Answered Witless about tubeless.

[Agamemnon]

I recently purchased my first mountain bike and it is billed as tubeless ready.

I’ve rode bicycles all my life always with tubes. What are the advantages of tubeless? Should I switch immediately? Is there a manufacturer that is better on the slime or whatever....

So based on the variables below, please recommend specifics I need to switch to tubeless, and what do you use, and why...
Cheers and thanks,

Bike: Haibike all mtn 2.0
Rider: 250 lbs
Conditions: Florida US. Santos, Croom, Alafia, and Balm Boyette
Tires on Bike:
Front Maxxis minion dhf
Rear. Maxxis minion dhr II
Both 27.5 x 2.8 (650b)

 

[Rusty]

Many arguments for and against.
Personally, I can't be stuffed going through all the drama with them as I change tires constantly (even with 2 wheelsets). I also find that I 'burp' them too often for my liking - especially if I ride at lower pressures.

 

[KennyB]

I wouldn't ride without. Pressures lower, tyres more supple, no flats - just better all round.
I use:
The milkit system for ease of setup (valve core removed with no loss of pressure, fluid injected through the stem) and checking and topping up the fluid (ditto and fluid is pushed back into the syryinge for checking and saving of the fluid if changing tyres.
Stan's fluid (normal not race).
Specialized Air Tool Blast for setting the rims.
Blackburn Plugger for holes the fluid cannot seal, although I will go to Stan's DART when it is available.
You do have to check the fluid now and again (every 3 months, more often somewhere hot) the milkit system makes this a 5 minute job. The only problem I have ever had is when the Stan's Race fluid the bike shop used dried up.

 

[Binhill1]

Many arguments for and against.
Personally, I can't be stuffed going through all the drama with them as I change tires constantly (even with 2 wheelsets). I also find that I 'burp' them too often for my liking - especially if I ride at lower pressures.

When I first tried took the shop 2 hours to get one of the tyres to seal and he had done dozens before and never had a problem and using a compressor . Anyway i tried to put air in before starting to come down at fort William thinking I had a slow puncture now, unknown to me the pump goosed. Tried changing tube and the sealing stuff like glue on rim eventually got off half an hour later burst tube refitting as tyre so tight. Back down on gondola sick as a parrot. I will never use them again .

 

[cozzy]

Another in the cba camp. At near the same weight I run tubes these days with decent tyre pressure (30/26) with dual ply / heavy duty sidewall tyres.

 

[Binhill1]

Another in the cba camp. At near the same weight I run tubes these days with decent tyre pressure (30/26) with dual ply / heavy duty sidewall tyres.

I love biking with out thinking too much about it all to be honest I have a sea kayak same there use as is don't feel the need to tweek things . Or I'm just lazy or thick maybe both. Must admit though hats off to a lot of people the stuff they experiment with and we benefit on here.

 

[steve_sordy]

I have been tubeless for years and despite the very occasional problems, I would never go back. I used to average a flat every 14 miles, not had one since (apart from two tyres that split on the bead in the same place, at the same mileage - both replaced under warranty). I've had the occasional problem with faulty original rim tape on new TLR rims. I no longer bother with OE rim tape, I don't give it a chance, I replace it with Gorilla tape.

Why tubeless? The wheels are lighter, right in the place it does most good. The tyres can go lower pressure, more grip, better feel. You will still get punctures but flats are almost eliminated. My record is over two dozen punctures in each tyre but no flats - that is over 48 trail-side stops to repair a tube avoided!!!

 

[GrahamPaul]

I guess it depends where you live. Around here all the forest trails are littered with thorns off the acacia bushes. With tubes it wasn't unusual for me to get three punctures in an outing. I still ride an easy coffee run every Friday with a bunch of (other) old timers who won't run tubeless and we always get at least one puncture among the group.

I've not had a flat since running tubeless (plenty of punctures which seal up well - often with the thorn still in there plugging the hole). Plenty of burped tyres hitting the sharp-edged rocks - which are the other delight awaiting the unwary. I've got used to the idea now of having to stop occasionally and make sure there's still air in the tyre. (Often while waiting for someone else to repair their snake-bite puncture off the same rocks.)

I'm trying to convert the others into tubeless (mostly they have tubeless ready wheels anyway) but they all seem to think that it is less trouble repairing a puncture every week or two than topping up the sealant every couple of months (the sun here dries it out quickly).

 

[Binhill1]

I guess it depends where you live. Around here all the forest trails are littered with thorns off the acacia bushes. With tubes it wasn't unusual for me to get three punctures in an outing. I still ride an easy coffee run every Friday with a bunch of (other) old timers who won't run tubeless and we always get at least one puncture among the group.

