I will purchasing a new wheelset and I am debating between tubulars and clinchers. I don’t really do any racing anymore but I still want to outfit my TTX with some Aelous 6.5’s. I have read the benefits of tubulars and clinchers but can’t decide. Everyone raves about how fast and nice tubulars ride but are they good for everyday use? At least with a clincher I could easily change a flat but then some bash carbon clincher rims. The confusion! Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Jason
I say clinchers. Have you had tubbies before? Pro Race 2’s or 3’s have super-low RR, the clinchers will be a little heavier, but are much easier to deal with.
I just sold my tubbies. I didn’t have any issues, but it was a pain to take a tubbie with me on a training ride rather than just a tube to fix a flat. Convenience made my decision, and I’m happy with it.
If I could do it again I would go clincher. Just less hassle.
After a few seasons with clinchers most European pro teams who tried them due to sponsorship constraints of primarily clincher tire manufacturers (Michelin) reverted back to tubulars because they are easier to work with than clinchers.
The majority of people who speak in disparaging tones about tubulars do so *despite the fact that they have limited experience with tubulars. *
**
In other words, and I mean no offense, people *say *“Go with clinchers because they are less hassle than tubulars”.
They would be more accurate in saying something like, “I have limited practical experience with tubulars but often read they are different to work with than clinchers. Because I am personally inexperienced and unfamiliar with tubulars I personally prefer clnchers, with which I am familiar”.
I’m familiar with both. I ride tubulars.
You don’t do any racing and you ride a TTX with Aeolus 6.5s?
Am I missing something here?
Anyway, go clinchers.
They are both the same. One’s lighter and requires more work to set up, the other is heavier and is easier to set up. Go with the one that you feel comfortable with in terms of work involved. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that there is any difference between the two. They are just trying to justify the $2000 they spent on a wheelset and justify their decision of tubular or clincher to make themselves feel better. For 99% of the population, it’s really all about how hard you go and the training it takes to get there.
I thought this was going to be the post where you came over to the dark side and agreed with the pro-clincher crowd 
Oh well, one day maybe…
Well said:
“Go with the one that you feel comfortable with in terms of work involved.”
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Agreed. Listen to what this person says. I should have a few years ago.
After a few seasons with clinchers most European pro teams who tried them due to sponsorship constraints of primarily clincher tire manufacturers (Michelin) reverted back to tubulars because they are easier to work with than clinchers.
Huh? “…easier to work with…”? Source please…
Seriously…I find that explanation as likely as the one put forth by BikeSnobNYC:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/...cycling-settled.html
Actually…I think BikeSnob’s explanation is MORE likely (damned mechanic’s cabal) 
Hey, Wait! Now I get it…you’re a member of the IPBMC, aren’t you?!! That explains everything…
Oh, one more thing…
I personally believe that tubulars can handle impacts better, but clinchers are easier for most people to repair in a puncture situation.
If you look for the “Bobby Julich stole my wheel” thead, he hit a curb so hard he CRACKED THE RIM. The tubular tire was still 100% functional and was ridable until he was able to steal a wheel from a spectator down the road. A clincher would 99% been likely to have blown on the curb and the likelihood of it being able to be riden after that is near 1%.
Most of the cycling population knows how to change a clincher tube.
really, it’s easy: team mechanics would rather just throw on a new tire than change a tube. It’s not their $80.00 flat tire…
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the euro mechanics felt that way. I’ve heard stories that they used to change the latex tubes EACH DAY of racing? Yeah, that’s a pain–and about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Oh, one more thing…
I personally believe that tubulars can handle impacts better, but clinchers are easier for most people to repair in a puncture situation.
If you look for the “Bobby Julich stole my wheel” thead, he hit a curb so hard he CRACKED THE RIM. The tubular tire was still 100% functional and was ridable until he was able to steal a wheel from a spectator down the road. A clincher would 99% been likely to have blown on the curb and the likelihood of it being able to be riden after that is near 1%.
