Do most bring a pre glued spare tubular tire, Pit Stop and C02 pump during half or full IMs?
I have only flatted once and that was during a 40k ITT and I had none of these with me. Luckily a LBS van was nearby and lent me a spare wheel. I have a oly and half next month so trying to get my plan down for what to have with me.
Depending on distance, I bring 1-2 Vittoria Pit Stops and a carbon fiber mini pump. I’ve found that the Pit Stops can do the job filling a hole up to about 2mm wide (which is a pretty good cut) provided you are patient (hard in a race, I know). That means applying direct pressure on the cut (just like a cut on your body!) while you wait for the hole to seal (after you spun th wheel to evenly distribute the liquid latex.) It can take several minutes depending on the cut. I use the mini pump to top off the air pressure, as a full Pit Stop usually only gets you to about 80psi, assuming you didn’t waste any during the filling process.
You could forego the pump, but recognize that you won’t be @ higher tire pressures. I never use Co2 cartridges with tubies because the inflator I use for my clinchers is an all-or-nothing type- it pumps the full catridge in once opened. If you already used a Pit Stop to get you to 80 psi, a Co2 cartridge to “top it off” would likely blow the tire. I suppose you could use one of the Co2 inflators that let you modulate how much you put in, but those are way heavier than my cf pump. My cf pump weighs about what one Co2 catridge weighs, plus it never runs out!
Another thing to try is Stan’s No Tubes in your tubular tires. I run that in 2 of my wheelsets and found it works pretty well. I can’t say if it’s prevented any flats, but I can say I haven’t had any flats since a buddy of mine told me about that trick. (He’s gone a full season of crit racing without any flats as well using that trick) It also works better than a Pit Stop for fixing holes in larger cuts.
I never bring an extra tubular tire. I honestly have no idea how people get a tubular tire off a rim in any kind of reasonable time during a race. When I change tires (ie. unrepairable, or just worn out), it can take HOURS to remove a tire without damaging the rims. If it’s easy to rip the tire off, the glue job was poorly done and you run the risk of rolling the tire off the rim, which usually has devastating consequences (images of Joseba’s Beloki’s crash in the 2003 Tour are burned into my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZhG2kWVLY
I use the stans also, it’s really great stuff. I have a bunch of holes in my rear tire right now and they seal up just fine. I put in 110 psi last night just to check and the tire was still hard as a rock this am.
For a long expensive race like that, I’d bring a spare and a pump, maybe a can of the pitstop too if I had it. If I was using the stans, I 'd just bring the spare and pump.
I have been training on tubulars all season and can’t belive the abuse they take with the stans, I wear them down to the cords and have never been stopped during a ride to change a tire, which is pretty amazing.
I always discover this stuff too late…
I use the stans also, it’s really great stuff. I have a bunch of holes in my rear tire right now and they seal up just fine. I put in 110 psi last night just to check and the tire was still hard as a rock this am.
For a long expensive race like that, I’d bring a spare and a pump, maybe a can of the pitstop too if I had it. If I was using the stans, I 'd just bring the spare and pump.
I have been training on tubulars all season and can’t belive the abuse they take with the stans, I wear them down to the cords and** have never been stopped during a ride to change a tire,** which is pretty amazing.
I always discover this stuff too late…
Now you’re screwed . . . .
If your tubies are down to the cords, I’d say it might be time to get some new ones! I do like to have some reasonably fresh rubber for “A” races (not put on the night before, but without a season’s training on them) to increase the likelihood of finishing the race flat-free. I don’t want to push my luck too far!
Shouldn’t really tempt fate, but since using Stan s in my Vittoria Evo Corsa tubbies two years a go I have not had a single flat on either of my rides.
Shouldn’t really tempt fate, but since using Stan s in my Vittoria Evo Corsa tubbies two years a go I have not had a single flat on either of my rides.
That’s what’s funny, I have flats all the time, I cut the crap out of my tires riding on gravel roads, through debris, etc, yet some white stuff blows out, the tire seals, I add some air the next day and I’m back on the road. The tires get so slashed up you’d be amazed, but they just keep on rolling. They beat the crap out of clinchers for a comfortable training tire, go figure.
for a half i have a pre-glued spare tubular with a valve extendor teflon taped, valve open and screwed on the tire (broke one once when ripping off a flat tire), 2 c02 cartidges and a small inflation device…can of pitstop can’t hurt either and i did bring one along for IMCDA, I figured it would be quicker if it worked but I have never actually used it…
Have you had to change a tubular and use your spare during a race? I’d be interested in any tips you could offer on the experience. It always takes me a ton of work to get the removal started-- once about a foot of tire is off the rim you can generally muscle the rest off, especially if you don’t care about ripping the tape, but getting that 1st foot off is a PITA for me- so much so I haven’t considered it an option for a race.
Use a razor blade to get the tire off, if you don’t care about the tire. Just cut straight across the tread, stick your finger in the hole, and rip the tire off. Usually I cut it, pull the tire off the rim a little bit, and then cut through the base tape. at this point you just peel it off like a snake. Pop your spare on and go. Whole process takes me about 3 minutes from the time I stop til the time I could start riding again.
I practice this every single time I change a tubular. I start with the wheel on a bike, pull it off, cut the old tire, rip it off, and then pull on a new tire. The only thing I don’t do is inflate it with my CO2. I then take the tire off again, and clean off the old glue and go through all the rest of the process of prepping the wheel for a new tire, just a nice time to practice.
