If you are deciding what the differences are when choosing a clincher wheel or a tubular wheel, the knowledge comes from knowing which wheel is best for the job in hand.
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.
For years fueler teams have known that using a tube that is free of the tire tread makes for easier maintenance and safety when travelling at high speeds. One of the reasons a normal car does not use wheels with independent inner tubes is because during long term use at high speed, the inner tube has a tendency to cause friction rubs on the inside of the outer tire leading to a warming and softening of the rubber. Usually bikes will not have the same problem simply because the bearing load is less than a normal car and a bike runs at a greater air pressure.
A tubular-style tire is more like a conventional cars, where the outer tread is integral to the air-containment chamber of the tire. The main difference between a bicycle tubular and a car tire is that the bicycle tire is glued onto the wheel rim, whereas the cars is secured in place by exactly the same means as the clincher. At one time, the tubular tire was the only performance option for bicyclists, but recent advancements in wheel and tire technology, as well as the market-wide acceptance of performance clincher wheels, has made the clincher the dominant tire in racing today.
Reduced weight is the only real advantage of tubular wheels over clincher wheels because this type of tire does not require a thick rim to enable the seal. However, racing cyclists today are happy to use a clincher wheel made of a light alloy and composite material because of the ease of maintenance and greater reliabilty even though there is a small weight difference.
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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