Tubeless Tyres

[Max Tolerance]

What sorcery is this!
Are tubeless tyres even an upgrade? And the sealant, what sort of a mess does that make?
Seriously, are they an "upgrade" or a fad?

Can any wheel be converted and how puncture proof are they, does the sealant make them self healing?

 

[BillyBoy88]

They are an upgrade.

 

[Nealh]

Tbh I found TL a complete PITA as for complete piece of mind one still needs to carry a tube in case of a bad tyre tear/ split. As EPJ said tubeless won't seal a tyre split by flint if you are unlucky like he was once on the S/Downs.
I have given up on TL as my presta's keep getting blocked and then refilling I just can't get the tyre to reseat, yet the rim and tyre are TL ready.

 

[richtea99]

If you have the skills to mend/change a tube they're a fad (IMHO).
If you're unsure about your puncture fixing skills they're an upgrade.

> Can any wheel be converted and how puncture proof are they, does the sealant make them self healing?
You need a tubeless-ready wheel.
You'll need to top up the sealant every few months.

 

[Nealh]

TL might be ok if you only have one or two bikes.
The early TL set ups were ghetto one using std rims with TL tyres, you can use std tyres but they are porous and leach via the walls as well as psi issues.

 

[StuartsProjects]

You'll need to top up the sealant every few months.

Really ?

Sounds like a complete pain.

Do the presta valves clog up with sealant on the tubeless tyres ?

 

[soundwave]

i top up the sealant every 3 months as it does evaporate but its 60mm each tyre i remove the valve core and use a syringe to top up the tyre so never had a clogged valve or make any mess.

i have never had a tyre go flat as i also use super gravity tyres so extra thick side walls but there not cheap.

id never use tubes again lol

 

[Nealh]

Typically one has to top up every 3 months or so, the caffelatex ends up setting as a thick blob if the bike isn't used for a while and yes my presta's kept clogging up.

 

[Nealh]

For me it is easier to patch a tube then put up with the mess each time and tubed tyre is so much cheaper. The price of caffelatex isn't cheap and ne really needs to buy in 1ltr bottles dur to the cost.

 

[soundwave]

Typically one has to top up every 3 months or so, the caffelatex ends up setting as a thick blob if the bike isn't used for a while and yes my presta's kept clogging up.

caffelatex is what i use and have done for years now but that $hit does and destroy rims if you dont clean it out as got traces of ammonia in it.

1l of caffelatex last me about 2 years and never had a problem with it and £20 for1l so cheaper than stans

 

[richtea99]

The beauty of a tube is you can carry a spare one, and mend the bust one when you're home.
And my tube spend is quite a bit less than £20 every two years.

The beauty of tubeless is you're less likely to get in that situation, of course!

I love the idea of tubeless, but the reality isn't quite so sweet as you might hope.

I think there are some pros if you're off-roading rather than riding on tarmac, i.e.:
- you're very unlikely to get a pinch / snakebite puncture with tubeless
- therefore you can run lower pressures
- therefore you'll potentially have more grip off-road

Here is a detailed & recent article:

https://wheretheroadforks.com/tube-vs-tubeless-bike-tires-pros-and-cons/

 

[Nealh]

Tubeless also depends on the terrain make - up under foot, likewise on the S/Downs I have also suffered a tyre gash from flint something no amount of sealant will repair.

 

[soundwave]

you can have tubes and tubeless setup.

 

[StuartsProjects]

The beauty of a tube is you can carry a spare one, and mend the bust one when you're home.

Ah tubular tyres.

Quicker to replace and get on the go than a clincher with a tube.

But a pain to repair on the roadside when you needed to ge the sewing kit out if you had to repair a second puncture.

 

[richtea99]

Ah tubular tyres.

Quicker to replace and get on the go than a clincher with a tube.

But a pain to repair on the roadside when you needed to ge the sewing kit out if you had to repair a second puncture.

Quite true!
I meant an inner tube. I should have been more precise - sorry!

 

[soundwave]

my sg tyres are 1.2kg each and pretty much indestructible, from new it takes about 1 hr to get the fkn things on my rims as there that stiff and solid.

been pretty much bomb proof on and of road but not cheap and there heavy but not had a flat from a puncture in nearly 8 years now

 

[soundwave]

 

[AndyBike]

I've never really understood what the benefits of tubeless tyres are. But tbh i dont usually offroad, so few instances of tyres squirming under pressures of rocks,roots and drops.
What I have noticed though on bike forums is the incredible amount of faff* in getting these things seated. New special pumps requiring reservoirs to suddenly blast a big shot of air in, the need to completely seal the inside of the rim with tapes, the need for special valves, and far from preventing punctures, punctures still are a problem. So we have more things to buy, to core out holes and fill them with a plug, or internal patches or even...get this...sewing them up because tyre casings are now so supple, they could be viewed as being weak or flimsy.
They need a sealant put in which apparently clogs air valves, or fails to actually prevent leaks and even after all that, there is a finite life on the sealant and you need to periodically clean the inside of the tyre, which is now covered with semi dried sticky stuff that is by many accounts a real faff* to clean.

Prior, it was an inner, repaired quite easily using patches that cost a quid for 5, to internal tapes, valves,sealant,hole coring tool and plugs and even a new style pump, all of which adds up to a pretty penny.

And most riders, despite all this, seem to carry an old fashioned innertube all the same. Because we still get holes, and it seems the new tubeless stuff fails to repair so you then need to fit an innertube to keep going.
OK I understand there's also a weight saving. But it can only be a few hundred grams, so is it really worth it on anything other than an All Mountain,Enduro or Downhill bike set up and probably only then if you ride hard or aggressively. Certainly I see zero benefits for commuting tyres or even general trail or XC offroading.


* I think you know the word I really mean here