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riding on tubs
coffeebreak
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in Triathlon
I've just ordered a new set of tubular wheels and I've only ever ridden clinchers. What do you do in a race about puncture repair? Carry a spare tub with you or accept that your race may be over if you puncture? I'm thinking more for sprint and olympic distance.. personally i'm thinking if i puncture its bad luck and race over. By the time i changed the tyre it would probably be dark out anyway!
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most carry a pre-glued spare.
but in a short race like a sprint, quite a few don't bother with a spare to save a few grams as it's effectively game over for getting a podium spot if that's what you're aiming at. but the same would probably go for a clincher puncture as well. in a LD race, you have time to spare to fix a puncture.
and - practice replacing the tub so you can do it quickly. experienced guys will say they can replace one as quickly as a tube but I can't qualify that as I stick to clinchers - I know what I'm doing with them!
How long did it take to change your first clincher puncture, how long does it take you now?
With a bit of experience and with a pre-glued/stretched tub you can change quicker than a clincher, yes there's a bit of a heave ho to get the tub on but youve no faffing about getting a tube inside a tyre or checking for flints. nails before you put a new tube in.
There's also a product called Pitstop which is a foam sealer inflation aerosol, though ive had mixed results with them theyre supposed to get you home or last till the end of a ride.
If you practise changing tubs there is no reason they shouldnt take the same amount of time as a clincher or be even quicker?
I would normally have carried a spare tube with me in case i punctured.. luckily never happened in a race! i'll be racing for points so as you say whether i'm on clinchers or tubs a puncture will end my hopes.. surely a tyre is not as easy to carry as a tube? i assume they wouldn't fold up nicely into a saddle bag?
I've heard about that sealant as well. Is that what ppl mean when they say you usually can ride on for a few miles after a minor puncture?
Ah, I didnt read the bit about mainly Sprint/Olympic, guess my above answer still applies but with any flat youre going to loose 2-3+ mins at best, so if youre completing at the pointy end its probably game over in terms of race position?
A folded up clincher takes only a little more space than a tube.
Your best bet is this:
BK - most people have one folded and then tied underneath the saddle somehow. or some use a cutoff drinks bottle and stick it inside that (with other tools maybe) - that sits in a drinks cage nicely.
I tape mine to my seat tube / behind saddle with electric tape.
Thanks that looks pretty cool! I guess the idea is you use this to get through the race then bin the tyre? Or is it possible to fix the puncture and still race with it? Given these wheels are solely for racing with clinchers for training.
You can get tubs fixed but personally ive nevery bothered, £60 each isnt cheap but im not sure I could be bothered sending it off etc, youre still probably going to pay £20? (no idea actually) to have them fixed.
I like the idea of the cut off drinks bottle. Thanks for the advice guys! IF they arrive on time first race will be this Sunday. They're coming with tubs already fitted thankfully
Hopefully i'll have sealant by then as well.
This was setting vague bells ringing in the back of my head, something about also packing a razor blade to facilitate removing the punctured tub:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/triathlon/am-i-a-proper-cyclist/84547.html
You can buy repair kits that let you fix a larger hole without removing the tyre
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mobile/MobileModels.aspx?ModelID=7971
I had the same plug repair done on my motor bike
Fold the tub up neatly and strap it under the saddle with an old style toe strap. That's what I used to do but I only ride on clinchers at the moment.
Understand this might be the wheels you are talking about has nothing to do with standard racing bike wheels but as the bike thread say's talking in tongues so havn't got a clue if any of this is relevant.
Clinchers wheels are ones that take an inner tube and an outer tyre. Tubular wheels ( or sprints ) are ones that have a tubular tyre or tub. Difference with a tub is that the inner tube is inside an outer tyre that is stitched up around the inner tube. If you puncture on a tub you must take off the whole tyre ( and inner tube ) in one go and replace it with another. With a clincher wheel if you puncture, you just replace the inner tube the outer tyre stays the same.
Hope I have understood you and this makes a bit of sense
My question now....why bother with tubs then? Are they lighter or in some way quicker??
I think it is a relevant thing to the thread. There may be more people looking thinking riding on tubs, whats that all about, I ride on wheels.
On going argument FF and one which will go around in circles for years to come. Always seen to be quicker but for your average Joe probably not make much difference. Extremely expensive ones may make a difference for the top riders however 1. they probably don't pay for them and therefore don't have to worry about cost and 2. if they puncture a team car may be there straight away with replacements.
Oh related topic. Wife (feel's right good saying that.
) got a new bike last night nas was talking to the roadie selling it and he was talking about inproving speed/spec. Raised a very interesting point about buying new wheels. Talked through buying light and good tryes being more inportant that light wheels because of the centifugal forge being on the contact points and not the wheel hub. Was interiegued by his thinking.
Not sure i'd agree that they are just for high end bikers.. I haven't ridden them yet so i don't know how they compare. I got advice off a shop owner who told me tubs were lighter, quicker and more resistant to punctures. That and the fact that the wheels were significantly cheaper than the equivalent clinchers convinced me to buy. Since i'll only be using these for racing i'm hoping i won't have to worry about punctures too often! They might not make a huge difference, but if they make a little difference at the same price then why not... i guess with a stroke of bad luck a few punctures will get expensive.
Brian, I raced on tubs for years and I'm not knocking them. The Mavic wheels I have combined with the tubs felt great, smooth and fast. I think I only punctured once on them and put a new one on and limped home. With not being as fit now as I was then I'm guessing getting my engine to work properly will save me more time than the tubs will
I'm sure you will love the wheels, which ones have you gone for?
I went for the planet-x 82/101 wheels with Vittoria corsa Evo CX tyres. They're a lot better than the wheels i'm on now so clinchers or tubs, it should be a step up! If not they'll at least look a lot better
I was planning on getting clinchers then decided on not upgrading at all.. did a complete u-turn when i got a good offer!
They are knocking those out at a great price and see a lot around. Not spoke to anyone with them but there doesn't seem to be many complaints about them on other time trial forums. Look good though
I wrap my spare tub in clingfilm too and make sure it is folded sticky bits together. The cling film stops the crap getting stuck to the sticky....
I usually carry a tin of pitstop electrically taped to the seatpost more to avoid having to be rescued than anything else! That said if it was a long and major race I'd definitely not want race over with a puncture in the first mile!
I've ordered a tin of pitstop, hopefully that will get me to the finish line.. is it a single use thing or will it last a few uses? I think for a longer race i would def bring a spare tub.
I'd happily ride tubs up to Oly distance. For IM distance (at my level) there seems to be too much risk. Though perhaps that depends on road surfaces. After last Saurday I'm putting my posh wheels away until race day.