Tubulars - holding air.

Just a quick question - installing new tubulars, as in shop new, they've been sat on rims for a month getting them into shape and stretching them out. However, they're not holding air pressure for more than a few days. I'm used to this with my old ones, but with brand new? They aren't punctured, just simply deflate very slowly over the course of a few days.

i've got tubulars 20 years old that hold air equally as well if not better - have I been sold some duds? for reference they're Vittoria Corsa Evo CX.

Cheers

I'd be tempted to dunk the valves first under water to see if this air escaping from there!

If they deflate as quick as you say, then this is not good, so tell the retailer about them.

Good tubs with latex tubes will lose air, if they hold up for a day or two then thats fine. If its onlya few hours then something is up.

I've got three sets of tubs with latex tubes in them, I'd say after a week I need to get the track pump out.

Latex tubed tyres will very quickly lose air. In fact I recall being advised not to use them in a 12hour TT for this reason!

Will do Ian - I'll stick them under water Alas, i've had them for year or so, just got round to using them and I can't even recall where I got them. I know they weren't cheap mind!

I'm used to tubs losing pressure, as said a week or so is when the pump comes out. I'll go up to almost full pressure and see how long they last.

That's crazy - not the fact that a wheel didn't stay inflated for 12 hours, but a 12 hour TT?!?!?!? That's some serious effort.

Re:

Cheap fix, I used to put about an ounce of water in mine, particularly old ones with slowish puncture. Stay hard for weeks, even with puncture.

If you want a light fast tubular then you have a light latex tube.
Both of us raced on 6 ounce Clements.

Keith

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Keith -
How does the water trick assist may I ask?
6 ounces - where they specialist tubulars?
Thanks

Re:

I used to pump about an ounce of water in, mainly to get a load more miles out of ex racing tubulars. I found this when I put on my only spare after a puncture and found it went down in about 5 minutes. Scooped up some water in my pump from a roadside puddle and the tyre was still hard after 2 weeks.

Water is 800 times as dense as air, and it seals small punctures. You would probably not notice any difference in the ridability. I only put it in for racing when I thought there was a serious puncture risk.

We used tubulars (1950 to70s) because there was no decent alternative.

My last racing tyres were Clement green label extra fine silk, witha road tread actually weighed about 6.5 ounces. I found one from 1980 recently in its original plastic bag, absolutely as new, not hardened. It was of course rolled up into 5 circles, which means the tread was always on the outside. Important for a hand mounted tread.

My wife always used Clement 6 ounce track tyres for time trials, never more than 100 miles though.


Keith

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Excellent, so it was by chance that you found this solution? A great economic benefit as well with obtaining extra miles out of old tubs.

Clement is a name I see, never considered them as an option - perhaps I should given the £60 I appear to have wasted on these blasted Vittoria's - full pressure last night, down to 3/4 pressure tonight. No obvious puncture / air release, I'm wondering if the valves are faulty.

Amazing that a 34 year old tubular was still good for use, those vintage Clement tubs that appear on ebay fetch a pretty penny!