Anyone gone tubless?

wilkij1975

Just wondering if anyone has gone tubeless and how it compares to running tubes? I have tubeless ready wheels and was thinking of giving it a go.

ddraver

Top of the Buying Advice Section...

wilkij1975

Didn't look in the buying advice as I wanted opinions of people who use it but there's plenty in there. Cheers for pointing it out

gaffer_slow

i start to smell if i dont have a bath once a fortnight.

wilkij1975

Good for you. Thanks for your input.

svetty

Use them on a set of wheels I use in winter. No complaints, they seal punctures pretty quickly - you just need to add a few pumps of air to replace some which escapes before the sealant does it's job. Saves messing around getting dirty changing tubes. I've never had a puncture which didn't seal. I'm sure a large gash in the tyre would be a problem but this would also be an issue on a normal clincher (albeit that you could use a boot in this situation). I carry a spare tube but have never had to use it (could be a bugger fitting it mind you.....)

bigmitch41

Yes and wouldnt go back to tubes, always carry a spare one for just in case though.

wilkij1975

I imagine the tyres are pretty tough to fit then? My current tubed tyres were a b'stard to get on my ProLite Revo wheels.

ddraver

It's all in the thumbs...

oldbazza

Tubeless now on the Planet X(archetypes/hutchinson sectors) and the Helium(Hunt aero 31/schwalbe pro ones);early days yet but I don't think I'll be going back.

The schwalbe/hunt combo was easy as hunt supplied them together;the archetype/sectors took a bit of effort to seal but fitting was ok,did run them with tubes for a bit first though.

Just carry one or two tubes and a tyre boot with me for any serious problems the sealant can't cope with.

wilkij1975

ddraver wrote:

It's all in the thumbs...

If there's no tube to pinch then get the big ole tyre levers on it!

I must admit though, I changed my first puncture by the roadside with the Revo's at the weekend and it wasn't too bad. Probably because the tyre had been on for a while.

kayakerchris

Been running tubeless on the good bike for about 4 years now with hutchison 25s and more recently the 28. Would not go back. Now on handbill carbon rims and they are superb with the tubeless. 250 miles non stop on Good Friday and no worries about punctures at all.

munkster

Been on tubeless for a year and 5000+ miles. I never carry a tube (mostly because I am almost certain I wouldn't get one into my SL23s at the roadside but also because I am a cavalier risk taker :shock: ) and have had only one "puncture" that I've noticed and even then I just rode it home with the not-insubstantial thorn stuck in the tyre with no pressure loss.

Have ridden Hutchinson Atom Galactik, Fusion 3, Intensives and Schwalbe One in that time. The Ones are nice but as everyone cites, are more fragile. The puncture "incident" was on the hardiest of them all (Intensives) so make of that what you will.

Unless I started riding less (in which case sealant drying out might become an issue) I'd never go back. Yes it's a faff but the increase in smugness (particularly when riding past someone wrestling with a tubed puncture) more than makes up for it.

(And yes, I am aware I have just used up all my tempting-fate credits in one post )

svetty

munkster wrote:

Been on tubeless for a year and 5000+ miles. I never carry a tube (mostly because I am almost certain I wouldn't get one into my SL23s at the roadside but also because I am a cavalier risk taker :shock: ) and have had only one "puncture" that I've noticed and even then I just rode it home with the not-insubstantial thorn stuck in the tyre with no pressure loss.

Have ridden Hutchinson Atom Galactik, Fusion 3, Intensives and Schwalbe One in that time. The Ones are nice but as everyone cites, are more fragile. The puncture "incident" was on the hardiest of them all (Intensives) so make of that what you will.

Unless I started riding less (in which case sealant drying out might become an issue) I'd never go back. Yes it's a faff but the increase in smugness (particularly when riding past someone wrestling with a tubed puncture) more than makes up for it.

(And yes, I am aware I have just used up all my tempting-fate credits in one post )

I'm on SL23s too - the ones that crack

munkster

I'm on SL23s too - the ones that crack

...and have yours cracked?

Do they have nipple washers on any of the spokes?

wilkij1975

Seems that from here and the thread on the buying advice section that Hutchinsons are the way to go. Just have to save a few pennies now and give it a go.

trek_dan

Just for balance - tyres are hideously expensive, don't seem to last very long, loose loads of pressure and (in my experience) just as puncture prone as any other tyre. Personally with so many excellent inexpensive clinchers around it just seems a bit of a waste of time, gone back to running clinchers.

drlodge

I've just learned that fitting a new tubeless tyre can be a bit of a b*stard. Got the tyre on the wheel but it won't pop on the rim Grrr.

donboogie

drlodge wrote:

I've just learned that fitting a new tubeless tyre can be a bit of a b*stard. Got the tyre on the wheel but it won't pop on the rim Grrr.

I recently did a post re IRC Tubeless on HED Belgium Plus. Basically, what worked for me was (i) lots of soap/water around tire and rim, (ii) support the wheel horizontally, and (iii) use a 16g CO2 cartridge to seat the tire.

munkster

use a 16g CO2 cartridge to seat the tir

This can freeze the sealant I am led to believe.

I bought an Airshot. People do baulk at the cost however it makes life so much easier when it comes to tubeless. I probably don't need it for most of my initial inflations but I wouldn't be without it.

g00se

Coke bottle and plastic pipe

svetty

munkster wrote:

I'm on SL23s too - the ones that crack

...and have yours cracked?

