Tufo Elite <125g appears to be the nearest match to the Jet <120 in terms of weight and size, however the Elite <135g at 22mm might be a better spare option for overall ride on a long course assuming an early flat, as I’m thinking about the balance of convenience, weight, ride, rolling resistance, aero and grip versus a true minimalist approach to a spare.
As an addition to this thread, I’ve become a true advocate of using sealant in my road tubulars. It’s been a wonderful bacon-saver, allowing me to continue rolling the same rubber with all kinds of new holes and cuts with a mere blast of CO2 to get the pressure back up to snuff. It’s really does work well for most debris punctures, and at least with the sealant I’m using, makes a permanent patch of a puncture once the offending debris has been dug out. That public admission stated, I see no major reason not to pre-load a spare with one or two fluid ounces of (insert your favourite) sealant after stretching it then sucking out all the air so you can roll it up tightly. Whether the sealant will sit forever in liquid form without a mass of air to mix with is a question I don’t have the answer to though.
Dave
The lightest in their program is the track elite 125, I decided for the elite jet 160 just for the little more safety. Never needed so far but these few grams doesn’t make me any slower I guess. Very small foldable not like a tube though but easily fits the long bento boxes and some nutrition on top.
I have the 125. It folds up tiny just like the older generation. I mount it under the saddle and it would have no problem fitting in a saddlebag that can hold a MTB tube. I haven’t had to use it yet but I am a little worried about running it with my Bontrager Aelous d3 90’s because the rims are so wide and the tires are so narrow.
When folded up, is the 160 noticeably larger than the 125? Looking to secure one tucked up underneath a Specialized Sitero…
Thx!
Since I don’t have both I just could measure the 160 and give you the numbers.
Thomas, will you have any updated data on Tufo’s lineup for use as a spare on the blog? Not having been familiar with their products in 2011, I don’t know whether the track tubulars of 2014 are of similar construction and compactness. For example, the 19mm Tufo Elite <125g appears to be the nearest match to the Jet <120 in terms of weight and size, however the Elite <135g at 22mm might be a better spare option for overall ride on a long course assuming an early flat, as I’m thinking about the balance of convenience, weight, ride, rolling resistance, aero and grip versus a true minimalist approach to a spare.
As an addition to this thread, I’ve become a true advocate of using sealant in my road tubulars. It’s been a wonderful bacon-saver, allowing me to continue rolling the same rubber with all kinds of new holes and cuts with a mere blast of CO2 to get the pressure back up to snuff. It’s really does work well for most debris punctures, and at least with the sealant I’m using, makes a permanent patch of a puncture once the offending debris has been dug out. That public admission stated, I see no major reason not to pre-load a spare with one or two fluid ounces of (insert your favourite) sealant after stretching it then sucking out all the air so you can roll it up tightly. Whether the sealant will sit forever in liquid form without a mass of air to mix with is a question I don’t have the answer to though.
Dave
No updated data unfortunately. If you put sealant in it could really affect how tightly you can roll it. When I initially had tubies part of the spare was to be able fit in the Trek Speed Concept draft box and I didn’t have any room to spare in making that draft box box my flat kit. If you have sealant in your regular tires I think it is unnecessary to put sealant in your spare. At that point if you have a problem it is just really bad luck.
I concur with this.
I use the same spare. I’ve been lucky enough to have it sitting bundled up for 3+ years. Every now and then I unroll it to check the glue on it and freshen it, and to make sure it inflates + holds.
Hopefully I won’t have cause to use it anytime soon 