2013 year of the tubeless?

davidof
davidof Posts: 3,032
edited October 2012 in Workshop
With a few more manufacturers (apart from the hated hutchinson) bringing out road tubeless next year is it finally time to switch?

I'm still not convinced, especially having read the mixed threads here. The idea of "puncture proof" tires appeals but couldn't you get the same protection dropping a bit of slime or stans into your inner tubes?

Weight, for something like a Fusion 3, valve and 30 ml of Stans you are looking at around 330-340 grams, more than a tire and inner tube.

Seems like the carbon beads are a pig to get on and off the wheel.

As I have Shimano 6700 wheels I'm tempted to give it a try. You can get Hutchinson Fusion 3 for 35 euros but that is still quite a lot more than a GP4000S or Gatorskin (22-23 euros) and tube. Plus you have to fill them with Stans and top this up every 6 months.
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Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    How many people get so many punctures that any of this stuff is worth bothering with? It takes less than 10 minutes to change a tube.
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  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,032
    I'm not worried about punctures but blowouts at high speed are a worry. Although whether gunk filed tires are the answer I'm not sure.
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  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    I'm a big fan of tubeless when MTBing but still not convinced on the road. I rarely puncture (hope I haven't jinxed myself...) and don't see they give many other benefits over a decent clincher (with latex tubes if you really want). Now that Schwalbe have announced tubeless Ultermos it's slightly more appealing but my rims aren't tubeless ready and there's no way I'm ghettoing it on the road with the pressures involves so will have to wait until I replace my wheels.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,032
    nferrar wrote:
    Now that Schwalbe have announced tubeless Ultermos it's slightly more appealing but my rims aren't tubeless ready and there's no way I'm ghettoing it on the road with the pressures involves so will have to wait until I replace my wheels.

    So if you had tubeless ready rims you would consider it?

    I will probably give it a try as I need a new back tire but it does seem like an expensive habit.
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  • Buckled_Rims
    Buckled_Rims Posts: 1,648
    I've thought about it for a few years, but limited choice of tyre (and wheelset) has effectively put me off. I'll sit on the fence for the next few years and hear more pros and againsts of this argument.
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  • FatTed
    FatTed Posts: 1,205
    I thought the benefits of tubeless clinchers was the ability to run your tyres at very low pressure, Ideal for a MTB but not a road bike. We already have tubeless tyres they are called tubular tyres!
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    a lot of the people who 'can't see the point' haven't actually tried tubeless, so I'd take their opinions with a pinch of salt. That may be similar to me saying I can't see the point of visiting Canada.

    Punctures are only a (small) part of it. The main benefit, for me, is that you can run lower pressures without sacrificing rolling resistance, so you get more comfort and most importantly grip.

    I'm happy to agree the benefits are less than you get on MTBs but it's still enough to get the nod over clinchers on my roadie. We certainly need more choice though, although the Fusion 3 is pretty good.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Tubular tyres have inner tubes. If a tubless set up would weigh same/less than a clincher set up then it has my attention. I am sure that will happen soonish.

    As A23 rims are now tubless ready and I will build my self a set someday then trying tubeless out will be no bother.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.