c.rycewicz@comcast.net
Lots of good advice below. But cross gluing is somewhat different than track gluing primarily because: the pressures are much lower and the casings are much larger leading to different stresses. Remounting and transitioning to pavement can put huge lateral stress on the glue bond. The basetape shapes are different and it is harder to get a good seat between a cross tire basetape and rim. The conditions in cross can be harsh and over time water can penetrate between the glue bond and into the basetape. Whatever technique you use, you should inspect your glue job periodically by deflating your tires and chacking the bond all the way around the tire. It is not unulual to find a couple inch area compromised. These areas may coincide with the low spot after throwing soaking wet wheels in a dank corner without proper cleaning and drying.
You should wash with a mild soap and water and dry your wheels and tires after a muddy race like alpenrose. I like to blow a fan across the wheels after washing them until they are completely dry.
I like to use mastik. It works well. Hoever, you need to use much more glue than if you use fastack or conti.
If your tire has an uncoated cotton base tape tire like a griffo, you need to put more glue on the tape before you mount the tire.
My technique is to inspect a new tire and mount it on a clean rim and inflate it to or slightly above operational pressure. This stretches the tire and lets you insure that it holds air.
If all is well, remove the tire, and put a bit of air in it but not enough to turn the basetape out. I use just enough to take the wrinkles out. Make sure the basetape is clean and make sure your rims are clean.
Using a flux brush, cover the entire basetape and the basetape/casing interface with a light coat of glue. Put a thin layer edge to edge on the rim, using a truing stand like Mike suggests. It is very important to go to the edges of both the basetape and the rim. These areas get the most stress and this is where water will enter the bonding interface. Also, make sure that the glue is an even consistency, ie not old or lumpy of milky.
Let dry completely, usually 4-12 hours. I often use my fan to accelerate the drying process.
Coat tires and rims a second time. Depending on how much glue you applied, sometimes you can use a third coat. It is really a judgment call and it depends on how thirsty the basetape is, how much glue was on the rim when you started, and how much glue you applied.
Now, you are ready to mount the tires. I usually deflate the tire and put one end on the ground and the other end in my hands. Give them a good stretch all the way around but not enough to tear threads or rip the tape free from the casing.
Inflate the tire until it takes a shape but not too much or you will have a hard time getting the tire mounted. Hang the tire from your workstand keeping the glue clean. Put the wheel in your truing stand and brush a good medium heavy layer edge to edge on the rim. This is the bonding layer. With mastik, i find its easier here to use not enough rather than too much glue. Work quickly as you don't want the glue to set up too much. With mastik, a wet mount is better. Remove the rim from the truing stand, stand it uprignt with the valve hole up, grab the tire, put the valve stem in the hole, and start mounting the tire top down stretching as best you can. Wrestle it all the way on. Get it as straight as possible. This can be hard to do and it is much harder with cross that track or road tires. Spin it, straighten it, get it as good as possible. Pump it up to about 50 lbs, put the wheels on a bike, and roll around a little to put pressure on the tire.
Let them dry for 12 hours. Go race.
When starting with a clean rim and a new tire, I typically use about 2 or 2.5 tubes of mastik per tire.
For cross or track, tubies are well worth the effort and expense.
--
Christopher A. Rycewicz
c.rycewicz@comcast.net
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Mike Murray"
> There has been a lot of advice from tubular newbies. I am not a tubular
> newbie. I think I probably glued my first tubular in 1973. My advice for
> mounting tubulars is below. Admittedly it is more track than CCX oriented.
> I have used the tapes too. I think they are more difficult and messy to use
> than glue. What is the point? I think the are a product looking for an
> application.
>
> Tubular gluing procedure
>
> 1. Valve extenders. If you are using a box rim or a tire with a long
> stem you don't need an extender. If the rim is at all high profile you will
> probably need an extender. If you need to have a valve extender put this on
> first. If you put a pit of Teflon plumber's tape on the threads where the
> extender screws on it will decrease the chance that there will be an air
> leak at that point. Is the extender is the type where you leave the presta
> valve lock nut loose I put a pit of glue on the stem thread to keep the lock
> nut from spinning itself down while you ride. It is a real pain when the
> valve lock nut is tight inside of an aero rim where you can't get at it.
>
> 2. Put unglued tire on the rim and air it up. Leave it on there at
> least a day or so. This will stretch the tire and make installation a bit
> easier. If you don't have time to leave it on the rim at least air it up on
> a rim once. You might want to also stretch the tire by putting your feet
> inside the tire and pulling the tire with your arms.
>
> 3. Apply glue to the tire base tape. Most people do this by putting a
> little air in the tire so it turns belly up. You can then put it on the
> floor and apply the glue to the base tape which is now on the top. I think
> this is a mistake since putting air in the tire when it is not mounted on a
> rim puts stress on the casing/base tape interface and makes it more likely
> to fail. What I do is stretch the tire over a piece of wood cut to the
> correct length. The tread goes against the wood with the base tape out.
> This way you can hold the wood or put it in a vice while applying the glue.
>
> 4. Spread the glue out in a smooth layer to cover the entire base tape.
> Best is to use a brush as comes in some cans of glue or and an acid brush
> (http://www.acehardware.com/sm-acid-brush-1-pack-44088--pi-1297684.html).
> Alternatively (and cheaper) you can put your finger in a plastic bag and
> then use the bag covered finger to spread the glue around.
>
> 5. Put glue on the rim. I set the wheel in a truing stand to do this.
> Spread the glue out in a smooth layer using brush or bag covered finger as
> above.
>
> 6. Let everything sit until completely dry.
>
> 7. Apply a second layer of glue to tire, as above.
>
> 8. Let glue dry until it is just tacky but not wet (about 15 minutes).
> If you wait too long the tire will stick to the first part of the rim it
> touches and it will be difficult to mount the tire and get it on straight.
> If you don't wait long enough you end up with glue on the rim sidewall, your
> hands, in your hair, etc.
>
> 9. Take off your shoes.
>
> 10. Put the stem through the valve hole. Stretch the tire as hard as
> you can mounting it on the rim both directions from the valve hole. As you
> get to the opposite side of the rim you will need to pull hard to get the
> tire on the rim (especially if you didn't pull hard enough on the other
> side). This is why you took your shoes off. Put your feet inside the rim
> on either side of the stem and use them to allow you to pull hard to get the
> last bit of tire on the rim.
>
> 11. Put just enough air in the tire to make it round. Spin the tire and
> move it around to make it so that it is mounted straight and there is
> roughly the same amount of base tape exposed on both sides of the wheel.
> Don't worry about this being exactly straight since the tire will move
> around while being ridden to make it straighter.
>
> 12. Air the tire up to as high as you can and let it sit for a while
> before using it. At least 24 hours is a good rule of thumb.
>
> 13. If this is a new tubular before you use it on the track use a wet
> cloth to clean off the mold release/antioxidants that are often still on the
> rubber. These are slippery and can cause you to slide off the track. They
> will also wear off if you do a bit of riding before you go up on the bank,
> which is a good idea in addition to washing them off.
>
> You can use lots of glues. Fast Tack (which is an auto trim adhesive) has
> been a classic for years but it can be a bit inconsistent and it will also
> tend to make the base tape come off the casing after a year or so. It is
> cheaper than tubular specific glue. I have been using Continental glue for
> a while now. It works great and comes in a can with a brush in the top
> which is real convenient. One can will last years. It will likely dry up
> before you use it all. Vittoria Mastik is supposed to make the strongest
> bond. I have never used it. Use only clear or white thin glues. Avoid the
> older red thick glues.
>
> Mike Murray
>
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