Tubulars are still the majority today, but Tubeless tires are growing in popularity and in the number of athletes who use them even in competition.
We asked Luca Bramati to discuss some of the choices made by its athletes from the Trinx Factory Team and we took a look around the Vermiglio paddocks. More and more Challenge and more and more tubeless.
Given the same product, are there any differences between a tubular and a tubeless tire?
Very little and almost imperceptible, especially if we stick to the model Challenge Limus, or the mud model. The advantage of a tubeless Challenge is that it is in fact an open tubular with a cotton carcass, however with a high presence of natural fibre and it is not a detail. Then the real differences come from the different construction structure of the wheels.
Not a detail, why?
Why the tyre offers and maintains a very high elasticity which allows the rubber to be fully exploited with different pressure ranges. Obviously there ischange the inflation pressure slightly and to give an example, inflating a tubular Limus from 33 to 1,3 bar, the tubeless counterpart should be inflated to 1,5. However, the performance of the Baby Limus changes, which in the tubeless version is faster than the tubular version.
Faster and therefore more usable in different situations?
In a certain sense it is so, because you have a very elastic, fast rubber that unloads wellIn some ways it replaces the Grifo, remaining in the tubeless category.
Is latex also something to consider in cyclocross?
Puncture-proof liquid is essential, because it is a deterrent against possible punctures, but it is also a sealant, or rather first of all it is a sealant that glues the tire to the rim. With the Challenge tubeless you need to understand how to manage the fluid, especially during the first assembly.
What does it mean?
It is necessary to make the carcass hermetic as it absorbs a lotThis is possible by checking the latex content several times before use, or by adding foam to the liquid. The foam accelerates the formation of the internal film of the rubber. Furthermore, this combination is also beneficial for maintaining blood pressure for medium/long periods.
How much fluid for each CX tire?
A 50ml syringe and then it is checked in the next steps.
