Re: [CR]questions on mounting tubulars

(Example: Framebuilders:Doug Fattic)

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:37:26 -0500
From: "Martin Needleman" <mrndlmn@toad.net>
To: ADP <aphillips9@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]questions on mounting tubulars
References: <6.0.0.22.2.20040219105947.03cbc298@pop.mindspring.com>
In-Reply-To: <6.0.0.22.2.20040219105947.03cbc298@pop.mindspring.com>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

I don't remember who taught me how to stretch tubulars forty years or so ago but it's easy and doesn't disturb either me or my cats at all. Just sit down in your favorite easy chair and grip the totally deflated tire with both hands at the point opposite the valve. Then place your right instep inside the tire to the right of the valve, your left instep inside the tire to the left of the valve, grasp firmly and slowly straighten your legs. Be careful. It's easy to overdo it. Just stretch a little at a time and try the fit on the rim. If you can't pop the tire on without breaking your thumbs, you haven't stretched it enough. Try again. You'll get the hang of it in five minutes at most. Think about it. You are really using your Rube Goldberg ceiling hook and 50 pound weight idea except that you've substituted a weight potential of several hundred pounds being applied gradually and controllably.

Once the tire is on the rim, I inflate it to about 60-80 pounds, hang the rim on the wall and forget about the tire until it's time to use it. I'll generally stretch a season's supply of tubulars during the winter for use all year round.

As far as gluing goes - pop the tire on the wheel and inflate it just hard enough to allow you to center it. Then lift the tire off the rim for a distance of a couple of inches or so and dispense a couple of inches of tire cement to the rim and replace the tire. Repeat as needed around the entire rim. Neat and easy. No glue on the sidewalls, your hands, clothing or cats.

Have fun.

Martin Needleman Annapolis, MD

ADP wrote:
> Yeah, I know, I know, lots of stuff in the archives...
>
> At least on gluing. I'm not even talking about gluing here, I just
> spent 45 minutes getting them on the rims to pre-stretch.
>
> Is there any easier way to get them stretched enough to get them on the
> rims without such a wrestling match?
>
> 2 of my cats were sitting there watching me, being very concerned about
> the cursing and complaining (all the while I was hoping the phone would
> not ring) while I was trapped by a pair of Continental Sprinters and
> Mavic CX18s.
>
> I had lots of thoughts about stretching for prestretching, while I was
> trapped, with such Rube Goldberg inventions like as a hand crank
> expandable rim or two 12" kids rims, a ceiling hook and a 50 lb weight.
>
> My big concern is after those tires sit there for three days, how am I
> ever going to get them on once there is glue involved? Should I inflate
> them a little as part of the stretching thing? Should I pay someone to
> do it? Should I just leave them on the rims, not glue them and never
> actually ride the Scandalous Medici? Wait 6 weeks? Move them to larger
> and larger rims?
>
> Are Continental tubulars tight fits like their clinchers and I was just
> silly to buy these, or what?
>
> The last bike with tubees I had was at age 14. While I remember gluing
> straight was a challenge, I don't remember getting the darn things on
> being such a pain!
>
> Advice needed, except for advice like, sell those Mavic CX18s and 32
> hole low flange Record hubs to me, or you bought the wrong tires, buy
> these better tires from me...
>
> Ann Phillips, Decatur GA
>
> _______________________________________________


>

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