Tubed or Tubeless?

[GrannyJen]

Last week I had my first ever puncture in 58 years.

Well, I must admit, I hadn't cycled for 56 of those years

Seriously, first puncture in 1,500 miles: I removed the rear wheel, took out the old inner tube, replaced with new, replaced tyre, only took 5 minutes. The next bit though took me over an hour and only resolved itself the following morning with me turning up at the bike shop with wheel in one hand, bike in the other and asking for someone to put my wheel back on my bike. I am a mechanically hopeless disaster area.

Picking my bike up today it was suggested that I think about converting to tubeless with sealant slopping around inside. My immediate thought is "if it's so good why isn't everyone doing it?"

Thoughts please.

 

[Wildcamper]

In my case, expense and the gunk makes repairs impossible - in my opinion. I always repair inner tube punctures - some of my inners have 5 or 6 repairs - keeps costs down.

 

[ardm17]

On road, probably not worth it, off road (MTB) I'd say absolutely. I've arrived home and picked 9 thorns out of a still inflated tyre. Tubeless specific rims do help a lot though, the conversion kits can work but are sometimes a faff to get setup.

 

[Nand0]

There are tradeoffs. I assume you are road cycling, so I'll focus on that.

I switched to road tubeless about four years ago. I have yet to experience a puncture that the sealant couldn't repair. Ride quality has also improved, even using the same pressures as before (although the difference is subtle there). But with tubeless you can also run lower tyre pressures for more comfort without risking pinch flats.

On the downside, you have to put new sealant every few months (I do it every four months or so). The sealant can be messy, but a bit of care and you can avoid making a mess rather easily. New tyres are usually quite hard to seat properly, specially the first time when you have no prior experience. But once in place, they are good.

If you are experiencing one puncture every two years, and don't care for the slightly improved ride comfort, not sure it's worth the trouble. But if your rims are compatible, you can give it a go when you need new tyres. You just need the right rim tape, a new valve and some sealant, so not expensive to try out.

As for me, my bikes are three on tubeless (inc an mtb) and one on tubes because the rims won't take tubeless and I'm too cheap to change them. I wouldn't go back.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I prefer self healing tubes.
I’ve experienced 3 flats in the last 6 years, but on one of those occasions I was running a standard tube…

 

[Nand0]

On road, probably not worth it, off road (MTB) I'd say absolutely. I've arrived home and picked 9 thorns out of a still inflated tyre. Tubeless specific rims do help a lot though, the conversion kits can work but are sometimes a faff to get setup.

off road, on MTB, I'd say they are almost essential. Before I had tubeless on the MTB, I was puncturing on every other ride. Eventually I put puncture guard strips to mostly solve the problem, but the wheels where then heavier, and rode like sh!t. As on the road, yet to experience a puncture on the MTB that didn't seal automatically. Once I had to top up with a bit of air. It was a revelation for me at the time.

On the road I certainly notice the improved ride quality, even at same pressures. I have many many km/hours on the bike though, so I normally appreciate the most subtle changes. Or may be I'm a freak, but I'm not going back.

Like Marmite, it sure divides opinion. Like Marmite, you won't really know until you try. But unlike Marmite, I tried it and loved it. Not going anywhere near Bovril though

 

[The Tall Luthier]

They’res trick to putting tyres back on!

Obvs there is a steel band in the rubber that has to fit over the wheel rim. If the easy to slide in part of your tire is on the edge of the rim then getting the last bit wedges over is very tight indeed.

If the steel band is sitting over the centre of the wheel, the diameter is smaller there and the last bit goes on easily.

Same for getting it off. Let the tyre deflate completely and push the steel band into the centre, hey presto you can wedge it easily enough.

Tubeless is a faff of the highest order.

 

[Swissdog-exUK]

If the rim is tubeless ready, go tubeless. If you forget or can’t be bothered to always check and inflate your tyres, running them soft will have almost zero risk of deflation.

 

[Nand0]

They’res trick to putting tyres back on!

Obvs there is a steel band in the rubber that has to fit over the wheel rim. If the easy to slide in part of your tire is on the edge of the rim then getting the last bit wedges over is very tight indeed.

If the steel band is sitting over the centre of the wheel, the diameter is smaller there and the last bit goes on easily.

Same for getting it off. Let the tyre deflate completely and push the steel band into the centre, hey presto you can wedge it easily enough.