I've not had a flat since running tubeless (plenty of punctures which seal up well - often with the thorn still in there plugging the hole). Plenty of burped tyres hitting the sharp-edged rocks - which are the other delight awaiting the unwary. I've got used to the idea now of having to stop occasionally and make sure there's still air in the tyre. (Often while waiting for someone else to repair their snake-bite puncture off the same rocks.)

I'm trying to convert the others into tubeless (mostly they have tubeless ready wheels anyway) but they all seem to think that it is less trouble repairing a puncture every week or two than topping up the sealant every couple of months (the sun here dries it out quickly).

Ive had one puncture since July 1100 miles and that was thorn did not know till next day so i can live with tubes in my tyres. Plus usually solo nowadays so nobody waiting but I get it been there in the freezing or midgies trying to help someone fix a puncture.

 

[GrahamPaul]

Is there a manufacturer that is better on the slime or whatever....

So based on the variables below, please recommend specifics I need to switch to tubeless, and what do you use, and why...

The sealant I use is "Effetto Mariposa" because it's reasonably cheap but also does not contain ammonia. Be wary of the sealants based on ammonia - they smell like horse pee and your first time or two sealing a tyre may get a little messy. I'm pretty good at sealing up my tyres now, but I still do it outside and have a hose ready to wash down the patio just in case of mishaps.

Invest in a syringe set to make dosing the tyre that much easier. Full respect to those guys who can do the job by dumping a cupful into the bottom of a tyre and then fitting it to the rim. But that's beyond me and my knuckle joints.

I don't have access to a compressor and tried to pump up the tyres using a track pump the first time I went tubeless. Save yourself the sweat. Either invest in a pressure cylinder you can pump up with the track pump (or make one using an old fire extinguisher as per a thread on here), or buy half a dozen CO2 cartridges and do the job quickly and cleanly. That's what I eventually did, because the tyres need to be "shocked" onto the rims. Just remember that CO2 leaks through the tyre walls overnight and so you do need to pump your tyres up again for a couple of days afterwards.

I would guess that your climate in Florida is the same as ours in Spain. You'll need to top up the sealant every 2 to 4 months (depending on how much your bike is in the sun).

If you've got acacia thorns or similar, you'll be getting punctures almost every time you go out - those warm tyres and sharp thorns work magic on your rubber compound - so you'll avoid all those flats and the time taking changing tubes (and searching the casing for the thorns).

If you've not got thorny bushes, sharp stones/flints and such like, or you don't need the extra grip that running lower pressures can get you (we have a lot of dune sand here, so low pressures are essential), then you probably have no real benefit in going tubeless. The thing is, it's not a one way street. You can try it and go back to tubes if you don't like it. The cost is pretty minimal for trying out tubeless.

 

[GrahamPaul]

Ive had one puncture since July 1100 miles and that was thorn did not know till next day so i can live with tubes in my tyres. Plus usually solo nowadays so nobody waiting but I get it been there in the freezing or midgies trying to help someone fix a puncture.

I guess that sunshine drying out the sealant isn't too much of a problem for you

Not sure I'd want to be stopping to repair a puncture with midges around. I had a while in the Shetlands and, in the 3 days it stopped raining, I discovered that they regard insect repellant as a sort of extra sauce.

 

[GrahamPaul]

Is there a manufacturer that is better on the slime or whatever....

Forgot to mention: do not buy the "single use" tubeless kits. There is not enough sealant in those tiny bottles for an eMTB tyre. And the first time you seal a tyre you are going to want to add around 50% more than the manufacturer's recommendation anyway because you are going to lose some from not knowing what you are doing and, also, because the tyre will use up a bit while it seals itself.

 

[Binhill1]

Forgot to mention: do not buy the "single use" tubeless kits. There is not enough sealant in those tiny bottles for an eMTB tyre. And the first time you seal a tyre you are going to want to add around 50% more than the manufacturer's recommendation anyway because you are going to lose some from not knowing what you are doing and, also, because the tyre will use up a bit while it seals itself.

My heads full of drive trains today it's fading fast. Tyres not a problem this week

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

I recently purchased my first mountain bike and it is billed as tubeless ready.

I’ve rode bicycles all my life always with tubes. What are the advantages of tubeless? Should I switch immediately?

Consider how you ride, where you ride, and your purpose for riding.

If you don’t push to the ragged edge of speed and control that requires lower pressures, if you never/hardly have puncture issues, then you may not have any reason to fiddle around with tubeless. Why not leave the tubes on for a while and see how it goes... then decide.

Tubes or tubeless - there’s gonna be hassle either way, and you’re just gonna be trading one kind with another. It’s only you who can decide whichever way is worth the trouble.

 

[55plusmxinsanity]

Convert, it’s nice. If you’re running terrain like mine, rocky, stickers, yuccas, install some cushcores. Love it.

