A tubular, or tub, is a tyre that is glued directly onto the rim of a tubular wheel. Lighter weight, and often used by racers, they are the perfect choice for the cyclist looking for the marginal gains that are available. Items 1-24 of 60 Vittoria Corsa G+ Isotech Tubular Continental Sprinter Gatorskin Tubular Vittoria Pista Evo CS Tubular Vittoria Corsa Elite Tubular Vittoria Corsa CX Tubular Continental Podium TT Tubular Continental GP4000S II Tubular Vittoria Corsa SL Tubular Continental Tempo II Track Tubular Vittoria Corsa Speed G+ Isotech Tubular Challenge Criterium Tubular (320TPI) Vittoria Pista CS Tubular Continental GP Force Comp Tubular Tufo Elite Track Tubular Tufo S33 Pro 24mm Tubular Schwalbe Ironman Hand Made Tubular Finance Options & Interest Free Credit AvailableCycle 2 Work Schemes Why tubular tyres are better than clinchers Mr Puzzled from Waresley, Beds asks why there is such a demand for full carbon clinchers when, in his opinion, tubulars are so much faster.

The ‘full-on’ triathlete’s response would be that clinchers are so much quicker to change in the event of a puncture.You don't have to use glueNot necessarily the case you know! Things have moved on since the days of Dunlop rim cement (which used to get everywhere … on your hands … in the sink … on your towels … in fact everywhere but where you wanted it!). These days, since the clever men from Tufo and Jantex came up with double sided tape, you can do the job in half the time without having to take out shares in Ajax or Brillo to keep things clean.Easy to changeIn the event of a puncture, all you’ve got to do is peal the tub off the rim, leaving the tape insitu (ie on the rim) and plonk another tub in its place. Pump it up … and you’re away. No frigging around with tyre levers. No second puncture as a result of forgetting to pull the glass / flint etc from the tyre. No more time lost than is absolutely necessary.Mr Puzzled’s spare tub is an old racing one which has been taken off his racing wheel leaving the sticky tape attached to it (rather than the rim) – he believes he can change a punctured tub quicker than anyone can change a punctured clincher.

We’re inclined to agree with him.Watch the video below to see how easy it is to change a tubular. A real race advantageAs mentioned earlier, he’s also got his own views on the old clincher v tubular ‘which is faster’ debate. “In my day, we used to do at least 500 miles a week training. We used to sleep through the winter without a blanket to harden ourselves up. If you think that Bob Randle is ‘ard you should have been around in my day lad! After one particularly hard winter of thousands upon thousands of miles training, I remember riding top-boro for the first time and seeing that Ivan McCamish fella using silk No 1s. Plott Hounds For Sale WisconsinI was on Clement Crits. What Is The Loudest Air PurifierHe was no better than me. Second Hand Furniture Beaumont Tx

How could he be when I’d trained as hard as I had? It was all down to his choice of tubs I tell you. Since then, I’ve always used the same kit as all the top guys …Don’t waste all that trainingI mean, after all those month’s of battering myself in training, I wasn’t going to instantly throw away time to the opposition by using something that wasn’t as fast, was I? I can’t believe people still do that. And as for clinchers … well they’ve got their place for training but that’s as far as it goes.”Bit outspoken is Mr Puzzled from Waresley … don’t you think? But in some ways he talks a lot of sense.I trained AND raced over 2000 miles last year on my Carbon 50s with Tufo's without any punctures - Rob Wells PX AthleteEverything you need to get goingWe’ve compiled a choice selection of carbon tubular wheels and paired them with top-notch tubs and tape, everything you’ll ever need to go tubular. Check the boxes below.Buy Carbon tubular wheels hereGreat offer on Tufo Tubular Tyres here

Subscribe to the news feedLocal bike shops used to be dimly lit with dusty shelves and photos of past champions lining the walls. There was always a hum of rubber from the tyres stacked in bundles that hit you as soon as you walked through the door. Back then, choosing tyres was simple: tubular for racing, clinchers for everything else, but that theory became complex with the introduction of full carbon clinchers. >>> Solid tyres go mainstream as Wiggle stocks up Clinchers are cheaper, they’re easier to use, and as a result, they’re by far the most popular tyre system. This popularity means there’s more development going into them, and with that, the threads per inch (TPI) count has increased. >>> The disc brakes debate: are they necessary on road bikes? The higher the TPI, the lighter and faster the tyre will be. The performance benefits are now narrower than ever. It’s as much down to an improvement in wheels as it is tyres. Previously clinchers were exclusive to heavy hoops, with a band of alloy braking surface painted around the rim that increased weight and hampered acceleration.

>>> Is it the end for the 34t chainring? With consumers dictating their needs to manufacturers, like we’ve seen with the trend for longer head tubes on frames, will carbon clinchers find their way to the professionals? “Tubulars will be the go-to [wheel] for professional road racers in the peloton,” says Jason Fowler, product manager at Zipp. “The wheels are lighter and if you have a puncture, you can generally continue riding the flat until the team car is behind you with a new wheel.” That’s fair reasoning, but at some point clincher equipment (tyres and wheels) will catch up. “With recent advancements in clincher technology — as well as not as much focus on weight — we could see more clincher tyres being used in time trials,” adds Fowler. “For example, Tony Martin rode the Super-9 Carbon Clincher disc to many victories over the past two years.” The trend for wider tyres has also added to this. A clincher, given a bit of extra breadth, can be run at lower pressures, adding comfort and traction without it being detrimental to speed.

This is the sort of thing usually attributed to tubs. While we ponder that, it’s worth thinking about the third party. With the introduction of more tubeless compatible rims to the market, cyclists have a fully justified third option: tubeless. Wheel brands are starting to warm to the idea of tubeless tyre systems as Dave Taylor, marketing manager for Schwalbe UK says. “There’s now plenty of choice for tubeless road tyres and tubeless, or two-way fit, road wheels. We’re even starting to see bike manufacturers spec two-way fit rims >>> Are wider tyres really faster? The new Focus Izalco Max comes with a set of Schwalbe One tubeless tyres as standard. Just like tubulars, tubeless tyres don’t require an inner tube. It means that rolling resistance is low and there’s no risk of pinch flats, again similar to tubs. If a tubeless tyre punctures, the hole can be filled with sealant quicker than it takes to find a set of tyre levers, and they’ve even found their place in the pro peloton. 

IAM rode them this year at the Santos Tour Down Under. The demand for clinchers is far greater than our desire for tubs, and wheel manufacturers are well aware of it. Full carbon clinchers, which boast similar attributes to tubular wheels, are as fast as they are practical. They have the potential to put a thorn in the side of tubular tyres for good, but not quite yet. It’s early days for tubeless road tyres, but it’s an idea likely to gain even more momentum. “Pro riders will always favour tubs on account of their superior feel, lighter wheels and the psychological boost that comes from riding something special on race day. JLT-Condor train and often race on clinchers, only swapping out to tubs for targeted races, owing to the potential cost and man hours involved in fixing punctures .” “Zipp is committed to clincher development due to the positive performance characteristics we have seen with our current clinchers. Clincher development will continue with attention to rolling resistance, grip and ride compliance, while tubular offerings will remain in the Zipp tyre range for the foreseeable future.”