Tubular tyres

[jezer]

Why don't we use these any more? Apart from cost they were far more efficient following a puncture. You could be back on the road in five minutes or less, and you could ride them flat for a while without risk of damage until convenient to change. I believe many pro teams use them again these days, although they don't have to worry about the expense.

[gregoryoftours]

Was there a time when racers didn't use them? I thought for 'serious' racing they never went out of use. I don't know much about them - I know you can ride for a bit on them deflated ok but how can you be back on the road in 5 minutes? Is that just sticking a new one on with tub tape or somat? Surely that's not any quicker than sticking a new inner tube in?

[Brucey]

it is both quicker and safer to put a tub on if you are in a rush. The wheels are stronger and lighter too.

The issue is really cost; they are hideously expensive to run unless you never ever puncture and the kind of tubs that are nice to ride on, good and quick etc are pretty useless in the wet.

Also, it turns out that tubs are really only very fast if they are glued on in a particular way. For time trialling etc you need to spend a fortune to get tubs that are noticeably quicker than a decent set of HP tyres.

cheers

[jezer]

I think professional riders stopped using them for a while because their commercial sponsors wanted to promote clinchers to the everyday cyclists. I'm not too sure that was a good idea.

[Valbrona]

Yes. There were the Michelin-sponsored teams in the 90s, like Carrera. But not being able to ride with a flat killed clinchers off in a racing context.

[MGate]

I used to ride tubs all the time - including when I was commuting. Lovely ride, roll very well and the wheels were very strong having that shallow arch section rather than having to provide a 'clincher' rim. The whole tyre is round in section and provide a compliant and fast ride. Nearest I've got to that is by using 'open tubular' clinchers from Challenge.

Never happened to me - but used to live in fear of a double punture as I only carried one spare. To unstitch and repair by the side of the road would be time consuming to say the least. Plus you had to carry a spare tub, effectively a lightweight tyre and tube, strapped up under the saddle. Riding out with my CTC club in the 80's round suffolk's lanes used to use those 'flint catcher' strops across the brakes. Someplace the 'roadies' on tubs would get off and carry the bike over the gravel rather than risk a flat!

[foxyrider]

Was there a time when racers didn't use them? I thought for 'serious' racing they never went out of use. I don't know much about them - I know you can ride for a bit on them deflated ok but how can you be back on the road in 5 minutes? Is that just sticking a new one on with tub tape or somat? Surely that's not any quicker than sticking a new inner tube in?

you don't reglue the spare - I used to be able to change a tub in a minute and certainly be off again in under 5. I recently rode tubs again for the first time in 20 years - they really are much nicer than clinchers to ride on.

[mattsccm]

You don't ride them flat if you are paying for them. A pro ride can keep up some speed, at least on the flat or uphill whilst waiting for a wheel change. Riding on a flat tub does them no good at all for very long.
I am one of those who always used tubs, partly because my TT wheels were so much nicer that the clinchers of the day. 1980's. A club run was no big deal as everybody had one so even a double puncture just meant borrowing. Not that this ever happened to me.
The spare was always a used one, usually the last one you had repaired and there was always enough glue left on it plus that on the rim to do the job. Neatly wrapped of course in a nice tight little package not just folded twice on looking like a bunch of sausages in a dog mouth. Never got the hang of tape as half came off with the tub and half stayed on the rim. I hear that some people carry tape! Always find it easier to get the tub dead straight with cement as well.
Tubs never left the pro peleton. Even today, when clinchers are miles better than they were and sometimes teams do use them, most pros will be on tubs most if not all of the time.

[martin biggs]

i have one bike with tubs on and use it fairly often , cant say i notice a great difference over clinchers

[Brucey]

Now I may be dreaming but IIRC there may have been an attempt to make a tub that used a zip fastener to hold the tube in. Anyone else remember that?

If said tyre was held on the rim with something like Velcro, too, I can see it almost being practical....

cheers

[TrevA]

I can understand why racers still use theM but I don't think they are any good for everyday use. Puncture with a clincher and you can be back on the road in 3 minutes. I would always be wary of an unglued spare tub rolling off. I once rolled a tub in a 10 mile TT, not properly stuck on and taking a corner too fast!

I never thought they were that good a ride, but I could never afford expensive tubs. Plus the faff of sticking them on with cement and getting glue everywhere. I was glad when they invented decent lightweight clinchers.

[Spinners]

I've never ridden on tubs but at least one world road race championship was won thanks to using tubs and their ability to run them flat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwsTV2zCsI0

[tim-b]

Hi

It's threads like these that remind me of my age, when (in the cycling world) silks were racing tyres rather than QCs, a big mac was something that you wore when it rained and a Michelin 50 was a 27" bicycle tyre rather than a low profile tyre for a sports car

My memories of "tubs and sprints" (was that just a local term for the wheels?) is that they were fine until punctured. As a teenager I couldn't afford to buy too many and so I spent many a happy hour shoving one of those triangular cross-section needles through the outer casing to sew up after a flat, sticking the base tape back on, etc

I used contact adhesive to stick my tubs on, relatively clean once touch dry, and tub tape was a revelation when it came out although I could never pull the backing paper out without it tearing several times

The road noise from a decent tub on sprints was like no other, although modern clinchers can come close

Having experienced both, modern clincher tyres are so much more practical for me. You get far more choice of weight, width, tread pattern, puncture-resistance, etc, although that may be the internet age allowing us to see so many more and have them drop through the letter box

Puncture repairs are so much quicker, and I can carry one modern inner tube, extra patches (and use them at the roadside) and a tool kit in the space occupied by one spare tub

A 700c wheel is pretty much the same size as a sprint wheel and can bring an old close-clearance frame back into use without the faff factor. Overall, 700c clinchers get the thumbs up from me

Regards
tim-b

[foxyrider]

Tubs seem to be making a comeback - Decathlon are doing a pair for @ £20 although you'll need a proper bike shop to get something to stick em on with!