Meilenstein clinchers/tubs

[Steve_W]

Firstly, apologies if this has been discussed to death, however I'm after opinions from current or past owners of the for-mentioned wheels.
How is the brake track holding up?
What descents have you put the wheels through (alpine ect)
Any regrets, would you buy again?
Ect ect
About to bite the bullet and purchase a set 20/20 clinchers.
Can't help but worry about all the horror stories about tyres blowing off! Something I'm not in a hurry to experience again, after having a tyre fail (cosmic carborne clincher)whilst in full swing descending the croix de fer.

Thoughts Much appreciated.

Steve

[kgt]

I have not tried any LW clinchers but, frankly, I would never spend all that money on clinchers...

[McGilli]

Anyways OP - my club mates on the Trans Alp race just over a month ago - the one running LW clinchers had them melt basically on the 2nd stage. They finished 144th out of 407 teams in the ranking that day - so they weren't going slow braking all the way down the mountain passes etc. Experience climbers and descenders. He bought them specifically for that race. Wasn't happy. A somewhat local bike shop was very happy though

He's back on his Zipp 303's full time.

[cyclespeed]

Don't do it!!

LWs just make sense as tubulars, not clinchers.

What is it that's keeping you from buying the tub version?

[Nejmann]

I'm against the others. I have tried alot of wheels. But the LW's is just in another league.
And at some point you will but them anyway.

Mine a clinchers ans I f**cking love them. And I'm 104kg and no problems on any decents.

[kode54]

i've had a few different sets of wheels, including the LW clinchers. i cracked my original set on pothole ridden roads in the NE. i've had a set of early Zipp wheels and the hubs were pretty bad. also had several sets of Reynolds carbon DV46UL wheels. i've also had several Enve sets...and more recently, the newer Enve's with the new brake track and Enve carbon hubs. never had any issues with any of the Enves...and are riding these currently. for the coin, i don't think i would go back to LW clinchers.

[Steve_W]

Appreciate the comments.
Regarding tubs, I rode the tubular version for 2 years, punctures.....I cannot tell you how many I had! Every other ride.....I found I was gluing/purchasing tyres like they'd gone out of fashion.
I had taken delivery of a set of Enve 4.5 last week but sent them back, due to not deciding on the look of them.
Shame CC have so many negatives stories regarding braking, I really want to believe in this new found secret space/formula 1 material all wheel manufactures claim to use. :-/

[kgt]

If punctures is your problem then just buy a pair of Continental Gatorskins. You will never puncture unless you do something completely wrong. Not the nicest tire of course but a 25mm one at 90psi would feel ok.
I cannot see though how a clincher tire would puncture less. The opposite is usually the case.

[tomtom]

I have had 5 sets of LW (3 Standard II/III, Ventoux & Meilenstein C) and they were all great! I still ride my LW Meilenstein C because I didn't want to have the hassle anymore of tubes. The lower profile of the Meilenstein is more allround then the Gen III and the breaking a bit better. I steep depends on high altitudes (more than say 1500-2000m) I use an alloy (tubes ) set; Mavic R-Sys SLR. I'm very satisfied and alt ought it's a lot of money I love watching and riding them over and over again!

[Steve_W]

After careful consideration I've concluded;
To pass on the clincher version of the melienstein, why? I do a few trips into the Alps per year, and although I'd consider myself an experienced descender, I'm guilty of being very aggressive....."I've worked bloody hard to get up here I'm certainly going to enjoy coming down" kind of attitude.
Apart from the obvious catastrophic affair, the thought of simply warping a set of £3500.00 wheels sends shudders.
Although not as nice IMHO, ENVE would be a choice I may lean to, due to the fact any damage to the rim can be replaced without the whole wheel going into the bin.
I have to credit Enve also with their 5 year warrenty, (lightweight 2 year) and 50% life discount for their crash replacement programme.
They seem to also place a lot of testing into the heat problem associated with CC's.
So, if it's not the lightweight tubular I opt for and persist into a CC arena....Enve it is.
I'll stand by lightweight though in saying, I'm a real sucker for the looks, I think they're stunning.
Mmm, now where's the Tape V GLue thread....
Steve

[condorman]

Can someone please explain how to deal with puncturing tubs, do you always carry a spare? How easy do they puncture compared to clinchers?

With tubular wheels being lighter, cheaper and also feeling better to ride, it makes sense to me to make the transition.

I also have no experience gluing tubs and it just seems a bit daunting.

Would be great if someone can put my fears to bed....

[Geoff]

One of the reasons that I prefer to ride tubulars is that I get fewer flats. I fully appreciate that my experience is ride condition-specific and that in may environments experiences will be different, but, after a lifetime of riding tubulars, I have only ever had 2 sets of double flats. I 'experimented' with clinchers for awhile, but the pinch-flats were a big turn-off.

There is no need to fear tubulars or the gluing process. It is pretty simple to do well. All it takes is a little rigour and patience. If you check the 'sticky' section in this Board, you will see that we have a little thread on the gluing process. Me and a couple of other guys who have ridden these things since we were children have posted there about the gluing process.

To make your job a little bit more difficult (sorry), there is another choice: road tubeless. I have been running a couple of sets for awhile now as part of a long-term test. They are performing pretty well, surprisingly. No flats, no problems. The install is a bit of a pain, but the only maintenance is to throw-in some sealant evert once in awhile. The ride is not great, but for training, it is just fine. It could be interesting on an aero wheelset...

[condorman]

Can you put sealant in normal tubs? Does it mean if you get a puncture you might hold enough PSI to get home?

[condorman]

I've had a read of the transitioning thread in the wheel board

Am sold on the idea!

[Steve_W]

Meilenstein tubs now on order......what a long head scratching week I've had!!!