If you spent any time paying attention to the “bike check” articles and videos made in the days leading up to the recent Unbound Gravel Race by some of the riders competing, then you almost certainly heard a lot about the importance of tire choice. Not only tire choice, but tire system has become a huge talking point that can elevate into heated debate under the right conditions, not only for elite gravel racers, but for everyone from WorldTour pros to friendly local group riders. 

When talking about tire systems, there are currently three systems used: tubular, tubed (usually called clinchers), and tubeless.

A brief word about tubulars

Until fairly recently, tubular tires have been the traditional choice of pro racers, and anyone who was a skilled self-mechanic, because they are lightweight and were believed to be the fastest options. Tubulars were also referred to as sew-ups because they are stitched closed around the inner tube, and then glued to the rim. A tubular tire must be used with a tubular rim. Since a tubular rim didn’t need to use a hooked sidewall, they were typically lighter than clinchers.

The danger with tubular tires, especially with the advent of carbon rims, was that the rim braking surface could overheat in hot weather or on long mountain descents, causing the glue to melt and the tire to roll off the rim. Anyone who remembers seeing Joseba Beloki’s crash descending into Gap at the 2003 Tour de France will know what’s the worst that can happen when descending with tubulars. 

Even when tubulars were the default for the pros, most cyclists who were not lucky enough to have mechanics gluing their tires on would use clincher wheels that used tires that hook onto the rim bead and secure the separate tubes in them. And then with the development of tubeless tires for the road, the use of tubular tires, whether among the pros or amateurs, has almost totally disappeared. 

What are clincher tires?

Clincher rims and tires have long been the choice of most road cyclists because they are quite easy to fix when you get a flat. The tires are not closed tubes, as with tubulars, but rather use hooked bead to interlock with the flanges inside the rim. The inner tube is separate from the tire and can be installed easily in the case of a puncture.

Traditionally, clincher tires would be run at much higher pressure than is common today. But keep in mind, before the advent of disc brakes on road bikes that could allow for wider rims and, as a result, wider tires, clincher tires were as narrow as tubular and would need to be run at similarly high psi/bar in order to avoid pinch flats. Now that most road bikes come with disc brakes, it has been possible to introduce wider rims and pair them with wider tires. The benefits of wider tires include greater cushioning comfort and resistance to punctures.

One thing that makes clinchers still a popular choice for hobby cyclists is that if you do get a flat on the road, you can change it easily, so long as you carry a spare inner tube or two, and have the tools necessary to change a flat. 

How does a tubeless tire work?

For people who haven’t given a ton of thought to their bicycle wheels, the difference between tubeless and clincher can seem confusing. Don’t they both just use clincher rims that attach to tires? Well, kinda. Usually, sometimes.

To be a tubeless system, you first have to start with a rim that is tubeless compatible. No tubular rim is tubeless compatible and not all clincher rims are tubeless compatible, even if they have hooked beads. Tubeless tire systems work only when the tire’s bead locks onto the rim thanks to the air pressure and aided using special sealant. The tire, rim, and valve stem must be airtight, which is what makes the sealant so essential. It will help seal the tire/rim interface, and will plug many gashes or holes that would otherwise cause flats.

Mountain biking has often been the leader in introducing innovations to road cycling, and the use of tubeless tires is no exception. But that’s not just because mountain bikers are less tied to tradition than road racers. It’s primarily because wider rims and tires have been essential to the evolution of tubeless technology in the cycling world. 

Why are road tires so wide now?

Tubeless work best when using wider rims paired with wider tires and pumped up to a much lower psi than previously used, since it’s the volume of the tire that allows the pressure to be so much lower. Lower tire pressure, especially when riding on rougher roads or gravel roads, the better the rolling resistance. Though that might seem counterintuitive, especially if you spent your youth pumping your tires up to 120psi, multiple tests have proved that the deflection over bumps and rocks caused by high pressured tires results in higher rolling resistance and greater discomfort on the bike. 

The internal rim width is the defining factor for how wide you should go with your tires, whether you are running tubes or tubeless. For road or gravel tires, if you want to have tires that are 28 mm or wider, the internal rim width should be at least 19 mm. And if you are looking to run tires in the 32-35 mm region, then you’ll want the internal rim width to increase as well to 21 mm or even 25 mm. This holds true for tubed and tubeless setups. 

Tubeless vs tubular tire - what is the best system?

As ever, when answering a question like what is the best tire system, tubeless vs tubular, it depends. It depends on what types of riding you are doing, what the quality of the roads are, and whether you actually have the right materials to support one system or the other. 

There are a lot of pros and cons to both tubeless and clincher tires/wheels. For clincher, their ease of use and wide range of options has made them practical and safe for decades. They are easy to maintain for even a rider with the most limited mechanic skills. And if you have the rims to support wider bike tires, you can also run clinchers with a lower tire pressure which will improve ride comfort and rolling efficiency. Since they have the inner tube, you might be prone to suffering more flats, but that can be offset by how easy it is to change an inner tube.

For tubeless tires, they are ideal for riders who have to deal with terrible road conditions and do not want to have to repair flat tires all the time. That’s because they will not suffer pinch flats since there is no inner tube. And even if the tires are punctured, the sealant in the tire will be able to seal the tire, at least enough to get home without having to repair anything. 

However, tubeless tires have a reputation for being quite challenging from a maintenance point of view. They can be very difficult to get onto the rim in the first place. That’s largely because the fit has to be so tight that inevitably, very little give can be introduced into the tire otherwise it will not be able to seal perfectly. Something else that anyone interested in switching to tubeless needs to be very careful to understand is that there are different standards and requirements for various wheel and tire manufacturers. Be very careful when researching what wheels and tires you want to pair, particularly whether the rim is hooked or hookless, since many tire manufacturers do not support hookless rim setups. 

If you are considering upgrading your wheels and want to know what is the best wheel/tire system for you, keep in mind these important points and do your research before plunking down your cold hard cash. If you want some additional guidance, our experts at Wrench Science will be happy to assist you by answering any questions you may have.

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