Tubular cycle tires

Looking for prices on having tubular tires mounted on my wheels. Or if I should just learn to do it myself… Anyone have good info on pricing to just mount the wheel (glue or taped). Thank you!

If you’re going to ride tubulars, you should learn to mount them yourself because what happens if you get a flat? You’ll need a spare, and have to change it yourself.

Most likely you should stick with clinchers

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Probably worth contacting Taipei Bike Works, i forget his user name on here. (assuming you are based in Taipei) edit: @ttwan

If you are riding in a velodrome, i would have thought they’d have someone who can mount tubs, that’s an assumption

If you’re using tubulars, you should decide what you will do in the event of a flat.
If you are an Uber/taxi/significant other bailing your ass out type of person, tape is fine.
If you actually want to ride home, glue is best. Learn to do it yourself and carry a pre-glued spare. Gluing isn’t a big drama. There is a good thread here
I have my own reasons for riding tubulars, mostly because I’m a contrarian old bastard. Have you been riding tubulars and need them replaced, or are you new to them?

I’ve been riding tubulars, just time to replace and the person who did it for me before is not on the island anymore. So I was looking for advice and prices before I just randomly went into a shop to ask. Thought it was going to be an easy answer, but I guess riding tubulars daily isn’t the normal, but I’ve been doing it for a few years. Thank you for your reply. Uber home is easy enough in the case of a blowout, so not really going to every ride with a spare. I am always withing a km or two of a major highway or road (if I did something more remote, I would use my old pair of clinchers).

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Tufo tires seem to be good value for the money at around 900-1200NTD. Depending on what else you’re buying or if you’re familiar with the shop or not, it may cost anything from 400-800NTD fee to have them installed.

Tubs can be ridden after a flat, but it would require you to stop often to pump them and ride very slow. I would suggest tubs for race wheels and consider clinchers for everyday riding.

It’s easy enough to mount, takes more time, but gives you something to do in the evenings when you are thinking about riding. Was on my clinchers for a few days while i was waiting for my tubs to arrive, and I feel the performance and feel of a tub is worth the money and effort. Wife tried them out and even her, as an beginner, felt the difference from her tubeless Cadex wheels. Costs more, pain to mount, but f it, they ride nice. I know, I know, they are getting phased out for other tubeless tires, but tubs will always be around.

Need a 700x28 road tire recommendation for county roads. Currently riding Maxxi Pursuer. Like the speed and control. Don’t like the durability. Too many flats from glass. Would prefer a Taiwan made clincher tire. Not interested in racing.

Are you sure you are looking for tubular tires? AFAIK Pursuer is clincher only.

You’re right I’m looking for a clincher tire recommendation.

I can only say that my Maxxis High Road 28c have 2500 km without punctures. Anyway, my last puncture was like 6 years ago.

Where do you ride? I think Taiwanese roads are pretty clean thanks to the frequent rains.

Sub-optimal tire pressure maybe?

I ride in Hsinchu County. Usual psi 90+.
I haven’t tried the High Road tire.
Pchome price, 1480nt seems high, similar to an imported tire.

Unless you and your bike are VERY heavy, 90+ psi in a 28 tire is too much. Current knowledge has proven that lower pressures are not only more comfortable but also faster in anything that is not an ultra smooth velodrome. I’d say that can also increase puncture probability because if the tire doesn’t deform, the debris has no option that going through the tire.

So, before expending money on new tires, try these pressure calculators and check what they recommend to you. For better results, insert the system weight (you, your bike, your clothes, shoes, helmets, lights, water…). You can just gear yourself, pick up your bike and stuff and jump onto a scale. Also, measure the actual width of the tire (my 28s measure 30 mm on my rims) if you have a caliper.

These tools will probably recommend you much lower pressures than you are currently using. If you don’t feel comfortable reducing your pressure so drastically, try 5-10 PSI less every ride until you are close to the recommended pressures.

For your reference. My system weight is around 73 kg and I use 67-69 PSI (front-rear). 28 tires (30 mm actual width) on 21 mm internal rim width.

Edit: forgot to share the links.

https://axs.sram.com/guides/tire/pressure

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To Membrillo:
Wow that’s interesting info from Silca.com . I’m heavier than you. Using a weight guesstimate my numbers were similar to yours. Rear 70psi, front 68. I was going by the recommendation on the side of the Maxxi tire.
Gives me another reason to buy the Topeak SmartGauge D2.
Do you have any experience with Giant PA-2 wheelset? I bought them recently for 5400NT. Price included a new cassette. Approx $175US. I’m concerned about the PA-2 strength of 16 spokes/17mm rim width because my previous WTB wheelset (14 years) were 32 spokes/23mm width. Any thoughts?

16 spokes is a low count. Rim brakes, I guess. Are both wheels 16? Or does the rear have more?

For a relatively inexpensive wheels, I wouldn’t have bought them with so few spokes. Specially if you ride some rough roads.

Don’t use too much glue. Just a tiny trace is fine. Unless you descend with rim brakes so hard that you melt the glue.

Tubular tires can be ridden home dead flat. That’s a huge difference

True, in theory. In practice, I wouldn’t risk a rim, or crashing.

Today’s festivities have begun.

Yeah in hind sight the wheelset was an impulse buy mistake. So far I’m impressed with the increased efficiency. I ride a Bianchi Volpe 2008 steel frame bike. Up until this year I was into a more relaxed touring type of riding. But I’m warming more to a road bike/endurance focus simply because that is the reality of where I live and age.
Yes 16 spokes front and back using rim brakes.
The roads are rough and can be slippery. Green moss grows on the asphalt on some of the farm roads I like. I’m looking for a durable grippy road tire but realize this could be impossible.