Using CO2 with sealant doesn’t freeze it, it actually brakes down the molecular structure which causes it to clump up into boogers.

I might be a tubeless doubter as i still use tubes. If i suffered from punctures a lot more than i do i might consider it, but so far i can’t see any benefits from changing now. Weight is similar and the ability to run lower pressures isn’t enough to convince me. I think the rear tyre especially wouldn’t stay on the rim for long if I dropped my pressure much more.

All tubeless riders I know carry an inner tube

I carry an inner tube, but expect to have to use it far less often than if I had inner tubes in my tyres. The last couple of times I’ve had my spare out has been to lend to other people who do still have tubes in their tyres. Does that make me a doubter?

Regarding the weight thing – my bike weighed 31 lb 6 oz on the shop scales with continental 29er tubes at near enough bang on 300g each. Swapped to tubeless with no other changes, 2 cups of Stans per wheel, 31 lb 2oz on the same scales! (We are a strange lot with our metric/imperial mash up). Got to say I’m not convinced yet.

Dickyboy
after crashing on the uptonogood ride last weekend

ok, i’m stumped, where did you manage to find a crashing location on that ride 😉

Went back to DH tubes with slime recently. Less punctures, the tyres (side walls) last longer and you’re not restricted to certain tire rim latex combs. Slime seals all the same stuff tubeless systems do and lasts about 1,000 times longer with any tube and rim you like. tubeless still pinch flat, you just pinch flat the side walls or split the treadinstead.

Went back to DH tubes with slime recently

At which point we come back to the weight and rolling resistance issues. I guess if you’re pinch flatting the sidewalls of your tyres maybe that is better for you.

Actually, if you have one of these and some C02, you’re back riding a lot quicker than the dude with inner tubes – http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7971

These kits are great. Just don’t make the schoolboy error of not checking the tube of glue for it drying out over the 3year period since you last used it.

Only a numpty would do that……… :}

Stans was totally rubbish but Bounty Juice seems to work.
Have a numerous blue dots on my tyre where I assume its doing its job.

davosaurusrex – Member

Regarding the weight thing – my bike weighed 31 lb 6 oz on the shop scales with continental 29er tubes at near enough bang on 300g each. Swapped to tubeless with no other changes, 2 cups of Stans per wheel, 31 lb 2oz on the same scales! (We are a strange lot with our metric/imperial mash up). Got to say I’m not convinced yet.

I’m not very convinced by your scales tbh! Something’s gone wrong somewhere, you should have had 3-4 times as much of a saving. Which is still hardly lifechanging to be fair.

Not had to do a trail side puncture repair in the 12 months ive gone tubeless.

I haven’t had to do one in the last 3+ years running tubes 🙂

Well I’m a tubeless convert but I still see the problems with it.
It can fail – if you can’t seat it you need a tube to continue – I have a tubed rear due to this. I will change it when I get round to it.
Sealant isn’t cheap – I know I could make my own by beating off into a bottle of glitter and adding some rocking horse hair but not really got round to that. When you loose a tyre you loose the sealant too, and it needs replacing.
Changing tyres, I now use a spare front wheel for days when I don’t fancy the ardents. – I can change a tyre in 5 mins in a car park, not going to start that with tubelsess
Some tyre rim combos don’t work – well thats nice isn’t it

I will carry on using it but carrying tubes and pump.

Last year I found a 1 inch long rusty nail or piece of chicken wire stuck in my tubeless tire. Stan’s sealed it up; I never knew that it was there till I went to change the tire after the tread was worn down…

There are a lot of thorns where I ride, and I’ve run Stan’s for many years.

I’m tubeless curious, but reading this one thing strikes me. I can see benefits for small punctures like thorns etc, but if something puts a big ass hole in your tyre and the sealant works as it should and you don’t know its there, then i’m not sure that is a good thing. I’m not completely happy with the idea of a plug of sealant plugging a big hole when i’m clattering down some hill at speed. If it were to suddenly give way or work loose then the results could be nasty. I know its all if, buts and maybe’s, but sealant addressing small puncture holes (pin pricks) is one thing, but sealing big ass holes from 6″ nails or screws for a long period of time over many rides? i’m not so sure. In these cases i’d much rather lose air from the tyre so I know there is something amiss, then fix it properly.

I guess it boils down to personal experiences. I really don’t have that many punctures so don’t see it as a major hassle. I’m not sure what benefits going tubeless would bring me.

I haven’t had to do one in the last 3+ years running tubes

That might be so but i wouldn’t say it’s typical for most riders running tubes. I know it wasn’t the case for me. Don’t know where you ride, but where I ride you won’t be able to avoid thorns for that long, and then there’s punch flats on top. With the group I ride with there’s probably 1 tube repair over ride on average. When I changed tyres a few months back the tyre that came off had over a dozen large thorns in it. That would have meant at least a dozen trail side repairs.

