Tubes who still use them then? « Singletrack Forum

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Tubes who still use them then?

63 posts & 43 voices | Started 4 months ago by juan | Latest reply from M6TTF

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13thfloormonk - Member

I seemed to pinch flat UST tyres more than than I pinch flatted tubes! And the worst thing was, the wee hole on the UST tyres seemed to be in precisely the most difficult place to repair, so they would always have a slow leak at best.

Seemed to suffer very variable results with sealant too, when I put a hole in the side of my ghetto ADvantages, I was greeted with a tiny jet of latex spraying out every revolution, and a slowly deflating tyre.

I miss the feel of tubeless, but until I've got the time and the money to fiddle about with tyres and sealant, I'm happy to run tubes.

Posted 4 months ago #
_tom_ - Member

I can't be arsed with tubeless, seems like too much of a faff. I only got 3 pinch flats in 2 months of daily (about 11am-7pm) riding last summer, so I'd rather just put up with a bit extra weight.

Posted 4 months ago #
Mark N - Member

I have both across my bikes but will be going full tubeless. Not sure what the mess is, maybe some are more cack handed than me. I have my home brew sealant in an icing bottle and just squirt it in through the core less valve. No mess or commotion.

I have on one occasion managed to split the tyre enough that the sealant will not get me home. When this happened I just put a tube in and got on with it. I know that I have 'punctured' and the sealant has done its job a treat. At worst I have had to put a bit more air in the tyre to get home. No special UST or tubeless tyre here either. I fit single ply Hi rollers and leave em on till they are worn out. And believe me they are well worn by the time I take them off.

Yeah I have a small compressor at home and it works a treat with soapy water. I can't be bothered with trying the track pump although it probably would work. I may one day try the pikey inflater just for a laugh.

I know that some have struggled to get tubeless to work for them due to various reasons. All I can say is that it has worked okay for me.

Posted 4 months ago #
avdave2 - Member

Tubes here but I rode rigid for 12 years before getting any suspension, was using friction shifters for at least 5 years after indexed gears arrived and only got my first bike with all disc brakes last year.
I'm sure at some point I'll try it and may well yet again wonder why I didn't do it years ago. However I'm pretty light and can ride what I ride and how I ride it with 25 psi in the tyres without getting pinch flats and I reckon on an average of 2 - 4 punctures a year so it's not a priority.

Posted 4 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

I have gone back to friction shifters and its afar superior

Posted 4 months ago #
MrSalmon - Member

Still on tubes here, don't get many flats so don't see much point changing just for the hell of it. I'm sure they have their advantages, but as said above- if it ain't broke etc.

Posted 4 months ago #
psling - Member

I thought about going tubeless until I saw a thread on a forum once involving a Badger, an airship, Concord and a lot of piss-taking which has subsequently had a profound effect on me...

Pre hack, anyone got it archived? Hilarious

Posted 4 months ago #
deviant - Member

Tubes here too....read an interview with Steve Peat the other day and he still runs tubes so probably not the holy grail some claim them to be.

Posted 4 months ago #
ahwiles - Member

Tubes who still use them then?

i do.

i tried Ghetto tubeless, with mixed/poor/crap results.

but i may consider 'proper' tubeless rims when it's time for new wheels...

Posted 4 months ago #
juan - Member

so probably not the holy grail some claim them to be

Well if they were you wouldn't see any tube in MX would you.

Posted 4 months ago #
lostboysaint - Member

Tubes. Don't get the whole running without them thing. Get very few punctures, every f**king ride we have to wait for someone to sort out a tubeless issue (normally by putting a tube in, whilst muttering "well this has never happened before" until they are reminded of the last time their bike spunked Stans all over the forest floor).

Posted 4 months ago #
skywalker - Member

Tubes. Don't get the whole running without them thing. Get very few punctures, every f**king ride we have to wait for someone to sort out a tubeless issue (normally by putting a tube, whilst muttering "well this has never happened before" until they are reminded of the last time their bike spunked Stans all over the forest floor).

I still use tubes, tubeless was much hassle.

Posted 4 months ago #
ChunkyMTB - Member

no tubes for 10 years or so, although now on tubes with the CX

Posted 4 months ago #
v8ninety - Member

In all seriousness, could someone explain the advantages of tubeless? I mean if you have to run with gunk in the tyre it can't be much lighter, and of you are stressed about punctures you could put gunk in your tubes, couldn't you? Other than a blokes natural affinity for liking gadgets and upgrades, I just don't get it?

Posted 4 months ago #
Trimix - Member

v8ninety - its been discussed to death. Basically some do love tubeless, but will justify it with a long post about how its not too much bother with trackpumps, compressors, gunk, etc once you get it all sorted, then they say they are great.

But they still carry a spare tube just in case.

Some setups are more heavy, but do run lower pressures. So if you really want to run lower pressures and get pinch flats all the time, try it. If not, Im not sure what the point is.

If you dont want to risk seeing if it will be a hassle or not to 'convert' just stick to tubes.

Posted 4 months ago #
Mark N - Member

Note to self, short post next time...

Posted 4 months ago #
Northwind - Member

Only on the downhill bike. Oh,and the commuter, 1990s Bonty rims weren't tubeless ready and I don't like the idea of spending £4 for BMX tubes on it, that'd double its value.

Trimix - Member

But they still carry a spare tube just in case.

Very useful practice- I've been able to help out half a dozen folks by lending/giving away my spare. Oh and I did have that one puncture that wouldn't seal, but that was about a year and a half ago so I've almost forgotten the trauma of having to fix a puncture in exactly the same way as you do if you'd had a tube fitted in the first place.

