When to replace Tubular tires (Based on Mileage) ?

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3Pio
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by 3Pio

I just checked that on both tub wheels i use, both front tires there (One one Pair i have Continental Sprinter, on Second pair Vittoria Corsa G+), have about 6000 km and both beeing puncture free, and still no sealant inside..

On Both pairs i cant feel any lack of grip, or something negative there.... So on what mileage u will replace tires that still have good grip, and beeing puncture free, but have some mileage allready?

On both wheelseet, the tires are installed about year ago... Continental are boughted like 15 months ago, while Vittoria are from January 2017....

If i ride them 2-3 months more, im sure ill reach 7000-8000 kms on them...In this kind of scenario are u waiting for some sign of bad grip or maybe puncture before replacing them, or u replace just based of mileage, and what mileage is that?

For rear's i was able to get about 5500 km with Sprinter and 3500km with Corsa (on both i had a side cut which was not possible to repair with sealant, so that way i replaced them with new tires...)

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mattr
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by mattr

Either when they start to lose grip, you can see the canvas or the tread gets squared off.

Other than that, carry on.
(If i had one with that sort of mileage that punctured, I'd probably not invest the time and effort in fixing it.)

mattr
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by mattr

I'd probably also factor in if i was racing on them or not.
Preventative replacement, rather than waiting for a puncture on old tubs.

3Pio
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by 3Pio

mattr wrote:
Sun May 05, 2019 12:13 pm
Either when they start to lose grip, you can see the canvas or the tread gets squared off.

Other than that, carry on.
(If i had one with that sort of mileage that punctured, I'd probably not invest the time and effort in fixing it.)
Definetely not spending time in fixing this kind of mileage :).. Funny still no canvas.. On Corsa G+ no squared at all, on Sprinter a a little bit (but im sure i can ride another 2000 km), so i guess i'll have them until 7000-8000 km.....

RussellS
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by RussellS

I replaced tubulars, and clinchers, when the rubber in the center of the tire had worn away and the cotton/nylon casing was visible.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Replace when squared off. That's true with any tyre.

Geoff
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by Geoff

Well, personally, I would not stop using a training tire just because it was a bit squared-off. In my experience, tubulars will keep on rolling until the tread is basically gone. Admittedly, the thinner the tread gets, the more likely punctures become, so there is a bit of a balancing act to do there. Whether or not you can 'get away' with letting the tread wear more comes down to the road conditions where you ride and your personal riding style. If you have good roads and you are 'easy' on tires, you can really stretch them.

Jugi
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by Jugi

I have witnessed a pattern where changing a squared off tubular to a new one will have a noticeable change in average speed. I have experienced something like a 0,5-0,8km/h improvement just by changing a tire and that isn't completely logical, because there shouldn't be so much difference in rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag.

That is the one reason I would reserve a wheelset for racing duties. Not to preserve the wheels, but to preserve the tires. As I'm not actively racing anymore, I try to run my tubs to the canvas.

mattr
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by mattr

Geoff wrote:
Wed May 08, 2019 3:04 am
Well, personally, I would not stop using a training tire just because it was a bit squared-off. In my experience, tubulars will keep on rolling until the tread is basically gone.
who said anything about a bit squared off? I'm talking lots squared off! Enough to be noticeable.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Squared off is a bit more than a bit squared off. Why does everything have to explained in extreme detail. A squared off tyre is more susceptible to punctures because the tread has got thin. Handling also changes for the worse.

It's this sort of misunderstanding that puts me of forums.

mattr
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by mattr

You run a bike shop, you must get used to it!
Every other question is about how long a piece of string is.

I guess we need to work out a chord length Vs inflated tyre diameter, inner rim width and tread thickness....

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

No I don't get used to it. I have pretty much stopped trying to explain Tubeless tyres to people because the base understanding is not there. There are too many assumptions made. The internet is the problem. People do "research" and just end up with a bunch of people opinions mostly without being able to disern what valid and what's not.

On bike radars tubeless thread the last post yesterday was use road plugs (not MTB one) FFS there is no such thing. There are different sized plugs for different sized holes and that's it. I really can't be bothered explaining any more. I did not reply I'll leave them to fumble around in the dark. The misunderstanding are so prevalent it is no longer possible to dispell them.


Almost every problem can be traced back to an assumption that turns out not to be true.

If the internet was invented today I would cheer

flying
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by flying

Nothing wrong with leaving some miles on a tubular & moving it to spare tire duty :wink:

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Calnago
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by Calnago

^That’s exactly what I do. When it’s obvious I’m getting close to borrowed time, then off it comes for spare duty. I’d rather take a tire off before it blows than wait till it does. And removing them before it’s absolutely necessary means your spares will still be in decent shape, as opposed to creating a high probability that your spare will also bite the bullet when/if you ever need to rely on it.
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3Pio
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by 3Pio

Calnago wrote:
Wed May 08, 2019 11:50 pm
^That’s exactly what I do. When it’s obvious I’m getting close to borrowed time, then off it comes for spare duty. I’d rather take a tire off before it blows than wait till it does. And removing them before it’s absolutely necessary means your spares will still be in decent shape, as opposed to creating a high probability that your spare will also bite the bullet when/if you ever need to rely on it.
I have dedicated spare tube, which is Tufo and roll really small (almost regular tube size), and really light..

In year and half i have it, i used only once for 85 km's, so plenty of km's to use there... (i just apply new glue on begining of season) .

I bring with me on every ride (i forgot it once, and belive me or not i had a side cut , and sealant wasnt able to fix it.. Lucky for me happened just few km's from my home (getting back from about 100 km ride), and to be even more lucky in the moment my friend with car noticed me walking (just start to walk :) ), and bring me home...)

I prefer Tufo vs old regular tubular because is very light and small), since i take my spare in my rear pocket...

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