That’s a good technique- I’m embarassed I didn’t think to use a razor blade as that obviously speeds things up. 3 minutes is good for a tire change, even vs. a clincher. The times I’ve had to use a Pit Stop, it’s only taken about a minute to deliver the latex into the tire (kept the wheel on, removed remaining air in tire, inflated with valve facing down, then spinning tire) but for larger cuts the tire leaks unless you put a finger on it and hold it for something approaching 5 minutes. Once I made the mistake of trying to take the tire from ~80psi to 120 with my pump after the hole was patched and, duh, it blew out, so I had to old it for longer.
So my guess is a Pit Stop could be faster if the hole is small. If the hole is large and you’re practiced with the cut-the-tire technique, that could be faster. Though, if it’s a new tire that may be mentally hard to take a razor to it!
as others have mentioned below the one thing I forgot to mention was to have a razor blade (I wrap it in a small piece of cardboard so ti won’t cut anything in transit and tape it up with my spare). Then I have the shop leave a small space with no glue/tape of about 1/2 inch by the valve on all my tires when they put them on so then all you need to do if you flat is cut through the tire down to the rim, grab the tire and start to peel it off.
Also, for putting on the new spare, assuring it is pre stretched in addition to glued is key and then when you get to the last section which is hard to get over the rim, keep the rim against your midsection with the last section you are trying to get the tire on away from you and use your thumbs to push out/away from you to work the last section of tire over the rim as it can be impossible with your fingers.
If you go to the LBS they could easily demonstrate all of this for you, may make more sense seeing it…hope this helps.
If Pit Stop won’t fix it, I’m calling it a day.
A few rides after my very first glue job, I decided to remove the tubulars and re-glue them more properly - at home of course.
Despite my poor initial glue job, I was astonished how hard they stuck to the rim. I wasn’t able to remove them without tools!
That’s how I found out a tire lever can be useful for tubulars as well. I pry them off inch by inch, being careful as not to damage the base tape or the carbon rim.
During my rides, I always carry along a can of Vittoria Pit Stop, two CO2 cartridges, a pre-glued & pre-stretched spare tubular, a tire lever and a razor blade.
First option if I flat during a training ride or race is the Pit Stop.
If that fails, in a race situation I’m going to cut the tire with the razor blade for quick removal, then pop on the spare. During a training ride I’m going to try to remove the tubular non-destructively using the tire lever, then patch the flat at home.
I just googled Vittoria pit stop, these look like they are pretty big cans…surely they aren’t…how big are they?
Do most bring a pre glued spare tubular tire, Pit Stop and C02 pump during half or full IMs?
I have only flatted once and that was during a 40k ITT and I had none of these with me. Luckily a LBS van was nearby and lent me a spare wheel. I have a oly and half next month so trying to get my plan down for what to have with me.
So I am pretty new to tubulars…but people are actually pre-gluing the tube…but then where do you store the thing? I know the glue is pressure activated, but aren’t you still dealing with some stickiness when you wrap that tube into a bag? Maybe it’s just me but I have mine crammed into a bag. Is there a better way?
And are people putting the pitt stop inside the tubulars prior to the race? I used it once on a puncture of a clincher and it didn’t work at all. But I didn’t know how to use it either…and the instructions were all blury on the bottle. Don’t you just squirt the shit in, roll it around a bit…and then … ?
Also I have a quick questions…I noticed on my training wheels today that I have 2 different sized tires. one is a 700x23 and the other is a 700x25.
Do I need to different sized tubes? The tubes I have are 700x18c-25c. I would think that would work fine for both…but now I am confusing myself.
Razor blade!
So I am pretty new to tubulars…but people are actually pre-gluing the tube…but then where do you store the thing? I know the glue is pressure activated, but aren’t you still dealing with some stickiness when you wrap that tube into a bag? Maybe it’s just me but I have mine crammed into a bag. Is there a better way?
And are people putting the pitt stop inside the tubulars prior to the race? I used it once on a puncture of a clincher and it didn’t work at all. But I didn’t know how to use it either…and the instructions were all blury on the bottle. Don’t you just squirt the shit in, roll it around a bit…and then … ?
Also I have a quick questions…I noticed on my training wheels today that I have 2 different sized tires. one is a 700x23 and the other is a 700x25.
Do I need to different sized tubes? The tubes I have are 700x18c-25c. I would think that would work fine for both…but now I am confusing myself.
Not pitstop but stans or tire slime or caffelatex (effetto mariposa product) put it in inflate the tire (not all the way) ride it around for 5 or ten minutes to distribute in tire.
2 different size tires is ok (wider should be at the rear). Your spare is to get you to T2 at that point you are probably not winning anything anyway so if the tire is not optimal. fagetaboutit!
Bigger than a CO2 cartridge with inflator, but smaller than a typical mini-pump.
I permanently carry two bottles in my behind-the-saddle bottle holder. One bottle contains the folded up spare tubular, the other bottle contains the Pit Stop can and all the other tools.
I’m using the old trick of using a bit less blue just oposite the valve. Makes it easier to loosen the tire. Had a flat on my fixie yesterday - first flat on tubulars for years. Used 65 seconds to replace the tire. (Remove the old one, install my spare.)
With at bit practice, it can be done a lot faster; a complete fix of a front flat in minute. (Remove wheel, remove tire, install new, inflate it with co2 , mount wheel on bike).