Tubeless is a faff of the highest order.

Getting the tyre over the rim is easy enough. The band is usually kevlar, not steel, but the real challenge is to get the tyre to seat on the bead hook and seal.

The first time I installed a tubeless tyre I was swearing like a drunken sailor in frustration. But now that I got the hang of it, it's a breeze. I would advice any beginner doing it for the first time to get help from someone that has done it before, or outsource to a shop.

Final bit of advice. If you are running tubeless and rely on a shop mechanic to do your regular maintenance, don't forget to tell the mechanic that you are running tubeless so the sealant gets topped up. I was out with someone on a ride, and she was fuming when she got a puncture. Turns out the shop didn't know she was on tubeless and didn't add sealant on the last service.

 

[haydnw2]

My immediate thought is "if it's so good why isn't everyone doing it?"

As others have noted, it's been pretty much standard in mountain biking for a long time now, and roadies are starting to catch up. If your rims and tyres are not tubeless compatible then my partner has had great success with "Slime" inner tubes on her commuter bike - basically just inner tubes pre-filled with sealant. They are obviously heavier than a standard tube because they contain the sealant too, but they are very good at sealing up small holes immediately. We now wouldn't use anything else. You can buy bottles of the sealant alone and add it to your existing inner tube, but it's a messy process in my experience.

The first time I installed a tubeless tyre I was swearing like a drunken sailor in frustration. But now that I got the hang of it, it's a breeze.

The game-changers for me were spraying soap solution on the rim and tyre before getting it to seat, and buying a pump with a high-pressure chamber to discharge a large volume of air into the tyre in one big burst. The crack of a tyre seating properly is so satisfying.

 

[Digger]

Tannus solid tyres are great on Brompton and might be worth an investigation. Saves carrying any spares and are confidence boosters.

 

[capt kirk]

had gunk in my tyres but never had a puncture, buuuuut the gunk went hard in the valves and they would not seal so had to change valves, kept doing this so got new tubes and valves and left the gunk out, and been great since..

 

[Jim2007]

Tubeless for me. Done some very long tours across Europe without any punctures that I have been aware of.

Have had two punctures that sealant would’t sort in the 30000ish km since I switched. Bacon strips did the trick each time. Easy to carry, easy to put in.

I have always carried a Park Tools tyre repair boot just in case of a large split but never needed it.

Worth buying good tyres though. Expect to pay £30 to £50 a tyre. Currently running various iterations of Vittoria Terranos on different bikes. First rate tyre, well worth the premium to me.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I have tubed + Schwalbe tyres with the protective belt.

Optimum Puncture Protection for Bicycle Tires | Schwalbe

Bicycle tire puncture protection from the professionals. Find out everything about Schwalbe's innovations in puncture protection. Find out now ►

www.schwalbe.com

 

[dspuk]

Last week I had my first ever puncture in 58 years.

Well, I must admit, I hadn't cycled for 56 of those years

Seriously, first puncture in 1,500 miles: I removed the rear wheel, took out the old inner tube, replaced with new, replaced tyre, only took 5 minutes. The next bit though took me over an hour and only resolved itself the following morning with me turning up at the bike shop with wheel in one hand, bike in the other and asking for someone to put my wheel back on my bike. I am a mechanically hopeless disaster area.

Picking my bike up today it was suggested that I think about converting to tubeless with sealant slopping around inside. My immediate thought is "if it's so good why isn't everyone doing it?"

Thoughts please.

We are. I’m a avid road biker and moved to tubeless a while back. From several punctures a month I’ve had zero for years. The main issue for some is if you get a puncture on tubeless its quite hard to repair on the go. But with so many less punctures it’s a risk I’ve taken and never looked back.

 

[The Saint Essex]

I run with both

My road bikes are tubed as punctures are quite rare and to swap a tube over is really quick. Generally I go for a tire that has kevlar or similar layer in it to try and stop anything getting through to start with.

I've have a number of slices in my tires over the years, somewhere I could see the inner tube. With a tubeless solution I'm sure it wouldn't have survived.

Now the mountain bike is tubeless as the chances of picking up something that will pierce the tire is a lot higher (I took out 3 tubes on one ride once as their were so many thorns). The tubeless gunk does appear to be very effective with small punctures and self seals quickly and has saved me a number of times.

