On the road, tires are narrow, pressures are high, and rims tend to fit pretty neatly. I’d say with all the confidence of anecdote, that about half the tire-rolling I’ve witnessed has been the result of a “professional” glue job-in the sense that a business collected money for it. My work isn’t crazy perfect-there are still tiny patches of stained sidewalls and occasional glue clumps at the edge of the rim-but I’ve never rolled a tire. It’s not that I figured out what corners to cut, it’s that I got the confidence of a reliable, comfortable mental inventory of what needed to be done at what time. This is not an exaggeration-the first time I glued tires, it took about three hours because I was super nervous, triple-checked directions, and wanted to do everything just right. uncluttered and laid out a few feet away, it’ll be easy, and you’ll do fine.
Yeah, there a zillion more mini-tidbits and considerations, you can read about them in any number of really good online gluing tutorials-my favorite is Mike Zanconato’s-but if you have an uncluttered space, and all the tools you need-glue, tape, several brushes, sacrificial rag, mild solvent, place to hang for drying, your own easy-to-scan notes on the process, etc. You brush on some glue on a couple surfaces. Prepare properly, have the right tools, use a clean, ventilated space, and it’s a pretty straightforward procedure. But compared to say, making dinner, changing a diaper, installing curtains or any number of other household tasks, it really isn’t. Yes, I suppose compared to putting on a clincher, it is.
Gluing cross tires is alleged to be “messy”. That said, I’m betting that if you are reading this, you’ve probably had some issues with tubeless or clincher set-ups, and you’re wondering if you should undergo the “expense” and “hassle” of “out-dated” tubular tires. If whatever you’re doing works, and you don’t feel like your tires are holding you back, you just keep on doing your thing. Tubular tires are not a necessity for racing or enjoying cyclocross.
If you’re having a blast on a burp-free tubeless set-up, or have never pinched out on the bell lap/hammered yourself into oblivion on 45psi with clinchers, this post isn’t for you.
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