Tubular vs Clincher - What is your preference and why?

[Warren Foyn]

As quite an extensive participant and stakeholder in the carbon bicycle wheel industry in South Africa and abroad, I’m often asked my opinion on the pro’s and cons of using tubular wheels (tubby’s) as opposed to the far more popular (locally anyway, the global mix is closer to 1:1 I’m told) clinchers. I’ve long had my opinion on this, but have refrained from voicing these opinions until I felt certain. Now I do...

 

So I made the decision to start riding exclusively on my set of TOKEN T55 tubby’s in about March 2016. This was roughly the same time I made the decision to become the local importer and distributor of the TUFO range of tyres and tubby’s, which is a range of premium bicycle tyres out of the Czech Republic (www.tufo.com). Coupled with this was the fact that I was already bringing in the range of Velowurks tyre and inner tube sealant developed in Germany (www.velowurks.com).

 

I have ridden tubby’s before, but not for the last 5 years or so. And certainly never exclusively, they were always reserved for race day, for 2 main reasons:

 

·         If I puncture I will be stuck, unless I carry a spare tubby with me, which can be rather cumbersome. It’s also extremely difficult to replace a tubby, and I don’t want to be struggling with it at the side of the road for 10 minutes while my mates are waiting for me. And giving me their 5c worth on why I shouldn’t be riding tubby’s!

·         If I puncture it’s going to cost me over R 1 000, because tubby’s can’t be repaired. Well not unless you’re someone who’s able to unstitch it, remove the inner tube, repair it and re-install it. I’m not that guy!

 

However, one thing that cannot be disputed is the performance of tubulars versus clinchers. Anyone who has ever ridden tubby’s will attest to the fact that they just feel great! They seem to roll so much better and smoother, are much more responsive, and generally just feel far more “racey”! With a tubby you also eliminate the slip / movement of the tyre around the rim, as well as the tube within the tyre, thereby reducing power loss between pedal and pavement. So they are nicer to ride on, all the time if like me you want to enjoy riding your bike as much as possible! (You get those who advocate training on heavy wheels as it “makes you stronger”. Who’re you trying to kid? All it does is make you slower at the same output. Training to your numbers, be it RPE, HR or Power makes you stronger!)

 

It was for the reasons above that I wanted to ride tubby’s. And some other very attractive additional incidental advantages of tubby’s is that by the very nature of their construction they are lighter than their clincher counterparts, and they cost less. Sometimes up to 30% less! They are also safer than clinchers as there is almost zero chance of the tyres coming off the rim in the case of a blow-out, unlike clinchers. And although not really a problem in South Africa, it is not uncommon for carbon clincher rims to overheat and delaminate under prolonged harsh braking, which often happens when descending mountain passes.

 

So, armed with all the above information, and my newly-discovered Velowurks sealant that I felt confident would be the solution to 95% of any holes I picked up on the road, I fitted my tubbies to my TOKEN T55’s, and off I went. I proceeded to log almost 600 hours and over 15 000km of riding for the year and changed that original set of tubby’s for the first time 8 months later! Because they were worn out! And yes, I picked up a few chards of glass along the way, pulled out a thorn on one occasion, and more than once waited with baited breath for my tyre to go flat after being unable to avoid the remnants of a broken beer bottle on the side of the road in the cradle. But that never happened. Despite getting at least half a dozen holes in my 2 tubby’s over the past year, not once was I forced to stop mid-ride to address these holes! And not once was I forced to replace the tubby because of these holes either. The Velowurks sealant is a permanent fix. Oddly enough, I did need to add more sealant to the front wheel once (40-50ml). I’m not sure where the initial 40ml went to, but the day I pulled the thorn out (which I only noticed once at home, not mid ride) the tubby went flat and there was no evidence of any sealant. I added more, pumped the tyre again, and proceeded to ride another 3 000km or so.

 

So, the answer to the initial question, “What is my opinion on the pro’s and cons of tubby’s?”:

 

Pro’s

1.       Tubular wheelsets are cheaper than clinchers, generally.

2.       Tubular wheels are lighter than their clincher counterparts (like for like obviously)

3.       Tubular wheels are safer (reasons mentioned above).

4.       Tubular wheels feel nicer to ride on.

5.       All else being equal, tubular wheels are faster.

 

Cons

1.       Resale value of clinchers is better (for now, but only until more people discover all the advantages of             tubby’s J)

2.       On the rare occasion when the tubby will need to be replaced it will be more expensive than replacing a tube. However, in a case like this there is a strong probability that a normal tyre would need to be replaced too, because of the size of the hole or the fact that the tyre would also be worn out if this was the case with the tubby. In which case the replacement cost of tyre vs tubby is roughly the same, depending on the brand and model)

 

I hope you have found the above report informative if nothing else. As stated, this is my opinion based on personal experience. You may not necessarily agree with everything I’ve said, and that’s ok with me. Please also feel free to express your opinion, or contact me with any questions you may have.

 

Ride safe!

 

Warren

[LOOK695]

I think another factor which influences the buying decision is the glueing process which can sometimes seem like a real hassle compared to clinchers. I for one would love to try tubbies, but the idea of glueing, punctures, being stranded, tyre rolling off rim etc has made me think twice. Then there is also the newer tubeless rims/wheels available which are getting more popular, but which still are heavier than tubby rims/wheels. What would the weight difference be between a clincher and tubby wheelset with the added weight of sealant in the tubby tyre?

