Tubeless for Road
Discussion
My partner got a new road bike, its on tubeless and I kind of dreaded her moving over to them (at least you can change an inner tube and get on with your day....).
We did a long ride BH Friday 50km (getting back into it and training for a 100km event)
Anyway, we were getting ready to go for a ride, she noticed it was flat, pumped it up and said lets go... hold on, not so fast! lets wait 10 mins and see what the pressure drop is. Sure enough it dropped 25% in 10 mins.
Looked at the tyre and it had a pretty big gash in it. Sealant got us home but the tyre was mangled. Anyway, replaced the tyres with Conti's and popped some Stan's sealant in there.
Is it me or is tubeless answering a problem no one had? I get tubeless for MTB as you run lower pressures and punctures happen more often but for the road?
Just be interested in your thoughts as I was thinking of moving her away from Tubeless.
Cheers
T1b
We did a long ride BH Friday 50km (getting back into it and training for a 100km event)
Anyway, we were getting ready to go for a ride, she noticed it was flat, pumped it up and said lets go... hold on, not so fast! lets wait 10 mins and see what the pressure drop is. Sure enough it dropped 25% in 10 mins.
Looked at the tyre and it had a pretty big gash in it. Sealant got us home but the tyre was mangled. Anyway, replaced the tyres with Conti's and popped some Stan's sealant in there.
Is it me or is tubeless answering a problem no one had? I get tubeless for MTB as you run lower pressures and punctures happen more often but for the road?
Just be interested in your thoughts as I was thinking of moving her away from Tubeless.
Cheers
T1b
I run both my road bike and gravel bike tubeless - the benefits of lower pressures are huge and I've had minimal issues.
I don't really get the downside as, as long as you make sure the valves aren't seized, you can always stick a tube in if you have to (I've done that a couple of times). I do have to pump up my tyres if the bike has been sat for a while but I'd want to be checking the pressures anyway so it's no hardship.
I don't really get the downside as, as long as you make sure the valves aren't seized, you can always stick a tube in if you have to (I've done that a couple of times). I do have to pump up my tyres if the bike has been sat for a while but I'd want to be checking the pressures anyway so it's no hardship.
T1berious said:
My partner got a new road bike, its on tubeless and I kind of dreaded her moving over to them (at least you can change an inner tube and get on with your day....).
We did a long ride BH Friday 50km (getting back into it and training for a 100km event)
Anyway, we were getting ready to go for a ride, she noticed it was flat, pumped it up and said lets go... hold on, not so fast! lets wait 10 mins and see what the pressure drop is. Sure enough it dropped 25% in 10 mins.
Looked at the tyre and it had a pretty big gash in it. Sealant got us home but the tyre was mangled. Anyway, replaced the tyres with Conti's and popped some Stan's sealant in there.
Is it me or is tubeless answering a problem no one had? I get tubeless for MTB as you run lower pressures and punctures happen more often but for the road?
Just be interested in your thoughts as I was thinking of moving her away from Tubeless.
Cheers
T1b
I'm confused - you went out riding on a tyre with a big gash in it?We did a long ride BH Friday 50km (getting back into it and training for a 100km event)
Anyway, we were getting ready to go for a ride, she noticed it was flat, pumped it up and said lets go... hold on, not so fast! lets wait 10 mins and see what the pressure drop is. Sure enough it dropped 25% in 10 mins.
Looked at the tyre and it had a pretty big gash in it. Sealant got us home but the tyre was mangled. Anyway, replaced the tyres with Conti's and popped some Stan's sealant in there.
Is it me or is tubeless answering a problem no one had? I get tubeless for MTB as you run lower pressures and punctures happen more often but for the road?
Just be interested in your thoughts as I was thinking of moving her away from Tubeless.
Cheers
T1b
Anyway, lots of tubeless discussion recently here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Harpoon said:
I'm confused - you went out riding on a tyre with a big gash in it?