If its for a road bike I think its personal choice which way to go. For off-road and mountain biking I think there is a much stronger case for tubeless.

One thing to note though, don't ride too close to your mate who runs tubeless tires when he gets a puncture, I've had a face full or sealant before!

I would still carry a pump / co2 cartridge with me with tubeless as sometimes you can loose too much pressure and need a top up and also a spare inner tube incase of a major puncture than the sealant can't fill (that would be a messy job at the side of the road!)

 

[Nand0]

I would still carry a pump / co2 cartridge with me with tubeless as sometimes you can loose too much pressure and need a top up and also a spare inner tube incase of a major puncture than the sealant can't fill (that would be a messy job at the side of the road!)

I'd suggest not to use CO2 cartridges with tubeless. The CO2 has no moisture in it (obviously) and it dries out the sealant in the tyre.

I always carry a mini pump and a spare inner tube. I would leave the tube behind if I was in a race, but in all honesty, I've never needed to put a tube in. Just carry it as a precaution, or as it's sometimes the case, to help out a fellow rider.

 

[Pineweasel]

Thinking of going tubeless with my 650b gravel bike tyres. However, I’ve read that a tubeless setup loses pressure fairly quickly compared to tubes. Is this true in people‘s experience?

 

[Nolan]

It really depends on the tyre, I use schwalbe bites and they might lose a few psi and need topping up every 3rd ride or so.

I'm all in on tubeless on my MTB, gravel bike, and now road bike. There is maintenance involved as the sealant needs to be changed but I've not been stranded since swapping.

I always use regular orange seal in my tyres.

 

[RodCouncil]

Id say if you want near certain reliability on the road then tubeless and hoops (crush core or vittoria).

Only time I don’t run tubeless is on the winter gravel wheels, instead I run latex, the sealant and Swedens temps are not a great combo, more for when you need to change a flat fast due to the conditions.

 

[kave]

Tubeless setups always require more maintenance. Often you need to pump tires every week. The gunk dries out and need replacing to so its job after months. For a casual rider I would recommend against it. If the bike is older its rims are not made for tubeless setups so tire will pop loose.

 

[sidepod]

It sounds like you just need to practice fitting the wheel as that’s the bit that caused the issue?
Tubeless can be a bugger to seat if the bead breaks from the rim or it’s a new tyre (I rely on a compressor/air line). I’d stick with toobs and polish the spanner skills.

 

[pluc99]

Mounting a tire on a rim or the wheel onto the derailed and frame are skills you can and should learn. Whether with tube or without, it's something you need to be able to do yourself. Don't wait for the next puncture, practise in your living room. It's not that hard to do and once will probably be enough.

My friends all have tubeless and wouldn't go back. I notice that they are always looking for shade whenever parking the bike for fear of having them deflate. I still have inner tubes on my MTB, not for any political conviction; I simply haven't seen the need to switch. I use my bikes mainly to exercise on the hills of my forest with a 26" full suspension or to go on road trips with full saddle bags with a 29" hardtail and I always carry a spare inner tube and fixing material.

I also have these:

• Self sealing inner tubes (e.g. Michelin, many others)
• Tires with an extra thick rubber layer (e.g. Schwalbe Marathon Plus)
• Emergency inflator/sealer (e.g. Zefal Breakdown spray)

 

[The Saint Essex]

Thinking of going tubeless with my 650b gravel bike tyres. However, I’ve read that a tubeless setup loses pressure fairly quickly compared to tubes. Is this true in people‘s experience?

I've not noticed my tubeless tyres going down much, I do ride wide 29'ers so a little loss wouldn't be that noticeable. I just do my normal thing of checking before a ride and probably put a little more air in ever few weeks.

 

[Jim2007]

Thinking of going tubeless with my 650b gravel bike tyres. However, I’ve read that a tubeless setup loses pressure fairly quickly compared to tubes. Is this true in people‘s experience?

Yes, I think they do lose air quicker but not to the extent that it should put you off.

You have to make sure the sidewalls get a liberal coating of sealant when first fitted. I had one set of WTB Byway 2s that just never fully sealed on the sidewalls. The Byway 1s were excellent. The 2s made me switch to Vittorias. Just done 1400km over two weeks on 47mm 650bs. Topped them up twice I think. I can't now go back to riding 25mm tyres. The extra comfort on long rides far out weighs the aero dis-benefits at my speeds.