tubulars, what do you do when they go flat?

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Geoff
Posts: 5395
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
Location: Canada

by Geoff

I used to have the same problem with snow and sleet with the old, red Clement tubular glues. The newer product appears much 'stickier'. Upon removing the damaged tubular, you will find that the 'new' tubular will stick nicely once up-to-pressure. The do stick faster when it is warm, though. The best glue that I have found (for all tires, including Continentals) is Vittoria Mastic One. Mastic One goes-on very cleanly and is very sticky in the wet.

Since you will eventually get a 'stash' of used, undamaged tubulars (since they rarely flat), you will get a pile of very useable spares with an adequate amount of old glue remaining on them. If not, don't forget to pre-stretch your spares (stretch them by looping it around your foot then pulling-up hard, rotating around the tire, then install on an old rim and inflate to pressure for a few days - a week is better. Oh, clean the old rim as well as you can. You will find that the old glue remaining, even if it is years old, still is sticky enough to make a new, unstreched tubular difficult to remove), inflate it slightly to turn the base tape up, put a thin layer of glue on the base tape and let it dry well. The thin layer of glue will help the tubular stick, even in the snow.

by Weenie


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kite flyer
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 9:32 pm
Location: Essex, United Kingdom

by kite flyer

Thanks for that Geoff, I'll be giving sprints and tubs a go this year - in prep for a new bike next.

Geoff
Posts: 5395
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
Location: Canada

by Geoff

Thanks for that Geoff, I'll be giving sprints and tubs a go this year - in prep for a new bike next.


No problem. Tubulars will change your life :wink: .

What do you ride and what bike are you building next?

kite flyer
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 9:32 pm
Location: Essex, United Kingdom

by kite flyer

What do I ride - something from a mainstream UK manufacturer, approx. 7 years old (although in good condition because it was in store for 5 years - an end of season bargin) and very heavy :oops:

I bought some scales a couple of weeks ago, weighs to 1kg in 1g and 2kg in 2g, so when I gave my bike a mini-service the other week I weighed a few bits. How do these grab you?

Forks (steel - ouch) 786g
f wheel 858g
r wheel 1060g
QRs (pair) 168g
brakes (pair) 389g
tyres (pair) 740g (heavy ones to resist winter punctures)

The only light bits are the tubes (pair) 165g, although the saddle (Mission - who they? but very comfortable) at 243g is not too far off of some WW's choices.

Total weight somewhere around 23 lbs.

However, the fun starts late this / early next year - building a light(er)weight bike. Unlike a lot of the WWs (or so it seems to me) my finances will not allow the very lightest, coolest gear, so it will be a case of balancing cost against weight savings. That will be fun :roll:

How does this grab you for a topic - 'WW on a budget!'?

At least it won't be black, cause I cannot afford full carbon.

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