Tell me why I should go tubeless!

ashleymp777

Ok, so I've been riding now for nearly 20yrs and have always been happy with the tyre/inner tube set up.

But since getting a new bike last month I've had a niggling feeling about going tubeless, but I'm still not convinced. So, for those converts out there, please tell me why I should take the plunge!

pilsburypie

depending on which tyre you choose - less weight
less/ no punctures with sealant
being able to ride lower pressures
better grip with lower pressures
It's fun doing stuff to your bike
It's cool
more people will like you
You'll get loads of attention from birds

doug@basqueMTB.com

My thoughts. If you ride fast then you can either get low pressure or low weight, not both. I..e. for low pressures you need heavy UST tyres. If you go for light weight tyres you'll need to keep the pressures up. If you pootle (no harm in it) then you get get away with lighter tyres with low pressures.

Personally I'm a tubeless convert. I'm using non-tubeless singleply tyres but never run lower than 30psi. The advantage for me is that I don't have to use heavy DH tubes and don't get any punctures. If I go non-tubeless then I need DH tubes and I get thorn punctures fairly frequently which is a pain.

I'm running Maxxis, minions up front and advantage out back. Here's my write-up on them, with weights etc

Also, I had a few issues getting the tyres to inflate and stay inflated, here's my tips for that.

streako

I dabble in a bit of XC, but I have seen several riders get flats with tubeless, then make a right mess trying to get all the Latex out, only to install a tube to get riding again.

I'm stil not convinced by tubeless.

scale20

I am going tubeless for the first time in 18 years of riding. I have just bought a new set of no tubes ZTR Arch 29 rims for my new build and it would be wrong to put tubes in there.

I will be using non UST tyres, im willing to give it a try and im one of the worst for trying to convert

sheepsteeth

tubeless is what the cool kids are doing.

i would only go tubeless if i suffered with punctures. i did, so i converted, now i dont have pnctures and im very cool.

Mental Mickey

Out of interest, what size drop offs or jumps are people doing to get pinch punctures?

Mine are usually around the 2 feet mark, so only small, I ride rock gardens n' stuff too but never had one of these 'snakebites' that are probably the main reason people convert.

I ask because I may have a wheel build done for my Stumpy FSR and wonder if I would be better going tubeless, if say the wheels are some strong Mavics or perhaps Stans Flows?

Northwind

I like tubeless but it's overhyped. If you don't get many punctures, there's not going to be a huge benefit. And if you're using non-tubeless wheels, then you're not likely to save much weight either. In fact a lot of people going tubeless end up heavier than a light-ish inner tube. Plus my own experience of "ghetto" with BMX tubes was pretty rubbish, I'd sooner have a puncture than a massive burp followed by the tyre falling off the rim midcorner.

Buuuut, I love it with my UST rims and regular tyres. It's light, it's durable, it lets me ride around with almost no air in the tyres when it snows, and it almost never punctures. People do say it just doesn't puncture, now that's rubbish and those people just haven't had it happen yet, but it's very rare.

Mental Mickey wrote:

Out of interest, what size drop offs or jumps are people doing to get pinch punctures?

It's more usually edge hits rather than drops.

doug@basqueMTB.com

Mental Mickey, it's rarely drops or jumps that give you pinches, generally it's rocks. I can't think of ever getting a pinch on a drop or a jump. It's normally catching a nasty rock at a bad angle. Some places you can't unweight over the rocks so if you want to go fast you have to clatter into them - pinchy pinchy.

You can still easily get snakebites with tubeless.

For me it's the thorn punctures that is the main reason for going tubeless.

It's not that messy if you have to put a tube in! Really you can do it without getting latex everywhere. Even I can do that and I'm a messy git!

TimB34

I went tubeless purely because I was getting two or three thorn punctures a month.

No thorn punctures since, so I'm happy.

As an unexpected bonus, ride quality is hugely increased. I'm using the same (specialized 2bliss) tires, but without tubes they roll better and grip better.

