Alloy Tubular Advice
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 6:27 pm
I've ridden a bike with tubulars before, but never owned a pair. In the quest for improved handling, lighter wheels I'm about to pull the trigger on a wheelset based around HED C2 Belgium tubulars and some Chris King R45s, probably with the tubular gatorskins as sort of a nice/race (but not exclusive to racing) wheelset.
I'm getting everything in pieces much cheaper than MSRP so I'm a bit excited, but not having ridden on tubs before I don't know if I should look at a different combo or what advice one might offer.
Particulars: I'm a Cat 4, 139-143 lbs rider who likes climbing and trains 10-15 hours a week. I kind of want to train on these too except in the most shitty of conditions. Being smaller and lighter I am probably going to do a 20 radial/28 two cross build.
I haven't exhausted old threads, so don't chastise me for that, but as someone making the leap to tubulars is there anything I need to be aware of? I will admit I'm a wee bit nervous about gluing them incorrectly (again I know there are threads for this) and my buddies have really only used them for cross (where tape is useful and gluing is not necessary per se due to the low pressures they run). My first race with them is a TT hillclimb in a little over a week... assuming I can get the parts all in time (which I've been told is not a problem).
Please, search! One is on the front page of the 'wheels forum
viewtopic.php?f=113&t=113082
I'm getting everything in pieces much cheaper than MSRP so I'm a bit excited, but not having ridden on tubs before I don't know if I should look at a different combo or what advice one might offer.
Particulars: I'm a Cat 4, 139-143 lbs rider who likes climbing and trains 10-15 hours a week. I kind of want to train on these too except in the most shitty of conditions. Being smaller and lighter I am probably going to do a 20 radial/28 two cross build.
I haven't exhausted old threads, so don't chastise me for that, but as someone making the leap to tubulars is there anything I need to be aware of? I will admit I'm a wee bit nervous about gluing them incorrectly (again I know there are threads for this) and my buddies have really only used them for cross (where tape is useful and gluing is not necessary per se due to the low pressures they run). My first race with them is a TT hillclimb in a little over a week... assuming I can get the parts all in time (which I've been told is not a problem).
Please, search! One is on the front page of the 'wheels forum
viewtopic.php?f=113&t=113082