Re: tubulars vs. clinchers

"Tim McNamara" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mike Krueger) writes:
>
> >>> On my Sunday club rides, it's always the clincher guys who hold up
> >>> the group when the have to change a flat, sometimes suffering
> >>> multiple flats in the same tire because they don't find the thorn
> >>> or shard of glass after the first one.
> >
> >> You can't blame stupidity on clinchers. ;- >>
> >
> > Don't know if it's stupidity, but I have seen guys slice their
> > fingers feeling for that shard of glass in a clincher casing. And if
> > you can't find it easily, you figure it fell out, but sometimes end
> > up with another flat tire right away.  I'm embarrassed if the group
> > has to stop because I get a puncture. I want to get going again
> > quickly. The beauty of a tubular is you can tear off the old tire,
> > slap on the pre-glued spare, gas it up to 120 psi with a Co2
> > cartridge, and be on your way in a minute flat.
>
> Huh.  Back in the day, it took way longer to get the danged tub off
> the rim than it did to get a clincher off.  It the tub is properly
> glued on, it don't come off in under 1 minute flat.
>
> > Tubulars have a few drawbacks, but I don't understand the vehemence
> > some people have for them. Then again, I ride an old-school *lugged
> > steel* frame with a *quill* stem, fitted out with inferior *Dura
> > Ace* parts and non-boutique *standard 32 spoke* wheels. Maybe I
> > should just lay low around here...
>
> Heh, me too.  Lugs (or fillet brazed).  Quill stem.  Polished silver
> rims.  32 spokes each. Brooks saddle.  Friction shifting.  Freewheels.
> Mish-mash of old Sun Tour, Ritchey, etc.  Why not?  It's riding the
> bike that really counts!

I'm not quite that enamored of the old friction days.  Yeah, I miss the
clean lines that not having the shifter wires gave, but give me the modern
shifting any day! (or no shifting...)

I still like lugged steel frames.  I also like compact AL frames, carbon,
Ti, and most of the rest.  There's good points and bad points about all of
them.  If I had to do it over again, I'd have ridden a Master Olympic with
Superbe Pro and tubulars, but this is 2003 (almost 04!) and times have
changed and so have the contents my garage.

Mike