Re: tubulars vs. clinchers

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mike Krueger) wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> << Huh.  I rarely pinch flat (and I weigh 210 lbs), don't inflate my
> clinchers to 120 psi, and have never had a tire come off when flat.
> This stuff is just the traditional red herrings from the tubular
> crowd. >>
> 
> You are very lucky, or you ride on pristine roads. Before I switched to
> tubulars, I used to get plenty of pinch flats.

The clincher crowd (who generally lay claim to the scientific high
ground) will have difficulty arguing that at the same cross-section
and pressure there is no pinch-flat issue - you can ding a tubular rim
without a blowout.

I suggest that if you want to race in comfort (ie not at 120psi) you
have two choices: tubulars or fat clinchers.

Does anyone like the ride of fat tyres in a sprint? And there are
aerodynamic consequences too.

I can get by on solo rides with a 22-23 clincher at 100-110 but have
the luxury of knowing the road, being able to see the road and being
able to manoeuvre.

> 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.

It would be a fair bet that less time was wasted on the all-tubular
group rides of old, though I wouldn't recommend tubulars for general
riding.

Andrew Bradley