I can only say from my experience, but after running tubes for years before going tubeless, I wouldn’t even consider going back.

Tubeless for the peaks was a revelation, we would regularly have a puncture each every 10 miles or so. Infuriating.

The whole group is tubeless now, only flat I remember was when I’d not topped up my sealant for months

Did you ride with that in your tyre, after discovering it?

Brave, it could have done damage to the spoke bed/rim.

I haven’t had to do one in the last 3+ years running tubes

I’ve been tubeless for over 10 years and still yet to have half as many punctures (where I have to stop and put a tube in) as I had in the year before I switched. At least one of those punctures in the year before I switched cost me a race win. There’s been at least one occasion since I’ve been running tubeless where I’ve won a race when a potential puncture has sealed and I’ve not had to stop (there may be more I’m not aware of).

Of course other people’s experiences may vary, but don’t tell me it’s a waste of time.

wobbliscott – Member

I’m tubeless curious, but reading this one thing strikes me. I can see benefits for small punctures like thorns etc, but if something puts a big ass hole in your tyre and the sealant works as it should and you don’t know its there, then i’m not sure that is a good thing. I’m not completely happy with the idea of a plug of sealant plugging a big hole when i’m clattering down some hill at speed.

Seems logical enough, but think about it- if it does happen, all you get if it fails is the same puncture you would have had in the first place, there’s no extra risk there.

I fitted a pair of 650 hans d’s to a pair of wheels using Joe’s no flat’s yesterday. Inflated perfectly with no seating problems. The fluid stayed in without any bubbling at the bead at all. No leaks. This was with the rubber rim strips. Very impressed.

Preaching to the converted here. Took a run of punctures for me to be persuaded and I wish I did it years ago!

Do you reckon tubeless works better with 650 than with 26″, martinxyz? Or is the big advantage the difficulty of getting hold of 650 tubes?

I repaired the sidewall of my Racing Ralph today which had a fairly large hole it. Tried the Weldtite external repair plug but it kept shooting out over 20psi. Had to use the internal one in the end which didn’t want to stick due to not much rubber in the thin sidewalls but eventually worked. I also finally worked out how to pump up the RRs using only a track pump which I could only previously do on HDs. Basically stand the wheel up with valve at at bottom so the tyre below the valve is compressed, then goes up easily.

You’ll not get me riding with inner tubes on a mountain bike again by choice. Tubeless works so well for me and where I ride. I did slash my rear tyre (Racing Ralph), which is too thin to be fair and I expected to break it, on a trip to Cwm Carn. But I stuck one of those anchovies in and a blast of CO2 and was away again. Didn’t even have to take the wheel off the bike. I had to do a proper fix for it this weekend as the anchovie slithered loose (after a couple of months), and I simply unseated the tyre, patched it properly (with a heavier duty worm and rubber solution) and inflated it again with my track pump. I’ll probably regret typing this but for the simplicity and ride feel alone tubeless is so worth it. Up there with suspension forks and disc brakes for me.

Love tubeless and have now finally converted all my bikes to it…

Pros… Lack of punctures (biggest advantage over everything) feel and feedback from the tyre when riding with lower pressures.

Cons…Flints ruin tyres and tubeless can’t cope with big slashes, the initial conversion cost for tape,valves and Stan’s man fat or whatever it is you use in the tyres.

I bought a stans crest wheelset a couple months ago but just carried on with tubes as i couldn’t be bothered messing about with all the sealant etc 😳

I’ve had a fair few pinch punctures lately though which has finally made me decide to go tubeless, I’ve only torn one sidewall in the last 6-7 years so hopefully it’ll work for the type of riding i do.

Cons…Flints ruin tyres and tubeless can’t cope with big slashes

What would have happened if you’d had a tube in? I do wonder if slashed tyres aren’t somewhat over-reported for tubeless users because they don’t get other punctures, whereas if you’re using tubes they’re just another variety. No particular reason why a slash should ruin a tyre either – generally such things are repairable (I’d not particularly want to ride a tyre with a big slash with a tube in without getting it repaired).

What would have happened if you’d had a tube in?

With a tube in the flint would go through both tube and tyre so you would need to repair or replace both…

I do wonder if slashed tyres aren’t somewhat over-reported for tubeless users because they don’t get other punctures

a slash is simply a cut/rip that the sealant can’t cope with.

No particular reason why a slash should ruin a tyre either – generally such things are repairable

Repairing a slash at the trail side in the dark when you are covered in mud and it’s raining might be considered by some to be a proper inconvenience 😉

Nah, I think it was the stickiness of the initial Joe’s tape coupled with fresh tyres and rims.. and the rubber rim strips. I would say the rubber rim strips were the biggest part of it all going together a breeze and you know what? I forgot to check which size of tubes the bike company used! Customers bike. He’s now got the tubes for spares.