In an in any other case unassuming nook of the Tábor World Cup Cyclo-Cross pits, fitted to a pleasant celeste, purple & blue Bianchi, we noticed a brand new prototype FMB tubular tire that seems to have a TPU tube inside. Why which may matter, and whether or not TPU might be coming for latex in elite cyclocross racing, deserves a bit extra rationalization.
However suffice it to say that tubeless dominance has seen the evolution of tubular tires grind nearly to a halt. Possibly handmade French tire maker FMB has some new concepts up their sleeves… inside their sew-ups!
FMB World Cup Cotton+ Dash 2 TPU prototype CX tubular
As a fast explainer/refresher: Tubular tires usually are constructed of a light-weight cloth casing (typically polyester, cotton, or silk) sewn shut over a comparatively standard interior tube, with a rubber tread then glued on high. Ultimately, you glue the entire thing on to a clean rim mattress with out bead hooks. The standard knowledge has been that this makes for light-weight, suppleness, and low rolling-resistance at excessive pressures on clean surfaces, i.e. observe racing. Nevertheless it additionally actually advantages cyclocross at extraordinarily low pressures with unbelievable sensitivity and grip, diminished pinch flats, and a decrease likelihood of the tire separating from the rim in excessive cornering or off-camber driving at these low pressures. However nearly all tubulars use a latex tube inside, which isn’t the lightest choice, not all the time the bottom rolling resistance, and loses air stress over time.
So, FMB determined to attempt TPU tubes inside, as an alternative.
In actual fact, FMB has already experimented with German-made Eclipse ultralight TPU tubes of their quickest observe tubulars for greater than two years, claiming weight financial savings, improved air retention, and larger sturdiness. And so they aren’t the one ones. Vittoria makes a TPU model of their top-tier Pista Oro observe tubular as properly, additionally touting a discount in weight and rolling resistance.
So might those self same high-pressure advantages switch to low-pressure cyclocross tubulars, too?
It seems to be like FMB is testing that speculation on the World Cup to know for certain.
FM-Boyaux.cc