Anyway, lots of tubeless discussion recently here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Sorry not entirely clear, I apologise.Anyway, lots of tubeless discussion recently here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Ride 1 = 50km - no Issues
Start of Ride 2 - SWMBO noticed the flat, pumped up tyre, made to go ride, I suggested we wait and sure enough another long ride wasn't on the cards.
In its defence SWMBO rides to work whenever possible so over the last couple of years its been issue free. Buts that's 15 minutes there and back.
Cheers T1b
I've had two punctures in the last two rides on my gravel bike....ridden on the road. The only reason I knew I had a puncture was a small spray of sealant on the cranks and BB area of the bike. Didn't have to stop. Minimal air loss (didn't have to pump the tyre up).
It's not a massive deal to change an inner tube at the side of the road, but it's better if I don't have to. Personally, I wouldn't go back to tubes on either my gravel bike or MTB. I don't and won't own a full on road bike so can't answer for those.
It's not a massive deal to change an inner tube at the side of the road, but it's better if I don't have to. Personally, I wouldn't go back to tubes on either my gravel bike or MTB. I don't and won't own a full on road bike so can't answer for those.
As per my comments on other threads, I ditched tubeless and went back to tubes.
Too many failures that wouldn't seal.
I'd be happy with my MTB using sealant, but stick a 100kg bloke onto narrow road tyres and high pressure/low volume and imho you have (and I did have) a recipe for disaster.
Couple that with a stuck valve on a brand new bike (so set up by the manufacturer) requiring a rescue and I decided enough was enough.
Not needed rescuing since - well I have but that was for a broken leg and torn ligaments not a broken tyre
Too many failures that wouldn't seal.
I'd be happy with my MTB using sealant, but stick a 100kg bloke onto narrow road tyres and high pressure/low volume and imho you have (and I did have) a recipe for disaster.
Couple that with a stuck valve on a brand new bike (so set up by the manufacturer) requiring a rescue and I decided enough was enough.
Not needed rescuing since - well I have but that was for a broken leg and torn ligaments not a broken tyre
T1berious said:
Sorry not entirely clear, I apologise.
Ride 1 = 50km - no Issues
Start of Ride 2 - SWMBO noticed the flat, pumped up tyre, made to go ride, I suggested we wait and sure enough another long ride wasn't on the cards.
In its defence SWMBO rides to work whenever possible so over the last couple of years its been issue free. Buts that's 15 minutes there and back.
Cheers T1b
It sounds like the tubeless has done exactly what it's supposed to do assuming the tyre wasn't slashed at your house between rides. Had you been on tubes and caught a slashed tyre during the 50km ride you'd have definitely noticed before getting home!Ride 1 = 50km - no Issues
Start of Ride 2 - SWMBO noticed the flat, pumped up tyre, made to go ride, I suggested we wait and sure enough another long ride wasn't on the cards.
In its defence SWMBO rides to work whenever possible so over the last couple of years its been issue free. Buts that's 15 minutes there and back.
Cheers T1b
BoRED S2upid said:
Can you just change an inner tube at the side of the road and get on your way? Some of these carbon rims and tyres are a b
h to change. Tubeless will get you home safe. I’m a big fan and both bikes are now tubeless.
Yes. I carry a tyre boot and a race inner tube (smaller so easier to reseat tyre) and it works fine. h to change. Tubeless will get you home safe. I’m a big fan and both bikes are now tubeless. This topic always seems to pop up on here, however I've been running tubeless only now for two years. I ride around 9-10,000 miles a year so a number of punctures is inevitable. Last year I ran a set of 28MM GP5000 STR tyres filled with Muc Off tubeless sealant.
I had 7 punctures last year (I kept track), 6 sealed and one didn't. The one that didn't seal spaffed sealant everywhere but got me to the cafe stop a few miles down the road, where I just stuck a tube in for the remainder of the ride. I then patched the tyre from the inside and resealed it and rode many more miles without issue. 4 of the 6 punctures I didn't even realise I had until I got home and noticed the sealant on the frame - there may have been more that were so small they didn't leave any mess.
