Ex-lurker saying hello... plus a Q: tubeless or not?
lhoward1976
Posts: 29
Hi Folks,
I've been lurking for a good few months prior to getting my first bike in about 12 years - I eventually went for a Rockhopper Expert (oh the irony!) and am loving it...
Just wanted to show my appreciation for the knowledge found in the forums - helped me a great deal in making my decision, and have been useful since... primarily in helping me decide to stick with the SPDs that came with the 'hopper rather than switching to flats. I've only (?) fallen off half a dozen times, and found picking grit out of my knee on a Sunday night a few weeks ago brought lots of childhood memories rushing back!
One thing I am suffering with a little at the moment is punctures, and I'm seriously considering going tubeless... chap in the LBS said it was of dubious value in this area as there's a lot of flint about and a lack of tubes isn't going to do a great deal to help. To date, though, all six of the punctures I've had in the six weeks since I started riding again have been thorns, so I'm happy to give it a try.
The other option is to change tyres - currently running on the Spesh Fast Traks it came on, and I've noticed they aren't the grippiest bits of rubber when things start getting a bit slippy, and maybe something else may be a trifle more thorn-resistant, too.
So... tubeless with the tyres I've got, just new tyres, or new tyres and tubeless?
Cheers,
Lee
I've been lurking for a good few months prior to getting my first bike in about 12 years - I eventually went for a Rockhopper Expert (oh the irony!) and am loving it...
Just wanted to show my appreciation for the knowledge found in the forums - helped me a great deal in making my decision, and have been useful since... primarily in helping me decide to stick with the SPDs that came with the 'hopper rather than switching to flats. I've only (?) fallen off half a dozen times, and found picking grit out of my knee on a Sunday night a few weeks ago brought lots of childhood memories rushing back!
One thing I am suffering with a little at the moment is punctures, and I'm seriously considering going tubeless... chap in the LBS said it was of dubious value in this area as there's a lot of flint about and a lack of tubes isn't going to do a great deal to help. To date, though, all six of the punctures I've had in the six weeks since I started riding again have been thorns, so I'm happy to give it a try.
The other option is to change tyres - currently running on the Spesh Fast Traks it came on, and I've noticed they aren't the grippiest bits of rubber when things start getting a bit slippy, and maybe something else may be a trifle more thorn-resistant, too.
So... tubeless with the tyres I've got, just new tyres, or new tyres and tubeless?
Cheers,
Lee
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Comments
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I'd try the new tyres first. I was getting at least one puncture per ride when I was using the standard Continental Explorers that came with my bike (record was 7 in 100yds), changed them to Racing Ralphs and got new inner tubes (conti lightweight) and I've had none since May.
I also put some black sealant stuff ("sludge" I think) in my inner tubes so if I do get a puncture it'll seal just like tubeless would. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been needed though because the "fragile" tyres and lightweight tubes have been more resilient than my old set up.0
