Obligatory Post on Tubular Tires.

Kenda Volaire tire, Velocity Escape rim, 105 hubs, Wheelsmith double-butt spokes.

Working at a shop that specializes in racing bikes, I come across tubulars a lot. Up until recently my belief was that Tubular tires were the most pointless accessory for the ultimate bike nerd or the triathlete with more money than sense (is there any other kind?)

For those of you who don't know, a tubular tire is a circular tube of rubber with an inner tube sewn up inside of it. You have to glue it to a special rim and if you get a flat, you're screwed.

Here's my method for gluing a tubular tire:

Day 1: Pre-stretch the tire by mounting it glueless to a spare rim. Sometimes it helps to moisten the casing with a little water or alcohol. Inflate the tire to it's maximum PSI and let it sit for at least a day. While you're doing this, you can apply the first layer of glue to the rim of the wheel you intend to use. First, sand the rim with course sand paper. You want the rim to be completely clean of old glue or bits of tire. If the rim is carbon, don't use sand paper. Next clean the rim with a solvent that doesn't leave residue, rubbing alcohol or Acetone are good options. Apply a thin and even layer of glue using an acid brush. I like to cut the ends of the brush for more control.

Day 2: Unmount the stretched tire and clean the inner casing with acetone or rubbing alcohol. Once it dries, apply a thin layer of glue to the inner casing. Apply a second layer to the rim. Let dry over night.

Day 3: One more layer to the rim and tire. Let dry over night.

Day 4: This is the big day. Apply a thin layer of glue to the rim. Put the tire valve in the valve hole on the rim with the valve screwed open, then tape the valve so it stays open. This is so that as you work the tire on the rim air has a chance to escape, making the tire flatter and easier to mount.  You will have to work fast. Some glues, especially Continental Carbon Glue, dry quickly. I like Vittoria Mastik One because it gives you some play-time. Start at the valve and pull the tire away from the valve as if stretching a big rubber-band. Work the tire onto the rim by sliding the casing over the glue with the palm of each hand. When you get to the last bit at the end you might need to grab the tread of the tire between your thumb and fore-finger and pull it on the rim. Inflate the tire to 100psi and roll it on the ground with your body weight pressing down. Spin the wheel to make sure the tire is evenly seated and not moving from side to side. If it is a little squirrely, mark the spot and deflate the tire to pull the casing over to the appropriate spot on the rim. Fill the tire up to the maximum PSI and let it sit for another 24 hours.

Day 5: Safe to ride!

Now why would anybody go through all this trouble just to ride some stupid tires? Here're my best reasons:
1. The ride is more "supple". Interpret that however you want.
2. The whole system is lighter than a comparable clincher, meaning faster acceleration and braking.
3. This is the way tires used to be mounted back in the olden days. The method for gluing a tire described above is over a century old and by following this ritual you are living a part of bicycle history. Sadly, due to the outrageous price of tubular tires they tend to be used by the types of people who can afford to have somebody else follow the ritual for them, which undermines a lot of the magic of the experience. Also, when you let another person mount your tubular for you, you are putting your life in somebody else's hands in a very real way. The annals of cycling are footnoted with tales of people being maimed or killed when their tubular rolled off the rim because of improper mounting.

I'm sure these sound like bullshit reasons but I've drank the Kool-Aid and now I'm part of the tubular club, for better or for worse. Stay tuned for more updates on how great tubulars are or how awful my walk home was after I got a flat.