Stick with tubeless?

[rockpig]

I’ve been running tubeless for the last year or so. My experience is that the type of sealant makes a difference. I’d been using Giant sealant with Giant wheels and Schwalbe Pro One tyres. I’ve had 2 punctures, both times I got home with some loss of pressure but both times the hole refused to seal permanently. I bodged a repair and ended replacing one of the tyres (expensive bodge!) Then I swapped to Stan’s Race Sealant and the other hole sealed instantly and I’ve done another 1500 miles on the tyre without problems. I will say that this sealant is more difficult to get into the tyre as it has to be poured in rather than injected through the valve, but once you get the hang of it it’s straightforward enough.
One of the nice things about tubeless is being able to run at lower pressures. 75-80psi is my new norm rather than 95-100psi with tubes. This makes a difference to the comfort and that’s a really good thing.

 

[Venod]

What is your advice?

Give them a go tubeless if it doesn't work out you can always fit tubes.

There is more to tubeless than puncture sealing convenience, you can run lower pressures for more comfort and confidence when cornering, the rotating mass of the wheels is also lighter.

I don't have any wheels with tubes anymore, I have just fitted some Schwalbe G One All Round tubeless, fitted by hand, inflated easy with track pump and stayed up for 24 hours without sealant, of course I did add sealant.

Prior to these I was running some non tubeless Vittoria XN Pro CX tyres, tubeless, they had lost all their tread on the outside, but on taking them off there were was nothing stuck through the tyre, there was clumps of sealant were I presume a hole had sealed, so I I think these tyres had good protection with or without tubes.

 

[steveindenmark]

As an add on. On my Brompton I have Marathon Plus with tubes. I also have added sealant to the tubes. It really is belts and braces but its working.

 

[Sharky]

Just realised how true the saying "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" is.

I still ride HP's with tubes
Converted all my bikes back to square taper
Ride San Marco Regal saddles that had their day in the 90's
got rid of my front changers
and still riding fixed for TT's

 

[Dogtrousers]

If I were you, I'd stick with tubeless, at least for a while. After all you've just obtained a bike with tubeless installed. Then make your own mind up.

After a while you will know whether or not you want to stick with them long term and you won't have to ask a bunch of randoms on the web, some of whom may well have preconceived ideas based on no experience. You will become an actual expert. You'll be able to reply to tubeless threads with gravitas and authority.

Having done that you can make your "stick with tubeless/go to tubes" decision based on real evidence.

Look at it as a learning opportunity.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Converted all my bikes back to square taper

Not cottered cranks?
You modernist you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Been running tubeless for 13 years after I got a bike with some tubeless rims. Had two punctures in all that time. Give it a go and see how you get on.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Most new cars I fix do not have a spare wheel and rely on a sealant to fix a puncture.

I'm glad the one I own has a full size spare.

 

[rugby bloke]

My latest bike came with tubeless so its been a bit of a learning curve for me. Ridden 2500 miles on the tyres since collecting the bike last August without a problem. The front tyre did not seem to like the trip in a plane over to Spain and vented a large amount of sealant the first time I tried to pump up the tyres after I arrived. Once I had sorted that out its been smooth running since and I am loving the fact I can run them at a lower psi.

 

[Jody]

gumming of valves that made topping up the pressure problematic. .

What sealant were you using for the valves to clog up?

 

[Slipperdiff]

If I were you, I'd stick with tubeless, at least for a while. After all you've just obtained a bike with tubeless installed. Then make your own mind up.

After a while you will know whether or not you want to stick with them long term and you won't have to ask a bunch of randoms on the web, some of whom may well have preconceived ideas based on no experience. You will become an actual expert. You'll be able to reply to tubeless threads with gravitas and authority.

Having done that you can make your "stick with tubeless/go to tubes" decision based on real evidence.

Look at it as a learning opportunity.

Not quite "randoms", I hope! I'm well aware that riders with a neutral view will probably not be motivated to respond to my question and I'm pleased to get opinions from both ends of the experience spectrum. It seems to me that if you have the "right" tubeless-ready wheels with the "right" tyres and the "right" sealant then it should be a good experience. I've learnt quite a bit since picking the bike up yesterday morning... not yet enough to become the Oracle of Tubeless, but who knows...
I will give them a try.

 

[screenman]

I'm glad the one I own has a full size spare.

Me too but on 20,000 miles a year I have only used the spare once in 30 years and maybe a couple in the 16 years before that. There again I was more than likely running Dunlop Kojaks back in the seventies.

 

[Milzy]

Tubeless for life.
No punctures ever.

 

[Venod]

The Qushqai didn't have a spare and I never had to use the sealant thingy, it had pressure sensors and they indicated one of the tyres was loosing about 2 psi in a month, I took the valve out and injected some Stans sealant, no more pressure drop.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Me too but on 20,000 miles a year I have only used the spare once in 30 years and maybe a couple in the 16 years before that. There again I was more than likely running Dunlop Kojaks back in the seventies.

Years back I had a number of pupils on an estate where more building was in progress. With no exaggeration I had six punctures within a six month period, all from screws and nails. I ended up being able to change a wheel quicker than an F1 pit crew.