Tubular tyre

For tires used with inner tubes, see Tire § Inner tube.
Cross section of a tubular tyre: The inner tube (red) is completely enclosed by textile casing (white). A layer of rubber (black) provides grip while riding. The inner tube is covered with white talc powder to prevent it from sticking to itself.
Tubular tire rolled from rim to show glue between them

A tubular tyre, referred to as a tub in Britain,[1] a sew-up in the US, a single in Australia[citation needed], or just a tubular is a bicycle tyre that is stitched closed around the inner tube to form a torus. The combination is then glued (sometimes with two-sided tape) onto a specially designed rim, referred to as a "sprint rim" in Britain,[2][3] and just a "tubular rim" in the US,[4] of a bicycle wheel.

The combination of a tubular tyre and its tubular rim is lighter than that of a clincher tyre and clincher rim, and will therefore always result in less rotating mass or a stronger construction.[5] Tubulars can also be used over a wider range of tyre pressures from 1.7 to 14 bar (25 to 200 psi), compared to the typical 6-9 bar on a clincher tyre.

  1. ^ Sheldon Brown. "Sheldon Brown's Glossary Tp-Z: Tub". Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  2. ^ St. Pierre, Roger (1978). The Book of the Bicycle. Tribune Books Press. pp. 24–26. ISBN 0-85674-016-0.
  3. ^ Sheldon Brown. "Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary Sp-Ss: Sprint". Retrieved 2010-03-22. British: a rim designed for tubular tyres.
  4. ^ "Tubular Tire Gluing". Park Tools. Retrieved 2010-03-24. The tubular is then glued to a special rim, called a tubular rim.
  5. ^ Arthur S. Waltho (1964). Guide to Tubular Tyres, Including Sprint Rims.