Clinchers, Tubulars and Tubular Clinchers.

I'm under the impression that continental gatorskins are one of the best street tires. but....

I have a few Tufo tubular clinchers, does anyone have any first hand experience of them in a city environment? as i'd hate to ruin them within two weeks(if they should even last that long in that environment) like the last set of Panaracer(kevlar practice dual guard) tubulars i dared ride but i would like to enjoy them.

what's your Q?

I have a few Tufo tubular clinchers, does anyone have any first hand experience of them in a city environment?

i guess i kind of know the answer, just hope that maybe i am wrong.

the internet says no. £40 each?

never used them, but aren't they a racing tyre?!?

you can get gatorskin tubs ;)

they are a racing tyre....I thought they were originally designed to provide tubs to all those people who don't have tub specific wheels.....having said that they are v.different to tubs....having no inner tube??? I don't know if that makes them easier or more difficult to fix.....personally I'd only race on them, but if they're bought and paid for and you're not a racing man, why not just try them?....no doubt they'll be faster and smoother that the gatorskins....

gatorskin tubs, i had no idea!

I agree with winston. Go for it if they're paid for!

I run tubs filled with latex so far so good they roll nice and sweet too

The tubs i had felt great(spin up nicely, soo light), but the rear puncture was in week two. I might have a go at a latex repair job before i get rid of it then.

I hate Gatorskins, ok, i had the 26" version for my singlespeed, but i damaged a rim trying to get them on, and once i stupidly did, i got a flat, then had the ignominy of asking Evans to take it off as I couldn't! I hope they are a better fit on 700 wheels?

Tubulars have inner tubes, and it is not too difficult to fix them if they have a puncture. If anyone is interested I can explain - let me know.

they do? dont you have to sew them?

yes, you do they're a pain in the arse and takes ages...some people claim it's easy, but it's time consuming...and you eed a good thimble!

tubs filled with latex? I take it they have air in them as well?

winston smoother that the gatorskins....

winston and you eed a good thimble!

You need to fix the 'n' key on your computer.

J4mmd I have a few Tufo tubular clinchers,

Er, I'm confused, are these tubulars or clinchers? As I understood it tubular tyres are "tubular" having the inner tube (semi)permanently sewn into the tube, while clinchers fit onto the rim around the inner tube and are “clinched” in place by the bead on the tyre being trapped under the hook on the rim when the tyre’s inflated. So surely a tyre is a tub or a clincher, but not both.

I thought historically the advantage of tubs was that they were marginally lighter than clinchers and you could inflate them to a higher pressure so they had a lower rolling resistance, the downside being they're much harder to repair if you get a puncture and if you're going to carry a spare you have to carry an entire tyre, not just the inner tube, so it's heavier.

I thought current thinking was that improvements in clinchers had reduced their rolling resistance to close if not the same as tubs, undermining tubs advantage in this respect. Having said this, last year after trashing a rear wheel I commuted for 2-3 months on a bike fitted with a set of Tufo tubs and was convinced they had lower rolling resistance than the wheels/tyres I usually ride on (either Continental GP3000/4000s or gatorskins), it wasn't a very scientific measurement, but I freewheeled down Brixton Hill faster on the tubs than on clinchers. In the time I was riding these never had any trouble with punctures, but once I'd rebuilt the rear wheel I did switch back to clinchers, just to be on the safe side. Don't know if Continental make Gatorskin tubs, but they do now make GP4000 tubs, which I've read have exceptional puncture resistance, so could be tempting!

polybikeuser [quote]J4mmd I have a few Tufo tubular clinchers,

Er, I'm confused, are these tubulars or clinchers? As I understood it tubular tyres are "tubular" having the inner tube (semi)permanently sewn into the tube, while clinchers fit onto the rim around the inner tube and are “clinched” in place by the bead on the tyre being trapped under the hook on the rim when the tyre’s inflated. So surely a tyre is a tub or a clincher, but not both.

[/quote]

Tufo do a weird half way tyre where a kind of expanding rubber wedge folds outwards to engage with the bead hook (on the inside of the rim), as the tyre is inflated. On top of this is the tubular tyre, all incased in the same bit of rubber. The best (fastest) tyre will offer as little resistance as possto the movement of the air inside the tyre. At higher pressures the threads in the tyre casing compress adding further unwanted stiffness to the tyre. A really nice tyre will iron out the road, especially at high speed and power. The point of the Tufo (and regular tubs) is to eliminate the tubes contact with the rim and remove the bead. When a clincher tyre is inflated the bead will not move in the rim and in order for the tyre to squash it must fold itself over the hook edge of the rim, this offers restance to squashing of the tyre. By contrast a tubular shape, of any sort, is easy to squash and so the tub depends, more exclusivly, on air pressure. safe

more info on tubular clinchers
http://www.velomax.co.uk/tufoclinchers_howtheywork.htm

Tubulars ... the main advantage these days (following the improvement in tyres) is that if you have a puncture at high speed the tubular stays on the rim, and is quite rideable for a least a short distance, very important in a race or high-speed training. Also if you are training and carry a spare then it is quick to take off the old tubular and put on a new one.

I do not use tubs anymore since the advantages and cost of tyres outweigh, for my needs, the advantages of tubulars.

Tubulars are fairly easy to fix when you know how - sewing - just follow the original holes, have a proper needle, do not use a thimble if it is hard going - turn the needle upside down and push on a coin or something hard.

I fixed literally hundreds, because when I was racing - 15 years or so ago - tyres were only just becoming a serous alternative and almost no-one used them except for Winter training. Anyway I can answer any questions about fixing you have, please feel free to ask, it is quite easy and fairly quick.

Are tubs still used for TT?

Yes, loads.