planet x tubulars

Each to his own, of course.

The problem with certain aero improvements, as people will know: the helmets look odd and are impractical for everyday use/ hot and skinsuits also look a bit weird in normal use.

Re price, actually £370 for planet X 50 mm tubulars does not sound crazy at all compared to the cost of a aero helmet (£100- £300), and skinsuit (similar?), and anyway, is there any proof that these give better performance gains than deep section wheels?

Personally I find the improvements over shallow rims to be significant for me. It's also worth re-iterating that tubulars give you access to some seriously light carbon wheels currently on the market - so not just beneficial for the aero- obsessed.

Agreed that bike fit and position must be optimal before considering any of this, that's a given.

PS update on the vittoria pit stop sealant: Used it last night on a mate's clincher tyre which had punctured whilst re-fitting onto the rim - (laziness on our part as his tyres are were a bugger to fit back on) - it did not work at all on this type of flat. (which admittedly you wouldn't get with tubular) - so jury's still out for me on sealant canisters.

I was thinking more about the hassle of tubeless to be honest.

I agree with bbbs's mate, pointy helmet, bike fit, skinsuit and overshoes all offer better gains that aero wheels for much less. You won't look cool though and ultimately we all like to look cool.

Update: decided against them now.

Speaking to some good cyclists (mate rides crit 2) and reading around, deep section wheels are not going to give me any real noticeable gain even at high speeds compared to aero helmet and a decent bike fit.

Only reason mate uses them is they give him a few secs advantage but the cost for this is crazy compared to aero helmet ect.

So I'm holding off until I have helmet and bike fit then maybe ok consider them.... Also elites are awesome all rounders.

Very interested in this too, have same wheels as topic poster.

I'm thinking about using them purely for TT races and triathlons.

What is best 82mm ?or 50mm?(basically is 50mm too shallow to see any gains compared to elites)

Good investment? (Will be buying TT bike later this year but it comes with MA Vic cosmic not deeps as standard so these be for it too)

Hmmm. I'm also a bit tubular curious. However, the carbon jobbies are normally heavier than the alu equivalent (notwithstand the PX ones) and when you start factoring in the weight of the sealand can, spare tyre (!) and tub tape, they would need to be a totally amazing ride.

I'm not sure I wouldn't just stress all ride long. Fair enough the pros tend to ride on decent roads with support. Such luxuries don't often/ever exist for us mere mortals. I can see the benefit for TTing but for a century ride for example, I'm not so sure.

Convince me it's worth the hassle.

@700c, what are your recommendations on sealant?

I have a bottle of Tufo Extreme that I have never had to use, so I have no idea how well it works.

No experience with planet X, but you see lots of them about, especially on time trials

Re tubular tyres -.don't be afraid, about the fitting issue. If you are particularly prone to punctures, ie one a week, then you might want to stick to clinchers.

Otherwise, factor in the likelihood of occurrence and the extra hassle of repairing, the benefits outweigh the risks,.IME.

On most rides I just carry sealant in a canister. On really long rides I also take a thin, light spare tyre plus two cans of sealant and pump. If I get through all this then the Gods surely have it in for me and I would struggle no matter the tyre choice!

Sprinter Gatorskins on my PX wheels are indeed 22mm, so yes, would appear narrower than the 23mm I run on my clincher wheels.

However (and this is actually quite important), tubulars generally roll better than equivalent width clinchers and are more comfortable (despite higher pressures). I run mine somewhere around 100-120psi and they are super comfortable - better than any other tyre/wheel combination I own.

That said, you can also get 25mm gatorskins.

I will admit that gluing the tubs initially was a complex procedure to do right (despite a lot of research first) and it took a number of days to go from having bought the tyres to having them mounted on the wheels! But having learned a few tricks, I'll do it quicker next time...

I bought a set of PX R50 carbon tubulars at the start of last season for my summer bike. Rode them with gatorskins right through last summer / autumn before switching to the winter bike. Am back riding on them now that the worst of the winter seems to be over.

They are super wheels - seriously light and fast. Couldn't be happier! I have not yet had any punctures, so cannot comment on hassle, but I do carry a bottle of sealant, a spare pre-glued tubular tyre and a roll of tub tape with me (bit belt and braces, but there you go).

Too much hassle for non racing. The gains are noticable, but I use my pair of PX tubs strictly for racing only. There too much of a pain if you get a puncture as I've had only mixed success with the sealant.