 

[Binhill1]

Convert, it’s nice. If you’re running terrain like mine, rocky, stickers, yuccas, install some cushcores. Love it.

Will have to Google cushcores only been mtbing since 86 must be in time warp ?

 

[Agamemnon]

Wow, thanks all for the replies. One fellow used “midges” and immediately I thought of the Midgewater Marshes from the Lord of the Rings Fellowship book. Shout out to GrahamPaul!

I do ride solo so there is that, too. I think I’ll ride as they are and first flat I’ll switch.

Again, thanks. And happy pedaling.

 

[GrahamPaul]

And happy pedaling.

As they say: "Just get out there and ride" ????

Time for all the other stuff later

 

[Pendo]

I've always used tubes, buy the heavy duty ones. A mate who runs tubeless had a flat on a ride, sealant couldn't handle it so we fitted a tube. What a messy process that was! Sealant all over our hands made the ride home unpleasant.
Been looking at the 'Tannus Armour' system - runs a tube inside a foam sleeve. Looks impressive, weight doesn't worry me. Downside is they don't make them for my 3" wide tires. Hope they do soon.

 

[z1ppy]

I wouldn't run a bike without tubeless nowadays, a bit of faff to fit with but considering the amount of punctures its stopped*, it's well worth it to me. I can count on one hand how many times I've had to fit an inner tube over the last 7+ years, I can't count then amount of punctures I've fixed on tubes. I used to have one tube which probably weigh double it's original weigh due to the 20+ patches I'd fitted.

* you can count them, by removing your tyre and checking for thorns are poking thru, that would have taken out an inner tube.

 

[Binhill1]

I wouldn't run a bike without tubeless nowadays, a bit of faff to fit with but considering the amount of punctures its stopped*, it's well worth it to me. I can count on one hand how many times I've had to fit an inner tube over the last 7+ years, I can't count then amount of punctures I've fixed on tubes. I used to have one tube which probably weigh double it's original weigh due to the 20+ patches I'd fitted.

* you can count them, by removing your tyre and checking for thorns are poking thru, that would have taken out an inner tube.

I'm curious do you still carry a spare tube with you..

 

[z1ppy]

@Binhill1, Yep, I'm not daft.. but I also carry a tubeless repair kit, which works well.
I may also carry the kitchen sink in my pack, as in the early days of my mtb experience, I had to walk 2 hours back to the car due to a puncture, never again...

 

[Binhill1]

@Binhill1, Yep, I'm not daft.. but I also carry a tubeless repair kit, which works well.
I may also carry the kitchen sink in my pack, as in the early days of my mtb experience, I had to walk 2 hours back to the car due to a puncture, never again...

Cycled 6 miles with flat tyre many a day better if it's on the front or you have to stand and lean forward. Enjoy what ever you are using. I just heard about cushcores yesterday I will manage without them as well .

 

[SiDobsFig]

Hi, in UK, Wet, rooty and a lot of night riding. Sept to Nov ( Autumn for us) used to be a pain in the arse due to Blackthorn Hedge Flailing in my area. Since changing to Tubeless no punctures on same routes for three years. Only take tyres of now when their slicks. Theory says because the energy of hitting a rock is absorbed by the Tyre and then by the Tube, running Tubeless keeps the energy taken away by the Tube in the forward momentum. At the end of the day, change if you think it will be worth it for you. I won't go back to tubes simply for not having to stop in rain and mud to sort a flat in the dark, which to me, was more of a pain in the arse than changing to Tubeless. All the best.

 

[GrahamPaul]

Since changing to Tubeless no punctures on same routes for three years.

I reckon not. I reckon you've had loads of punctures... just no flats!

I think this is where the misunderstanding comes in with the folks who haven't gone tubeless and are still considering it. Both you and I ride through thorny terrain without a care. Thorns go through the tyre casing, there's a little leak of sealant for a second or two (a minute or two for a big hole) and mostly we don't even notice as the puncture seals up so fast. But that would have been a flat tyre if a tube had been there.

When you do get that rip in the tyre wall and need to put in a patch and a tube, it's a real education running one's hands around the inside of the tyre to find all the thorns still poking through! (Or don't bother removing them, if you want to remind yourself of the joys of tubes in a thorny environment )

 

[Binhill1]

View attachment 22350 View attachment 22351 View attachment 22352

Nasty rash that looks like the pox

 

[Binhill1]

Should see the back of my legs looks like I have hundreds of liver spots, if I scrub any harder I will bleed I hope I don't get toxic poisoning haha

Brilliant keep it up great site this but i take a lot with a pinch of salt . We can't reinvent the wheel.

 

[daju]

tubeless with Cushcore at 20 psi