The way I see it is, I would have had to stop to fix an additional six punctures last year, which whilst isn't a great inconvenience, I don't like doing it, especially mid ride. I can also run lower pressures in wide tyres which makes riding much more comfortable in my opinion - I used to run 90PSI in 25MM tubed tyres.
The downside is getting your bike covered with sealant and having to learn how to set tubeless up, which I found to be a doddle after doing it twice. I don't even remove the tyre to top up sealant, just take the valve core out and empty some sealant into it - job done. I'll never go back to tubes.
I had 7 punctures last year (I kept track), 6 sealed and one didn't. The one that didn't seal spaffed sealant everywhere but got me to the cafe stop a few miles down the road, where I just stuck a tube in for the remainder of the ride. I then patched the tyre from the inside and resealed it and rode many more miles without issue. 4 of the 6 punctures I didn't even realise I had until I got home and noticed the sealant on the frame - there may have been more that were so small they didn't leave any mess.
The way I see it is, I would have had to stop to fix an additional six punctures last year, which whilst isn't a great inconvenience, I don't like doing it, especially mid ride. I can also run lower pressures in wide tyres which makes riding much more comfortable in my opinion - I used to run 90PSI in 25MM tubed tyres.
The downside is getting your bike covered with sealant and having to learn how to set tubeless up, which I found to be a doddle after doing it twice. I don't even remove the tyre to top up sealant, just take the valve core out and empty some sealant into it - job done. I'll never go back to tubes.
I’ve had two punctures in 8 years, ride around 5-6000 km per year.
One was a piece of glass in the middle of the rear tyre tread. Tyre went down in 5 seconds, I was going downhill into a corner and was lucky not to crash.
The second puncture was a huge slit in the front tyre sidewall, from a sharp rock in the middle of the road, funnily enough also going downhill, but this time much faster. I was in the middle of a group of riders (sprinting!) when it happened. I recently heard that the incident has been described as remarkable (that I didn’t crash) within my club.
So - I don’t think I need tubeless - but I 100% agree that some riders do benefit from it.
One was a piece of glass in the middle of the rear tyre tread. Tyre went down in 5 seconds, I was going downhill into a corner and was lucky not to crash.
The second puncture was a huge slit in the front tyre sidewall, from a sharp rock in the middle of the road, funnily enough also going downhill, but this time much faster. I was in the middle of a group of riders (sprinting!) when it happened. I recently heard that the incident has been described as remarkable (that I didn’t crash) within my club.
So - I don’t think I need tubeless - but I 100% agree that some riders do benefit from it.
I'm kind of torn....
If it was me, yup, I've no issue changing tubes (and take tubes \ cannisters on all my rides)
however, SWMBO is, ahem, mechanically challenged so there is benefit with going tubeless. As the few times I've taken her through changing an inner tube, its been a challenge.
Anyway, new tyres are on (that was a right faff Conti GP 5000's have a bit of a hate following regarding mounting...)
We'll be out again this weekend so see how it goes.
Cheers,
T1b
If it was me, yup, I've no issue changing tubes (and take tubes \ cannisters on all my rides)
however, SWMBO is, ahem, mechanically challenged so there is benefit with going tubeless. As the few times I've taken her through changing an inner tube, its been a challenge.
Anyway, new tyres are on (that was a right faff Conti GP 5000's have a bit of a hate following regarding mounting...)
We'll be out again this weekend so see how it goes.
Cheers,
T1b
T1berious said:
I
Anyway, new tyres are on (that was a right faff Conti GP 5000's have a bit of a hate following regarding mounting...)
And this is part of the problem. Some tyre/rim combo's are just a horrible paring ... I've had it where the tyres have been awful to mount and held air without sealant. Then there's others which can be mounted by hand. The latter is critical if you are stuck in the wild and can't get a tyre off or a tube in. Anyway, new tyres are on (that was a right faff Conti GP 5000's have a bit of a hate following regarding mounting...)
I do circa 20 000km per year.
