I was looking into some new tubular tires
and was wondering if anyone had an luck with
tufos and what model. I currently ride contis
but was looking to try something else. Also if I use them as spares how do I stretch them if I already have tires glued onto my wheels.
Thanks
Has anyone used the sealant.
Bear,
I’ve tried a bunch of tubies, including Conti Sprinters, Vittoria Corsas, Clements, mid- and low-level Contis and Vittorias. I also tried Tufo S22 and S33. These ride almost the same as Sprinter 250s, a little harsh for what a good tubular can do; they tend to generate a little more buzz than the said Contis or Vittorias. I used them with the Tufo sealant. It’ll work against small punctures, but not so well against big holes, where the casing threads have been cut, and the air pressure will put a hole even in the thickest of butyl tubes.
(Somebody borrowed my bike not too long ago and came back with a very leaky front S22 tire. The sealant was >1yr old at that point, and, to be honest, the front rim had a sizeable dent in it, so I don’t think any tire at all would have survived, sealant or not. For <$20 apiece and a year of service, the S22 was not a big loss, though the rim is a different story.)
As far as stretching goes… if you don’t have another rim for this, just inflate the tire by itself to >120psi and let it sit. In my experience the Tufos are very round and true and will not lose their shape if inflated off the rim. It helps stretch the casing a little bit to help mounting. A little neat tid-bit… if you’ve ever wondered how a tubular sticks to the rim, inflate the tire and compare its inner diameter to the diameter of the rim before and after inflation 
Many places carry Tufos - I got mine from BigTwinCycling.com, but you can also order from overseas, like Sdeals.com. Both very reliable people.
I have lot of expereince with both TUFO and Continental. I have sold hundreds of each. I ride TUFO’s now and formerly rode Contis. I use TUFOs because I feel they are either just as good as Conti’s (or slightly better) and less expensive.
I have never used the sealant and I don’t think you need it. The tires are quite durable on their own.
TUFO’s are killer. If you try them I think you’ll like them.
tom - i was going to ask you this exact question when i was in your shop the other day, but i was in a rush and didn’t have time.
about the tufos, are their middle of the line models as good as their higher priced ones? i’ve also heard they can be harsh riding compared to contis. what do you think about that?
(i’m also on contis now, but was looking at possibly switching to tufos this coming season).