Clincher Wheelset Reviews » Guides

How To Fit Bike Wheels

bikewheels — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:38:44 +0000

How To Fit a Bike Wheel

The following videos will help to show you how to fit a bike wheel if you are having a problem

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Why Buy a Clincher Wheelset?

bikewheels — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:24:49 +0000

Why buy a clincher wheelset instead of a Tubular wheelset

The hot trend in todays marketplace is the mass production of true racing wheelsets designed to accept clincher wheels. Tubular wheels are a bit lighter and more race oriented, so why anyone might want to buy a clincher wheelset is a fair question.

First and most obvious is the fact that clincher wheels are a great deal cheaper and easier to repair than their tubular counterparts. Easier in the sense that a flat clincher tire requires only removal of the wheel and replacement of the internal tube, whereas repairing or replacing a tubular requires removing the incredibly strong glue that bonds the tire to the rim.

Tubular tires are more difficult to repair for a number of reasons, prime amongst them being that most people either do not have the tools or experience to properly replace one, necessitating a trip to the local bike shop for repairs. Without a handy spare rim around, a tubular tire could easily leave one stuck with no ride home. Given the high cost of todays top-end racing rims, it comes as no surprise that most people don't want to risk damaging their expensive carbon fiber rims by improperly removing the tire, and the additional outlay for a spare can increase the overall cost of riding by more than 30%.

Which brings us to the main reason for buying a clincher wheelset: convenience. Imagine the logistical nightmare of trying to carry a spare for every rider on a large outing, where any one of a hundred riders could require a new tire at any time. Compounding this chaos is the fact that many top-end racing wheelsets have different wheels for the front and the back, meaning that every rider must have a set of spares instead of a single.

In lieu of a spare tire, one could try to repair a tubular wheel on the spot, but imagine the scene of a racer on the side of the road after flat, trying desperately to create an airtight seal with a needle and thread. Chemical glue patches to work, but may not be feasible if the rip is too close to the rim. Even if it does, the glue used for those patches can take hours to dry.

So, for the cost, convenience and ease of use that clinchers bring to the table, the only question is: does it benefit a man to gain three seconds on a 100 mile race, only to lose three hours repairing a tire? That's why you buy a clincher wheelset.

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Difference Between a Clincher and Tubular Wheelset

Difference Between a Clincher and Tubular Wheelset

bikewheels — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:15:32 +0000

Clincher vs Tubular Wheelsets

When discussing the differences between a clincher and a tubular-style wheelset, wise men say that to every thing there is a time and a purpose. The wisdom may come with knowing when and where to use either.

Essentially, a clincher-style tire has a separate tube and tire and is secured to the rim with air pressure. This pneumatic sealing technique is how the clincher gets its name, as the outer tires bead is “clinched” between the inner tube and outer rim bead. Taken to its extreme, the largest clincher tires in the world today are the drag radials used on top fuel cars.

Fueler teams have known for many years that for ease of maintenance and safety at high speed, it's difficult to beat a tube that is independent of the tread. The main reason that passenger car tires do not have separate inset tubes is that in sustained high-speed, heavy-usage applications, a separate tube can rub on the inside of the outer tire, creating friction and heat-softening the rubber. Bicycles don't have this problem as they typically run at much higher air pressure, and have a great deal less load to bear than a passenger car does.

A tubular-style tire is more like a conventional cars, where the outer tread is integral to the air-containment chamber of the tire. The main difference between a bicycle tubular and a car tire is that the bicycle tire is glued onto the wheel rim, whereas the cars is secured in place by exactly the same means as the clincher. At one time, the tubular tire was the only performance option for bicyclists, but recent advancements in wheel and tire technology, as well as the market-wide acceptance of performance clincher wheels, has made the clincher the dominant tire in racing today.

The only real advantage to using tubular-style tires is their reduced weight, as this style of tire does not need the thick rim bead that clinchers require to seal. However, with widespread usage of lightweight alloys and composite materials, most racers have become willing to accept the negligible weight difference between the two in favor of the clincher's added reliability and ease of maintenance.

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