Difference Between a Bike Tubular Tire and a Bike Clincher Tire
When debating what the differences are between a tubular or clincher tire the more knowledgeable person may reply that there is a right time for everything. Knowing which one to choose is the question.
Basically, when looking at a clincher tire, this tire is fastened to the wheel rim using the pressure of air, pneumatically sealing the tire against the wheel frame, hence the name “clincher”. The clincher tire has a totally separate tube within the tire. Drag radials which are used on the top fuel cars are an example of clincher wheels, these tires being the largest clincher tires in the world at the moment.
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.
On the other hand a normal car has a tubular type tire where the outside tire tread is an integral component to the air chamber of a tire. The differences between a car tire and a bikes tubular tire is that the bicycle tire is actually glued to the rim of the wheel whereas a car tire is held in place using the same technique as a clincher wheel. In past years the performance cyclist had only the tubular tire as a viable option but recently with the progress in the technology of wheels and tires, coupled with the approval in the racing market, the clincher wheel has become the main tire choice in bike racing today.
The only advantage of a tubular tire is that they weigh less mainly because the tire doesn’t need the thicker rim of the clincher wheel to make it airtight. With clincher wheels being made of composite materials including a lighter alloy and being more reliable and easier to maintain, today’s racing cyclist is more than happy to accept the small weight difference between the two tires.
Want to find out more about clincher wheelsets, then visit Steve James’s site on how to choose the best bike wheelset for your needs.
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