I run 28mm tubeless Pirelli P-Zero's on my Dogma F road bike and haven't had a puncture in 6 months.
I have 28mm tubeless on my second set of road wheels, Zipp 404's with Conti GP5000's. No punctures.
I have 42mm tubeless on my gravel bike. No punctures.
I have tubeless on my MTB. No punctures in 3 years.
I have 25mm clincher on my Wilier road bike. 4 punctures in 2 months.
Tubeless is also generally faster and more comfortable on our roads than clincher.
I change tyres earlier than I need to and I'm a total convert to tubeless. The reasons are not only because of greater puncture protection but mainly because I can run lower pressures. Lower pressures mean better grip for my MTB and gravel bike and my road bike is more comfortable and...faster - not only have I seen it in segment times but as GCN proved, lower pressure, more surface area on rough roads, is faster.
I run 28mm tubeless Pirelli P-Zero's on my Dogma F road bike and haven't had a puncture in 6 months.
I have 28mm tubeless on my second set of road wheels, Zipp 404's with Conti GP5000's. No punctures.
I have 42mm tubeless on my gravel bike. No punctures.
I have tubeless on my MTB. No punctures in 3 years.
I have 25mm clincher on my Wilier road bike. 4 punctures in 2 months.
Tubeless is also generally faster and more comfortable on our roads than clincher.
I change tyres earlier than I need to and I'm a total convert to tubeless. The reasons are not only because of greater puncture protection but mainly because I can run lower pressures. Lower pressures mean better grip for my MTB and gravel bike and my road bike is more comfortable and...faster - not only have I seen it in segment times but as GCN proved, lower pressure, more surface area on rough roads, is faster.
Been with tubeless on road bikes for a few years and picked up a few things along the way. I wouldn’t consider going back to tubes. 28mm s-works tyres on roval rims currently.
Recently had issue with one my wheels. Turned out to be the rim tape. Removed, cleaned and replaced (double wrapped). Tyre now barely losing air between rides.
I also change the tyres more often now. If they’ve been on and then off a few times (even after being cleaned), the old gunk ends up affecting the beads and ability to seal.
The syringe into open valve keeps things tidy putting the gunk in.
If I get a noticeable puncture (though extremely rare) I treat that as a new tyre replacement.
Having gone from 26 to 28mm tyres, having one of those canisters you can pressurize is useful to get the initial seating of the tyre.
Much prefer being able to run the lower pressures and have any rolling resistance and grip advantages.
Recently had issue with one my wheels. Turned out to be the rim tape. Removed, cleaned and replaced (double wrapped). Tyre now barely losing air between rides.
I also change the tyres more often now. If they’ve been on and then off a few times (even after being cleaned), the old gunk ends up affecting the beads and ability to seal.
The syringe into open valve keeps things tidy putting the gunk in.
If I get a noticeable puncture (though extremely rare) I treat that as a new tyre replacement.
Having gone from 26 to 28mm tyres, having one of those canisters you can pressurize is useful to get the initial seating of the tyre.
Much prefer being able to run the lower pressures and have any rolling resistance and grip advantages.
I have tubeless set ups on both gravel and road bikes. I was doing 6,000km on road/yr. I didn't puncture once on my tubeless on road. I did lose a tyre to an Ill advised jaunt across a flint path which slashed a side wall, and then running a tubed set up on the same roads I got a pinch flat pretty quickly.
Never punctured on gravel despite running across sketchy MTB suitable terrain.
Overall I've found tubeless very positive. I prefer the ride comfort of lower pressures and once set up I've found it very easy to maintain and use.
I check tyre pressures before every ride and run alloy rims. I think you need a good wheel/tyre combo that seals well. After that it should be gravy.
Never punctured on gravel despite running across sketchy MTB suitable terrain.
Overall I've found tubeless very positive. I prefer the ride comfort of lower pressures and once set up I've found it very easy to maintain and use.
I check tyre pressures before every ride and run alloy rims. I think you need a good wheel/tyre combo that seals well. After that it should be gravy.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff