Boardman Team carbon - tubeless?

diy
diy Posts: 6,473
edited December 2011 in Workshop
Firstly sorry if this is a stupid question, I have just bought a halfords team carbon (2010 model) as a winter trainer. I know very little about race bikes being a mtber. These come with Richey pro wheels and Continental Ultra Sport tyres. I am assuming these wont be tubeless? I'll therefore need to carry a spare tube and some levers? I assume its near impossible to get road tyres off and on without levers? Also any suggestions on tyre pressure - I am about 12 stone.

Comments

  • tremayne
    tremayne Posts: 378
    Hi. Definitely some tubes in there! And no, not a chance for popping the tyres off without some levers or similar. I'd start with 100/110 psi and see how you get on.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Many thanks for the answers. I need some new tubes for the mtb anyway so I will order up some road bike tubes too. Will 40mm valve be long enough?
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    If you get folding tyres, you should (depending on brand of wheel and tyre; I know nothing of either in your case!) be able to get them on and off without levers though it is trickier than with MTB tyres. That said, no real point in not carrying levers - just no need to panic if you find yourself without them!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    May as well go for 65mm valves, if you have a Cycle surgery near you they always seem to be doing 3 for 2 on Specialized tubes (whatever valve length and tube size). I'd start 90 front/100 rear if I were you, maybe even slightly less. I'm 90+kg and run 100 each end and don't get pinch flats. I wouldn't go lower than 80 though. Ultra Sport tyres are a bit pants to with very little puncture protection and not great grip either so be prepared to change them soon if you have problems over the winter.
    I generally need 1 level to get a tyre off and usually fine with thumbs getting them on but as the guy said above given how small they are you may as well carry a couple of levers anyway (and what's easy in the comfort of your garage might not be when it's dark, raining and you're knackered at the side of a road :p ).
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Thanks, I don't really have a benchmark for grip. I felt they coped well in the rain on Sunday, I'm still getting used to the hard ride on poor surfaces and the brakes, which just don't compare to my mtbs. But it was not as bad as I was expecting and I actually felt fairly comfy in the drops, though my mtb oriented glasses were useless as I could not see much of the road at that angle. Didn't have the confidence to go much above 40mph as I was worried about grip and stopping power. Still getting over the acceleration and climbing ability compared to my stumpy which is 11lbs heavier and has mud tyres on.

    I wont be upgrading it until bits wear out. I spend far to much on this hobby as it is.