Faster uphill, better cornering and no more punctures. If I ever upgrade the wheels I'll buy tubeless ready or ZTR rims.

pastey_boy

stop being a big girl and go tubeless, unless you like being a girl ?

ratty2k

Got fed up with pinch flats (I'm a fat git!) and tried a conversion kit first, which was pants frankly!
Since upgraded to 'proper' tubeless rims and running dual ply tyres with sealant- no more pinch flats 8) Not a light setup tho' but neither am I....But I do get to enjoy the downs more

weescott

I bought into tubeless purely for extra puncture protection. I happened to be buying a new set of UST wheels at the time so the weight saving was a bonus, not a pre-requisit. I run the same PSI as I did with tubes. Yes you can run lower PSI but do you really want to? In my case....no.

bails87

I've had more pinch flats with tubeless than with tubes. And they're more hassle to fix as well because sealant tends not to work on them IME. So you need to remove the rim strip, deal with the mess of the sealant, then put a tube in. Rather than just patching the tube.

I'm using converted standard rims and Maxxis Advantages, it's ok, but nothing great, and an occasional PITA. I'd like to try it with 'proper' wheels though.

turnerjohn

streako wrote:

I dabble in a bit of XC, but I have seen several riders get flats with tubeless, then make a right mess trying to get all the Latex out, only to install a tube to get riding again.

I'm stil not convinced by tubeless.

+1 EXACTLY

pastey_boy

tubeless is best with proper ust rims and tyres, conversion kits work but ive found proper tubeless to be most reliable. best wheels ive found for ease of use are shimano,s tubeless wheels. bontragers tubeless ready tyres are good to

Northwind

streako wrote:

I dabble in a bit of XC, but I have seen several riders get flats with tubeless, then make a right mess trying to get all the Latex out, only to install a tube to get riding again.

The thing is... The worst that happens if you get a flat with tubeless is pretty much exactly the same as what always happens if you get a flat with a tube. But, the best that happens is, well, you don't get a flat after all. So sure it might look a faff when you have to fix one but that's not really the point, it's the other 50 times you would have got a puncture but didn't that are the point of tubeless really.

sheepsteeth

i find stans and joes just as reliable as mavic xm819, spesh roval, mavic crosstrail and mavic cross max.

the real difference in my experience is the choice of tyres, i would always recommend tyres designed for the job.

Mental Mickey

Thanks for the replies to my question, I'll stick with tubes unless I suddenly start getting punctures, currently only have 2 or 3 a year at most and those are thorns and one was a tack.

roger_merriman

For my self at the moment I've got no reason to do so, tyres and tubes work, the heavy weight tyres can run low pressures, with out pinch flats and seem not worried about thorns.

njee20

I'm fairly light, but I run light tyres at low pressures. Typically Rocket Rons around 25psi. I wouldn't go back to tubes, nor UST personally.

paulrockliffe

Depends on your riding, I used to get pinches most rides, in the Peaks, riding off mountains in the Lakes, that sort of thing. I've ghetto'd a set of tubeless tyres and not had a puncture, burp or any problem at all in 11 months.

Additional benefit is that instead of pumping my tyres up rock-solid to minimise pinches, then sliding all over the place, they're now happily sat between 20 and 25psi all the time.

For me, definitely worth it.

chiefgrooveguru

I went ghetto tubeless in August because I was tired of pinch and thorn flats. Been flawless so far and I'm liking being able to run such low pressures for more grip and smoothness - F/R: low 20s / high 20s in the dry, high teens / low 20s in the recent snow and mud.

dan1502

I've been lucky and had no punctures all year with tubes but as I'm having new wheels built with Stans Arch rims and the tape/valves are included and as I want to try the new Nobby Nics in 29er size I thought I might as well give it a go. I''m also trying the Schwalbe sealant which is supposed to be good.

milfredo

I have UST rims for the past five or so years and never had a puncture and previously only used UST tyres. This year I swiched to non UST tyres to save some weight and I expecting some punctures but still I've not had one. The only problem I had was the core fell out of the valve while I was putting some more air in and I lost the bugger.

On the racer I had about 10 punctures in two weeks during my commute to work and I got really sick of it!

I'd go tubless as women will want you more. FACT!