Been thinking about maybe starting to ride on tubular wheels for training, just a fleeting thought nothing solid yet. Wondering how many of you out there use tubulars for training and what’s the amount of flats you experience? More than with clinchers, the same, or less? Of course I know if you run gatorskin tires on clinchers like I do right now on my rear wheel you’ll almost never get a flat but I’m not aware of a tubular equivalent.
I don’t train on tubulars but I do know that they make a gatorskin tubie if you’re happy with gatorskins.
I have tubular Conti Competition tires on the training wheels on both my road and tri bikes. I had a flat last week for the first time in several years, and that was because I was doing something stupid.
The only disadvantage in my opinion is carrying around a spare tubular all of the time.
The only disadvantage in my opinion is carrying around a spare tubular all of the time.
You don’t consider a $70.00 flat to be a disadvantage?
I trained on tubulars for a couple of years. In my experience, Continentals, for me, were the least durable. While Tufo’s the most. This didnt eliminate the need for carrying a spare though. My solution was to train with Tufo tubular clinchers. No, I still had to carry a spare, but I havent had a flat in more than two years since. I used to flat all the times with tubes. This formula works for me.
I almost never get flats & I use tubulars all the time. Don’t own clinchers. I train on tufo’s they are a great training tire. Just don’t race on tufo’s they are very slow. I switched to tubulars because I was getting a flat with clinchers about 1 time a week. I live in an area with rough roads. The only down side is that when you do flat it is expensive.
$70 for his first flat in several years doesn’t seem bad to me, so no it doesn’t seem like a disadvantage. Plus, he could always patch that tubbie for a few bucks, so it doesn’t necessarily have to cost $70.
You don’t consider a $70.00 flat to be a disadvantage?
Well, let’s see. Most of us have probably spent the following:
frame: $2000
groupset: $1500
wheels: $1500
bars: $500
other crap: $500
That is $6000. Who cares about another $70 each year?
It is my understanding that Tubies can be repaired with little effort. So a flat costs more like $5 and about half an hour of your time (once you are home)
“That is $6000. Who cares about another $70 each year?”
He said it was his first flat in SEVERAL years 