Ahhh Houston we have a problem
Ok I will be the first to admit it. I am pretty much a hamfist of a mechanic. I love working on my bike but really am only barely above beginner level...well maybe advanced beginner. Gluing Tubulars is like advanced advanced beginner work trust me. It was going along swimmingly until I had to actually put the tire on....that is where the shit hit the fan...half way up the rim and uh oh...well lets chalk that up to a rite of passage every crosser must go through. Getting totally stoned on mastik 1, gluing yourself and your expensive tubies to garbage cans, not pretty.
I went into the shop today and threw myself at their mercy. Man they take good care of me. This too will pass. But it wasn't the worst experience. I have a whole new respect for my mechanic ( not that I didn't before) and I now see why certain people in the industry reply to my emails with "I can't glue your tubulars" Hey better to be honest about it right? Aaron's track record is zero rolled tubulars in season. This fango doesn't count as Zanc so astutely points out a glue job is only good for one season. And he is right...
But lest you think I am off tubulars oh no. Never. They are the holy grail of cross. And the fangos? Love them. They can turn some tight turns on grass! Wet, thick its all like velcro. Kind of geeking on the whole new FMB challenge relationship. I will always love Dugast Rhynos but they are a course specific tyre. A course that I love by the way and now that I've used Rhynos in thick nasty mud I will never ride anything else. But for all-around conditions I am feeling what the FMB/Challenges are cooking...
My brain cells appear to have regenerated. Do they regenerate? Probably not at my age. Well then at least I have come down off my mastik high which wasn't an unpleasant sensation. But lesson learnt when it comes to glue jobs no DIY jobs for me....
Chip
ReplyDeleteI would call myself a slightly advanced amateur. Rolled a few over the years... had a few creep. The hardest part for me is getting the tires on. Arthritic thumbs really hinder this so I have a system that is working well.
Stretch tires at least 4 days.
Two layers of Mastik on the rim and tire. First layer think, second thin. If glue is already on rim, I usually rough it with a wire brush on the grinder.
Let them dry over night
Then I use Tufo non extreme tape. Apply it to the rim
Mount tire
Peel of the slick tape while lifting tire and centering
Centering is the hard part but it sticks very quickly.
Let wheels sit two days
Last flat I had out and about took 30+ minutes to remove.
They are on there and it is much easier to work with dry glue
Give it a try sometime.
D