Tubulars-Nirvana or Pain in the $@%&

In case you've ever wondered what a glued rim looks like before you put the tire on.

This is 3 thin coats of glue with approximately 15 minutes between coats. I let each layer dry tacky before applying the next. 1 coat on the base tape of the tire. Important tip-Get glue all the way to the edge of the rim.

I found that it wasn't terribly difficult to mount a stretched tire. Granted the ones I used had been already used on another wheelset. Centering wasn't too bad either. I got the front straight the first try. The rear took 2 tries to get it the way I wanted. I managed to only get glue on the brake track in two places! Not too bad.

I'll admit I'm a total geek when it comes to anything bike related. I want to try whatever is out there. I want to see the latest technology and the history that brought us to today in the sport.

So at this point would I recommend the average recreational rider do this? Should the average person bother with this? Hell no. Period. It's simply not worth it. I happened to enjoy the process but that's not a good enough reason to do it. I'm still on the fence as to whether the ride is that much superior. Absolutely there's a difference you can feel. I'm just not sure how to quantify it yet.