Do they have nipple washers on any of the spokes?

Yes, and No. Warranty replacement rims are fine

cycleclinic

CO2 works a treat with tubeless tyres. It does not freeze the sealant. I have no luck pumping a punctured tyre up with a hand pump at the side of the road. The sealant just dumped out of the tyre (good thing I put lots in) CO2 though got it to seal and on I rode. Try that with a tube...

I commute on tubeless and race on tubeless. I use tubs too. I hardly ever ride with tubes anymore.
Tubeless tyres (schwable and IRC) can be hard to fit initally. the VAR RP42500 tyre lever set helps alot. The tyre clip part is the really useful but once the tyres are on they stretch and removing them later is easier and refitting I can then do by hand on a cold wet dark evening (had to do that with the schwable ones as they love to hole).

IRC tyres seem much better at resistant the tempation to hole and many seem to like the hutchinson sector 28''s for the same reason. I have yet to try those though maybe I should.

the V1 pacenti rims are not too bad. some wheelbuilders got every single rear back for warranty. I have had 5 out of alot more. Still 5 more than other rims but only 5. I run two sets myself and they are not cracking I hope it stays that way. It is not a spoke count thing as 3 that went where 28 spokers and the other two has 24 spokes. Washers dont solve it either. It is spoke tension 1150N is all that I used on this rim. I actually prefer it over the V2 rim as it is stiffer. shame it cracked it was other wise a cracking rim boom boom!

munkster

I tried using CO2 on some stubborn tyres (just to even get them to seat ONCE to prove it could happen!) and it still didn't work however I am fairly confident it would work on most others I think it was just a combination of factors. I never carry a pump on a ride for the reason you state, ie. I am doubtful I would ever be able to generate the volume of air to make a dent on a tubeless tyre with a small pump; however do carry CO2 because even if it did "freeze" (or whatever it does to it) the sealant I figure at least it'd get me home. Thankfully not been needed up to now but one day I may find out!

I have two pairs of SL23s, one 24/28, one 20/24 and so far (fingers are now crossed) no cracks. I built them myself though and didn't over tension them (according to the Park tension meter anyway) so I am hopeful I'll be OK.

ps - also for balance, I had an ab-so-lute mare getting tubeless tyres onto rims to begin with but maybe my tubeless-fu is now at an all-time high because I've never had a problem since (even with new tyres, including Schwalbe Ones). Positive Mental Attitude is a factor, I am convinced :roll:

Camcycle1974

oldbazza wrote:

Tubeless now on the Planet X(archetypes/hutchinson sectors) and the Helium(Hunt aero 31/schwalbe pro ones);early days yet but I don't think I'll be going back.

The schwalbe/hunt combo was easy as hunt supplied them together;the archetype/sectors took a bit of effort to seal but fitting was ok,did run them with tubes for a bit first though.

Just carry one or two tubes and a tyre boot with me for any serious problems the sealant can't cope with.

Would you mind detailing the process of sealing the tyres on the Archetype rims please? I have Archetypes and would like to have a go at running them tubeless.

oldbazza

Camcycle1974 wrote:

oldbazza wrote:

Tubeless now on the Planet X(archetypes/hutchinson sectors) and the Helium(Hunt aero 31/schwalbe pro ones);early days yet but I don't think I'll be going back.

The schwalbe/hunt combo was easy as hunt supplied them together;the archetype/sectors took a bit of effort to seal but fitting was ok,did run them with tubes for a bit first though.

Just carry one or two tubes and a tyre boot with me for any serious problems the sealant can't cope with.

Would you mind detailing the process of sealing the tyres on the Archetype rims please? I have Archetypes and would like to have a go at running them tubeless.

I ran the sectors with tubes for a few days first then stipped it all down and cleaned then one run of rim tape plus Stans cyclocross kit*(basically a stretchy tape with a valve fitted) and some judicious pumping(fnaar),didn't use the soapy water trick either although it may have been easier doing that.

Seemed to take a couple of days to actually bed-in so to speak;on the first commute the rear was virtually flat by the time I got to Cambridge but I was still actually able to ride it the short hop from the mini Waitrose to Cherry Hinton.

They are both fine now and only loose a few psi over my long three-day week-end.

*Did buy this in error but it seems to be working ok.

Camcycle1974

Thanks, seems to work well. Thinking of tubeless as Cambridge roads seem to be littered with glass lately. Was following a guy yesterday when psssst from his back wheel. A load of broken glass on the road. I managed to avoid it luckily

homers_double

On the question of seating, Aldo sometimes have a little compressor on offer in the tool sale.

Not that it'd be much good for anything big but seating a tyre might be a bit easier?

ugo.santalucia

homers double wrote:

On the question of seating, Aldo sometimes have a little compressor on offer in the tool sale.

Not that it'd be much good for anything big but seating a tyre might be a bit easier?

The small electric compressors to inflate matresses and car tyres are as useless as a track pump for that. It either works with a track pump or you need an air-shot of some sort or a real big compressor with some power!

homers_double

No its a full compressoor, just a small home version.

I'm trying to find one on Aldi's site but not having much luck.

homers_double

Something like this off screwfix but about £40-£50