[Warren Foyn]

I think another factor which influences the buying decision is the glueing process which can sometimes seem like a real hassle compared to clinchers. I for one would love to try tubbies, but the idea of glueing, punctures, being stranded, tyre rolling off rim etc has made me think twice. Then there is also the newer tubeless rims/wheels available which are getting more popular, but which still are heavier than tubby rims/wheels. What would the weight difference be between a clincher and tubby wheelset with the added weight of sealant in the tubby tyre?

 

Hey LOOK695,

 

You're right, the gluing process is another big disadvantage. I should have mentioned that TUFO also makes a double-sided gluing tape which is used in place of the conventional tubby cement. This makes the whole application process so much easier and less messy. In fact zero mess at all, and exceptionally neat. And we bring that gluing tape in too.

 

Regarding the weight saving, our Elite S3 23mm race tubby weighs max 225g, plus roughly 40g of sealant. This brings it to around 265g in total, vs a lightweight clincher at around 210g, and a tube at around 80g = 290g. So a negligible weight difference, with the benefit of a drastically reduced chance of a flat. And the weight difference between the wheels themselves will be around 200g give or take. This weight all being at the extremity of the wheels will equate to the biggest performance gain relative to weight of anywhere on the bike or rider.

[WIPEOUT 1000]

The main justification for tubulars used to be rolling resistance and sometimes the ability to run at lower pressure without the risk of pinch flats.

 

However, it seems that new technology (e.g. tubeless) is finally changing this.

 

I found it very interesting that Tony Martin won the World Championships Time Trial on clinchers.

(http://www.velonews.com/2016/10/bikes-and-tech/no-tubulars-needed-martin-wins-worlds-with-clincher-tires_422800)

 

Also more importantly, according to bicyclerollingresistance.com, Vittoria's tubeless ready Corsa Speed TLR clincher is the fastest tyre currently available by a comfortable margin.

(http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/vittoria-corsa-speed-2016)

[Zatek]

Just to add on what Token said. I trained and raced on my tubbies for 9 months with no sealant inside. I only checked that my tires was at the right pressure before every ride and after each ride took my superclue and sealed/glued all the little cuts. I never had a punctured but I follow the same process with my clinchers as well.

[Patchelicious]

People often talk about the "feel" of the tubbie.

 

But feel is such a subjective thing. But but, feel is an important part of a bike.

 

So I think if you make decisions purely on factual Pro's and cons you end up on clinchers.

 

Been on carbon clinchers for 2 years now and won't switch to tubbies.

[Cippo]

I have always used clinchers and don't think I would switch to tubbies purely for practicality. I find clinchers to be economical, easy to use and with the newer technology on tyres like Vittoria Corsa's, Conti GP4000s and Sworks Turbo the bar has been raised with clinchers. My next set of wheels will probably be a Shamal as I am sceptical of carbon clinchers. Mavic's new Cosmic Pro carbon is very enticing thou but will see if there new carbon tech pans out. Resins for carbon rims have been improving to reduce heat issues.

[LOOK695]

Concerning the weight difference, do 200g on a wheelset make a noticeable difference?

[bikebloke]

cosmic carbone 40mm clinchers + 25mm conti S2's tyres for training and racing why complicate it

[Mongoose!]

My way forward will be wide tubeless wheels. 25mm rims.

25 to 28c tires.

['Dale]

After many seasons of 'tubs' for some weight saving, I have decided to train harder  and get some cool carbon clinchers, about a month ago.

 

The tech improvement in top-end carbon clinchers was definitely the swinging vote.

[LOOK695]

After many seasons of 'tubs' for some weight saving, I have decided to train harder  and get some cool carbon clinchers, about a month ago.

 

The tech improvement in top-end carbon clinchers was definitely the swinging vote.

From your experience. how do the tubs compare with clincher in the real world? Do you notice the extra wheight compared to tubs?

['Dale]

From your experience. how do the tubs compare with clincher in the real world? Do you notice the extra wheight compared to tubs?

 

There's a distinct nimbleness that comes with the tubular system

With sharp accelerations and/or surges. Which is bread and butter stuff for A bunch racing.

 

With climbing or normal steady riding, barely discernible.

[Cat2forLife]

in a perfect world, tubbies all the way. Unfortunately the world is not perfect, so I have clinchers.

[Warren Foyn]

The main justification for tubulars used to be rolling resistance and sometimes the ability to run at lower pressure without the risk of pinch flats.

 

However, it seems that new technology (e.g. tubeless) is finally changing this.

 

I found it very interesting that Tony Martin won the World Championships Time Trial on clinchers.

(http://www.velonews.com/2016/10/bikes-and-tech/no-tubulars-needed-martin-wins-worlds-with-clincher-tires_422800)

 

Also more importantly, according to bicyclerollingresistance.com, Vittoria's tubeless ready Corsa Speed TLR clincher is the fastest tyre currently available by a comfortable margin.

(http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/vittoria-corsa-speed-2016)

[Mongoose!]

in a perfect world, tubbies all the way. Unfortunately the world is not perfect, so I have clinchers.

Correct, And we race and train on SA roads....