Totally Not Tubular

What a dry spell since my last blog post! You really gotta be motivated with ideas and subject matter to write about in order to keep a well maintained blog. If you're not producing a couple of entries per week the search engines wont even recognize your blog. The purpose of this exercise has been to journal the process of building a new bicycle from square one, piece by piece, and record my thoughts and experiences throughout. And what could make following my chronicle of the venture interesting is the fact that I've never done this before. That is build a bicycle from the ground up...but also keep a blog as well. It's been a challenge though authoring a worthwhile read when the bicycle build is so drawn out and having not much to write about in the meantime.

Entering into the wheel phase of the Soma Smoothie build I had the opportunity to choose tubular tires over clinchers, which I've ridden on my whole life. Those who have tubulars will say there is a noticeable difference in ride quality. They will praise their superiority. Despite this there are good reasons to go with clinchers. To begin with, I am a recreational rider. I doubt the improvement in quality of ride will benefit me much. The performance level of tubulars is appropriate for professionals and avid racers, not really this "soul rider". Second, when I have a flat on the road somewhere far from home I'd much rather have the relative ease of an inner tube change than be faced with the uncertainty of whether or not a sealant will hold up in a tubular tire, or riding the rest of the way home with a replacement tire held on by what ever glue is remaining from the original. I'm sure one day I'll have a second set of wheels and learn of the joys and frustrations of tubulars, until then my primary, singular set of wheels will have clinchers.