Sprints vs Clinchers

If youre looking for sew-up advice on the web you don't get far before hitting the advice that you should forget them and buy wire-ons, but what about just plain honest advice on modern sew-ups then?? I am struggling with comparisons between, say a Vittoria Evo Corsa CX and a Clements or Wolber of old. This is what I used to ride but are the new ones comfier, longer lasting, more flat resistant, everything to everybody or are they just sexed-up soulless, slippy, bumpy, rubbery tubes that you used to get for a fiver? And what about puncture protection of Kevlar and Vectran etc?

I just dont know.

As always, its better to hear from actual USERS of these things than from Corporate claims.

PS: I just noticed that a Continental Olympic is exactly the same price it was 20 yrs ago. Still a rediculous (but slightly lessened with age) £110 !!!

I can't comment other than to note that I brought some tubular wheels off eBay last week so I'm going to have a go with them - my first road bike had them and I sold them quickly, but in hindsight the guy who built that bike knew what he was doing, so I want to see if they live up to the hype.

If you're after a good resource, try the Serotta forums

I ride an Argos track bike on the road. It came with sprints and very old Wolber tubs. I used them until I got a pair of clincher wheels. They were fantasic, less toe overlap and I could use a smaller tooth on the rear. I usually ride a 71" gear but with the tubs I was on 76" around Bristol. Then one popped. I had to throw them. I've just bought and taped on a pair of Continental Giros and it's rained ever since (this is on my Sunday best bike). I'll let you know how I get on.

I know what you mean, everyone on the internet hates tubs, but every single pro team uses them in every race...

My Retrobike tip is to go for Veloflex tubs (Maestro stock them) which I suspect is what the pros all use. Veloflex are made in Italy in the factory where Vittoria tyres used to be made (Vittoria tubs are now made in Thailand)
Boonen and the Quickstep team use Veloflex tyres with a Specialized logo.

Tubs

I got a wee buzz when I checked out your replies there! Thanks. Its not a nostalgic thing in the least for me - I am looking forward to trying some new tubs with kevlar, vectran or SiO2 or whatever they've got going.

I am with you on the Veloflex thing - I reckon the same - just some of the pros tubs are getting rebadged as 'Specialized' and even 'Michelin' - who don't even make a tub as far as I know.

Anyway, I'll be interested to hear about the Giros as these are bargain basement and cant be THAT bad - can they? Continentals factory looks pretty high-tech to me anyway.

Cheers folks.
PS: I got a blow-out earlier 200yrds from the house on a Vittoria Rubino Pro clincher and it came off the rim! In the rain, right at a works entrance with mud flying off the truck tyres and.....well, that'll teach me to mention fl*ts. I reckon with my old sprints I could have continued the 30mile run without even having to blow it up and it wouldnt have come off. Indurain style.

Tufo tubs are excellent - for winter try some of those sold by mike dyason - ozzo brand - they`re fine.

Tufo's

Well, thanks for that. Tufo are Czech made eh? They seem to be nice going by most accounts and theres a lot of folks raving on about the sealant. The only trouble I can see is they come in quite narrow widths. I remember trying wider (25/26 maybe) Wolbers years ago and they had the same speed and wear properties but MUCH comfier. Anyway, further thanks for the Dyason recommendation - I'll check them out.
Cheers!

I have a cunning plan to go on a very, very long term tour on tubs. Am going to get a consignment of 10 Dugast 27 mm SPs very soon. The 'SP' bit is a puncture proof belt claimed to reduce p***tures by 80%. I also thought I'd use the Vittoria sealant (Pit Stop?) because unlike the Tufo stuff it doesn't dissolve latex inners.

I hope the Dugasts work out - they're flippin' expensive (98 euros) and it's taken me a year to coax them from the manufacturer.

Not that they've actually arrived yet.

Dugastic!

A cunning plan indeed!
I am thinking that, unless you are doing a couple of back-to-back 'long way round' tours you will NEVER need all 10 tyres (what with the protection layer and all) and perhaps you could accept first dibs on a pair???
Just an idea anyway. I would love to do a long-term test on these in the Scottish Highlands

Ha! Your plan is even more cunning than mine!

The length of my tour will (I hope) be several laps of the planet and take oodles of years. I suppose I'm trying to move house to my saddle/tent and go nomad. This involves converting a crumbling old house into flats and selling them. I've been trying to make this happen for a couple of years and the whole project recently slipped yet again by 4 to 6 months.

So the only way I can keep hope alive is by stockpiling bits and bobs in my bedroom. I've got some Mavic Paris-Roubaix SSCs on the way. And a stack of about 16 Dura Ace UG 8 speed cassettes. And soon I will have a mountain of unobtainable 27 mm Dugast SPs. They usually make them in 22mm but they're making a batch of 27s just for me because they've buggered me about a fair bit.

Honestly, this whole enterprise is about as hard as building the pyramids.
So get your own tyres!