This is something most riders don't think about too much, until they run into a series of flat tires in one day, or they start racing. I once set out to do a 110 mile ride and had to repair / replace the tube 7 times!
This was due to many factors:
1) my haste in wanting to keep moving meant I pinched the tube while putting it in twice.
2) the tire was old and kept picking up schrapnel.
3) it was a hot day and the rim tape blew through creating a sharp edge for the tube to cut against.
4) the rim / tire was a tight fit and made it difficult to get the tire on without pinching the tube - especially whilst in a hurry.
It was amusing (not so much at the time) how so many of the possible things that can go wrong with clincher tires were all happening to me at once. At least I had enough spare tubes and patch kits to keep going and finish the ride.
It's not uncommon for a clincher tire to go though a series of flats after being flat-free for a seaons or two - they just get old and pick up sharp materials. Once this starts happening it's best to throw it away and buy a new tire.
So what are your other options, and what's the trade-off with performance, convenience, cost etc.
Clincher: this is the most common form of tire. It uses a tube and a rim bead to hook into the edge of the rim.
-Pros: cheap, usually easy to fix, although $5-$10 a tube can add up quickly.
-Cons: easier to puncture (especially in off-road situations), heavier, doesn't handle as well in races, less shock absorption means less comfort on long rides.
Tubeless: more common in Mountain Bike set-ups and Cyclocross bikes, this system uses a self-sealing liquid with no tube. It requires special tires and tape to seal off the rim. Many rims can be converted to be Tubeless ready, or you can buy rims http://bikesonmain.com/index.php?sid=60 that are designed to work with either tubeless of clinchers.
-Pros: lighter (which means faster) tires, more supple over bumps means better contact with the road and less vibrations for comfort on long rides. More puncture resistant - the self sealing liquid runs to air leaks and seals up the hole. All you have to do is add air and you're set to go, if you're planning on a long ride, this is the ideal set up. This is exactly the same system that your car uses. If you get a big hole in your tire you can plug it with a piece of rubber from a kit, or just add a tube to it to get you home.
-Cons: this system can take some getting used to, and if you don't have a good tire / rim combo then getting the tire to seal initially can be a pain. It helps to have a burst of air from a CO2 cartridge or air compressor.
Tubular: this system uses a different kind of rim all together, so you can't just buy these tires and hope they work on your current clincher wheels. Most people just use these for race wheels.
The tire is a closed system, or a complete tube with tire tread on one side and canvas on the other. It sticks to the wheel with glue - this is kind of an art and takes time to do properly, so paying to have it done might be the best way to go. Tom at Mainstreet bikes does a very solid job at www.bikesonmain.com
-Pros: by far the lightest / fastest system. Tough tires - very puncture resistant, I've seen people finish the last few miles of a race on a flat tubular tire (I wouldn't recommend trying it though). Lance Armstrong at the Leadville 100 was a good example of this. Most supple and therefore best handling tire type available (there's a reason race teams don't use anything else). You can run them at low pressure without the concern for a pinch flat which gives you a huge advantage in Cyclocross or Mountain Biking. This is money well spent for any cyclocross racer.
- Cons: expensive, they require new wheels, time consuming to change tires but then you don't get flats or other issues as often either.
My tires of choice:
- Challenge Limus:
- Great in muddy and slick conditions.
- Roles very well for an aggressive tire.
- Not so good in hard packed or frozen conditions.
- Reasonably priced compared to Dughast Rhinos.
- http://www.challengetech.it/products/cyclocross/limus-024/en
- Challenge Fango:
- Great in hard packed / solidly frozen conditions.
- handles trees roots and other hard surfaces well.
- Very fast in dry conditions.
- http://www.challengetech.it/products/cyclocross/fango-011/en
These two tires cover most conditions you'll see in a cyclocross season very well. If I had to choose just one though, I'd go with the Limus as it has given me an advantage on several occasions; they have allowed me to take slick turns and climb muddy run-ups better than the most of the other riders I see around me in Elite races.
New systems come with new pros and cons. I've seen people try a new system and quickly go back to their old set up (usually a clincher). I've ridden all three extensively and I feel like people are quick to see the cons of a new system and forget about the old headaches that they're used to dealing with.
I've heard of people riding tubulars 100% of the time, if they get a leak, you add tire sealant through the valve, let it seal and pump it up. That means you don't even have to take the wheel off - easy. If you get a significant gash that won't seal then you'd be in the same situation if you were riding clinchers - your tire would be ruined. Seasoned tubular riders sometimes carry a spare tire for this reason.
Have an open mind with if you try a new system, and give it time so you get used to knowing how to deal with any issues you might run into. It's amazing how many creative situations people start thinking about when trying something new and most of them are worth concern they put themselves through. Remember, clinchers have many short-falls, and can be more of a pain to deal with compared to other systems at times.
My opinion:
- Road: club riding / century riding / training - Tubless system.
- Road Racing: Tubless or Tubular.
- Cyclocross: Tubular