Most of the cycling population knows how to change a clincher tube.
First off, Julich’s tire DID flat…that’s why he needed a wheel change. If the tire hadn’t flatted, he could’ve just ridden on.
Second, just because you make up statistics about the likelihood of being able to “ride on” after flatting a clincher, that doesn’t make them true. I myself have ridden flat clinchers without it becoming an instant “yard sale” crash, and have observed others do so as well…at times for relatively long distances.
Tom D. talks above about his opinion that people who say disparaging things about tubulars just don’t have enough experience with them…well, if that’s the case, then I say that people who say that clinchers can’t be ridden flat just don’t have enough experience with riding flat clinchers 
really, it’s easy: team mechanics would rather just throw on a new tire than change a tube. It’s not their $80.00 flat tire…
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the euro mechanics felt that way. I’ve heard stories that they used to change the latex tubes EACH DAY of racing? Yeah, that’s a pain–and about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
I’ve been told recently that apparently one of the top ProTour teams changes out their rear tubular tires after only 4 race days on them…of course, for those guys, that could be well over 500-600 miles on the tire
After a few seasons with clinchers most European pro teams who tried them due to sponsorship constraints of primarily clincher tire manufacturers (Michelin) reverted back to tubulars because they are easier to work with than clinchers.
How many pro riders that flat during a race have to change their own tires? Don’t they just get a new wheel and keep going. It’s different for us triathletes. We need to change our own tires. I’ve raced with both tubies and clinchers and find clinchers much easier to work with and just as fast as tubulars. For training, I would definately go with clinchers.
I had tubular racewheels for a couple of years and recently traded them for some clinchers. As Tom D suggests some of my reasoning for wanting to make the change had to do with my lack of experience with tubbies. I found gluing them to be rather straightforward and actually kinda fun. I also got a semi flat in a race last year and was able to ride it in the last three miles without much if any loss of time. No way that I would have been able to do that with a clincher. However, when I got home and actually tried to remove it from the wheel I was in for a rude awakening. It was a super bitch to get off. The whole just cut it with a blade and tear it off is a much better theory than practice. Cutting through the thing was way harder than I thought it would be. Had I actually tried to change the tubbie on the side of the road I would have likely pulled a Stadler like fit.
As for the clinchers I like the idea that I can just change a tire the day before a race if I want to and have it be no big deal. Further, if I do get a flat I can change it easily and be on my way. Piece of mind is worth it to me and hell, they may actually be faster to boot.
Search for prior, similar threads where the tubbie crowd explains the simple, ~3-day process to glue on a tire properly…
Yes, I am unfamiliar with using tubulars. Yes, I am happy to trade a little extra weight and nebulous road ‘feel’ for the convenience of clinchers. I decided it was the best solution for me to stay w/clinchers.
Calling BS. Clinchers would fail in an impact way before a tubular (pinch flat). Tubulars are easier to ride flat than a clincher, as the valve stem works it way out of the valve hole on a clincher. Have had experience in both cases. You’re just a staunch clincher fanatic. I see benefits of both.
I have a lot of experience with both clinchers and tubulars, and I’m actually looking at getting a pair of those same wheels. My thoughts: the tubulars will have the potential to be slightly faster, so as a race-only set of wheels, that’s what I’m getting.
As a regular use set of wheels, $80.00 flat tires suck, and the peformance difference is so marginal that I really think unless you’re worried about that fraction of a second, get the clinchers.
To TomD’s point: I used to train on tubulars–and repair my own flats, so I’m pretty familiar with them… I’m pretty mystified how anyone can say the clinchers are more of a pain. They almost always go on straight, there’s much less variability among the same brand of tires, you can easily replace a clincher tube, you don’t have to wait a week to have a new tire installed (installed properly, so it’ll roll fast), there’s no glue to deal with, no removing base tape latex, etc…
speaking as someone w/no experience w/tubulars at all…
i went clinchers. number 1 reason was already mentioned above: don’t want to carry a spare tire w/me on a training ride.