CX Training: Race Tubulars for Training or Separate Training Wheels for Training

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Permalink Reply by Lance Johnson on September 5, 2010 at 11:22am

Most people around here use tubeless training wheels. Of course that is because Colorado is full of sharp stones and goat head thorns. Anything other than tubeless is suicide.

For racing you're on expensive tubulars and even if you have sealant in there, you really don't want to train on those expensive tires and flat them. It's not about wearing down the tread, it's a matter of not cutting a sidewall, or puncturing and having to replace an $80-150 tire...

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Permalink Reply by Carl on September 7, 2010 at 9:41am

It depends on your training, I race tubulars and have clincher pit/training wheels. For cross only workouts where I am working on handling skills and will not be riding anywhere with thorns or other nasties I ride the tubulars for practice, for workouts with a lot of road or on trails I ride the clinchers

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Permalink Reply by Tim Jones on September 7, 2010 at 7:34pm

I train on clinchers and race on tubulars. For me it isn't worth the chance of flatting a tubie while training Saturday and not being able to race it Sunday. Some folks say you should train on what you will race so you know how they will handle, but the terrain I train on in dry Bend Oregon is different than most of my races in wet Portland.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on September 8, 2010 at 8:04am

One more reason to roll on Tufo! I've been using my Tufo tubular wheels for a weekly race-pace training sessions then racing them on the weekends for a couple of years now. I've got a bottle of stan's at the ready, but it has not yet been required. There is certainly something to the idea that you need to learn where the limits of the tire is during training (much farther than you think, usually!). For true MTB terrain I bust out the bomber wheels, but for everything else it's the Tufos. I also think there is something to be said for getting the bugs shook out of a particular set up under race-like conditions. It also saves time because you're not always readjusting rear derailleurs and caliper spacing.

PS - I would not recommend using Dugast for training/race tires as the construction will only get you through a limited amount of rides. Come race day they are pretty sweet though.

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Permalink Reply by Liz Mcdowell on September 8, 2010 at 1:00pm

Hmm. I think it really depends on where you are training at. I think we can all agree that tubular tires will feel and react different to a clincher- that's why we ride them. If you only use them for racing you won't know what to expect. It also gives you more practice using them at different air pressures. This is an important thing to do for someone trying tubulars for the first time/season. Try them in different situations at slightly different air pressure to see what works best for you. Race day is not the appropriate time for that. In the end though be careful where you use them. Changing tires mid season is a pain. Good luck.

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