In the meantime, my tubeless setups have been as light as a very light tube, and more reliable than a very heavy tube, and the small amount of hassle involved all took place in a nice warm garage with music playing, not up a mountain in the rain.

Posted 4 months ago #
martinxyz - Member

I never liked the idea of putting non tubeless tyres on tubeless rims and always thought that if i ever changed.. i would do it with proper stuff from the word go.

The first tyres i fitted on 819s beaded bone dry around 9psi. rims were cleaned spotlessly and the beads were also cleaned (bit dusty) before fitting the tyres.I have used other tyres on those rims since and got on fine for years with them fitted bone dry. Air loss with tubeless kenda kinetics fitted dry was a case of inflating every 5-7 days from what i remember.

No mess. Funny that. ;O)

Currently been using crossmax ST for a few years and again, no probs at all. The other bike has xt tubeless wheels that had tubeless hutchinson cougar and cobra from new and they were perfect for months from what i can remember (no fluid)
I then put bonty mud x on the xt wheels for a bit and they were fine too (even with bits of old fluid still stuck on them)They have since come off and ive fitted spc maxxis minions with 2 scoops of stans and once fitted,they need topped up every 4 or 5 days with around 10 psi. They seeped a little to begin with but i didnt make a song and dance about it as i knew i was fitting a tyre that wasnt designed for it in the first place.

I since span the wheel every other day to keep the fluid sealing up any pin holes and now its all fine and dandy.

I even raced them around 20psi (13.8 stone!) with not one problem.

Taking the tyres off to swap other tyres is no big deal either. the fluid makes the rim wet and you put a further few scoops into the next tyre, fit it and inflate. Then go riding with no worry of snake bites.

I have always carried a tube and since 2005 i have never fekked a tubeless tyre and needed to fit a tube. You should carry a tube and give it a go. Seems stupid putting those horrible quality hoops of rubber in there for no reason at all.

Do you folk drive cars with tubes? :O)

Posted 4 months ago #
skywalker - Member

Then go riding with no worry of snake bites.

Yeah right.

Posted 4 months ago #
overthehill - Member

I rode tubeless for a couple of years: crossmax ust wheels, various manufacturer's UST-specific tyres, no milk, posh milk, ghetto/DIY milk recipes - the whole shebang.

Didn't notice any world-shattering increase in traction, but did appreciate a perceived drop in rotating mass, which was nice.

However, given that most of my riding is here in the (rocky) Lakes, the frequent 'burping' - and associated loss of air and pressure got to be a real bore at times. That and when I did get catastrophic tyre damage, the force that it took to get UST tyres on and off the rim was what finally saw me take a darwinian step back in time to antique technology.

Haven't looked back since.

Lostboy: love the mental image conjured up by the phrase "Last time their bike spunked milk across the forest floor": some parallels ther with a "frothy" Santorum moment (google it if you're not familiar with Dan Savage's genius response to a Presidential candidate's empty-headed homophobia)

Posted 4 months ago #
esselgruntfuttock - Member

Tubeless on the FS, tubes on the HT. Only had one issue on the tubeless setup, had a pinhole in the sidewall that wouldn't seal & couldn't get the valve core out (to put a tube in) cos it was tight & I needed pliers (my fault for not checking it's slack/tightness)
& where was this? At the top of the descent into Annat, Torridon. Yep, I had to walk down the fecker.
Bugger.

Posted 4 months ago #
13thfloormonk - Member

where was this? At the top of the descent into Annat, Torridon. Yep, I had to walk down the fecker.
Bugger.

Gutted! Mine was similar, can't remember exactly what happened but I ended up with about 10 psi in the front tyre and no way of pumping it up further, at the top of the first of two descents on the Auchindrain loop.

Also, having a valve core unscrew along with the flexible pipe on the pump led to catastrophic deflation and me trying to get it sealed again with a hand pump, in the Pentlands

Was flawless 99% of the time, but it chose its moments to go wrong...

Posted 4 months ago #
Mark N - Member

I have one of these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=34775

This looks similar:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=34775
And is cheaper than the Panracer kit was.

A bit of vaseline on the valve core stops it getting clogged and a small nip up with pliers keeps it secure. I have that T shirt as well but it happened at home.

A Leatherman or similar is a great trail side tool to have in the Camelbak.

Posted 4 months ago #
hugor - Member

In all seriousness, could someone explain the advantages of tubeless?

Aside from the weight benefits going tubeless means you can run low pressures without fear of pinch flats.
Running low pressures is not a real advantage in this country as most riding surfaces are pretty firm, but on sandy and gravel trails its a massive advantage.

Posted 4 months ago #
v8ninety - Member

Thankyou peeps, explanations and views appreciated.

Posted 4 months ago #
martinxyz - Member

skywalker - Member
Then go riding with no worry of snake bites.
Yeah right.

Ahhh i see what you did there. I forgot about falling off and pinching the tube in the hydration pack.

Posted 4 months ago #
racefaceec90 - Member

i still use tubes (am worried about going tubeless * tbh/have heard you need a compressor to fit tyre properly/stories of not being able to seal the tyre to the rim e.t.c).after getting a puncture yesterday (changing inner tube).then finding my rear tyre flat just now i really wish that someone would invent fully puncture proof tyres (that are still light/flexible).it's a joke that we are still living in the dark ages when it comes to tyre technology (rant over!) *tubeless can still puncture

Posted 4 months ago #
M6TTF - Member

Tubes. Don't get the whole running with them thing. Had 1 puncture in nearly 3 years. every *kin ride we have to wait for someone to sort out a tube issue (normally by putting a tube in, whilst muttering " thats a first, I never get pinch flats " until they are reminded of the last time we wasted half an hour waiting for them).

FTFY

Posted 4 months ago #