Difference Between a Bike Tubular Tire and a Bike Clincher Tire

When discussing the differences between a clincher and a tubular-style wheelset, wise men say that to every thing there is a time and a purpose. The wisdom may come with knowing when and where to use either.

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.

Fueler teams have known for many years that for ease of maintenance and safety at high speed, it's difficult to beat a tube that is independent of the tread. The main reason that passenger car tires do not have separate inset tubes is that in sustained high-speed, heavy-usage applications, a separate tube can rub on the inside of the outer tire, creating friction and heat-softening the rubber. Bicycles don't have this problem as they typically run at much higher air pressure, and have a great deal less load to bear than a passenger car does.

On the other hand a normal car has a tubular type tire where the outside tire tread is an integral component to the air chamber of a tire. The differences between a car tire and a bikes tubular tire is that the bicycle tire is actually glued to the rim of the wheel whereas a car tire is held in place using the same technique as a clincher wheel. In past years the performance cyclist had only the tubular tire as a viable option but recently with the progress in the technology of wheels and tires, coupled with the approval in the racing market, the clincher wheel has become the main tire choice in bike 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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