tubeless or tubed with inserts

steverav1

so I am getting a new gt avalanche comp 2020 29r in the very near future I currently have a Lapierre edge and am having lots of punctures on the trails around me so speaking with the shop I use I have 2 options 1 is to go tubeless and 2 stay with tubes and use tannus armour inserts in the tyres

I am currently riding the old railway trails and a little bit of roads nothing heavy as just started due to stopping smoking.

advice welcome

steve_sordy

You could get relief from punctures by using inner tubes by Slime. They contain a sealant that heals the punctures. That is the quickest and easiest way to provide an instant solution. They are heavier than normal tubes, but they absolutely work!

However, I would 100% recommend going tubeless with a sealant. If your tyres are already UST then you don't need sealant to hold in the air, but if they are tubeless ready (TLR) or ordinary tyres (doesn't say TLR), then you will deffo need sealant. Non-TLR need latex sealant, the latex seals the porous sidewalls better. But the latex goes off after six months or so and has to be renewed. TLR can use either latex or pretty much any of the non-latex sealants. In my opinion the non-latex sealants are better as they don't go off, but they can take a little bit longer to get the tyre airtight the first time you inflate the tyre. As you would be a tubeless newbie, I would recommend that you use latex the first time.

One of the first things I do to a new bike is to go tubeless, and for me that will involve removing the existing rim tape and replacing it with Gorilla Tape. (Search "going tubeless" on here). The rim tape may be OK, but I've had two new bikes where the rim tape was faulty and you have no idea what mess and work that causes.

No matter what tyre you end up going tubeless with, I would use a sealant with it. Even the proper tubeless tyres (UST) can still get a puncture, so a sealant is essential. Hell, I even used to put sealant in my inner tubes!

I have been running tubeless on all sorts of tyres for about ten years now. I still get punctures (my record is over two dozen on each tyre), but I don't get flats! I have had two faulty tyres in that time - one after the other, must have been the same production batch. The tyre wall failed at the bead and a gap of about 4" opened up. Nothing would have sealed that! I used the spare tube I carry, but it burst through the 4" tear, so not even using a tube would have overcome the faulty tyre.

You mention armour inserts. I have no personal experience of these, but they would add more weight for sure. They may also reduce the tyre wall flexibility. I have read that they alter the ride feel, but that may be something that you prefer or hate once experienced.

Some heavy and/or hard riding guys in rocky country go tubeless and also put a cushioning insert inside the tyre (Cushcore is one), very different to an armour insert. Cushioning inserts are fitted to protect the rim from being damaged by heavy and high speed impacts. They also provide some tyre protection. But many riders use these inserts so that they can reduce tyre pressure even more (because the tyre is more protected, so higher pressure is not required).

One of the big benefits of going tubeless is that there is no inner tube to be protected from snakebite punctures, so lower tyre pressures can be used. Lower pressure improves ride comfort, grip, and speed. The lower wheel weight also allows for faster acceleration.

Good luck, prepare by reading and taking to people. No matter how hard you may think it is when you first do it. It does get very easy after a short while.