Jake
Question:
I got a snakebite flat on the front tire during the Longhorn 70.3 triathlon. I need new wheels and heard that tubular tires don't get snakebite flats. Is this true? I heard that tubular tires are hard to change, but since it takes me 10 minutes or more to change a tube during a race, I wonder if you can enlighten me.
Answer:
What you have is called a pinch flat, which occurs when you hit a hard object or pothole and compress the tire down to the flanges. Two holes are formed when the tube is compressed against the tire flanges and it looks like a snakebite. You are correct that tubular tires don't get pinch flats. Also, tubular rims are stronger for their weight and can be lighter.
Now let's talk about flats and changing. I hear many stories of people taking from 10 to 20 minutes to change a tire during a triathlon. It is much harder when your body is filled with adrenaline and it seems like you are all thumbs. Personally, I ride tubular wheels and tires for training and would if I raced. I love the ride, the feel, the cornering ability and mostly the fact that they flat less. Here is what I do.
- I carry a spare tire and a CO2 cartridge plus a Vittoria PitStop can of liquid latex. It will fix most flats from small glass, tacks or thorns and you don't have to change anything, just fill up the tire and go.
- For race wheels in a big race, I would put the PitStop in the tires the day before and do a short ride to spread the stuff around. You will need to pump up the tires to proper pressure on race day, not just do it the night before. CO2 will leak out more than air and you will lose more pressure than you thought.
- I also carry a small razor blade or knife to cut the old tire off. If there is a massive blowout, fifteen seconds with a knife and the old tire peels off easily, leaving the glue or Tufo tape on the rim. Stretch the new tire on and go. This can be done in less than two minutes and can be done under pressure unless you feel that you will be a danger to your competitors or fingers with a sharp object in your hands
- Alternatively, leaving a two inch space opposite the valve stem with no glue or Tufo tape gives you a starting place to peel the old tire off the old fashioned way.
I use Tufo Extreme tape which holds the tire on very aggressively. I do have to match the tire profile to the rim and find that cheap tubular tires as well as Continental Sprinters have a shape that is a little hard to get the tape to stick to. Otherwise I use glue which is a multi day process. I will explain proper gluing in a later post, but it is complicated enough to warrant the Tufo tape as far as my needs are concerned.
At the end of the day, don't be afraid of tubulars. If they weren't significantly better, the top racers wouldn't use them. For triathlons, you need good equipment. Race well.