It’s not the weight or the feel of low tyre pressures without pinch flats, it’s pulling 5 of these bloody thorns out of a tyre with no loss of pressure. I didn’t even know they were in there until I cleaned the bike.
5p just for scale. That was NOT stuck in the tyre.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Zc6jhR]Thorn-1[/url] by John Stanley, on Flickr

Blackthorn. Nasty.

I am thinking about making the switch, but I am concerned about rim damage with lower pressures- is this a thing?

Eskay I’ve never dinged one badly and I’m larger than Barrow in Furness bus depot. I am also a wimp and don’t run my tyres silly soft.

I’m half contemplating a return to tubes on one bike. I want to use my main bike more but I want conflicting things from my tyres. Midweek rides would benefit from narrower xc/mud rubber and weekends from wider more trail centre / well drained surface oriented tyres.

Tubes means a five minute mess free job to change. Of course I could buy a second set of wheels but that’s a different kind of irritating swap (and a lot more cost) but then I could have something bling…mmmm new wheels.

I like it when you confidently ride over bramble branches on various rides over several weeks and then change the tyre to find the sealant long since dried up. lol.

I love it when you check your bike the night before a ride, to find both tyres flat, and refusing to go back up…

It astounds me that people are even still running tubes in 2017.

So how does it work out if like me you are a frequent tire changer ?

Messily!

Definitely more faff swapping tyres – the main “problem” is usually getting the tyre to seat especially if it’s a new tyre. Some rim/tyre combos seem to work without problem while others are a right pain. Even so, I’ve put a particular tyre on a particular rim several times with no problem just using a track pump then one tyre just won’t seat and it takes ages to fit even using an Airshot (worth having one of these BTW). I’ll unfold the tyre at least a day before I plan to fit it to let it get its shape back.

Really you are swapping one set of problems for another, whether it’s worth it depends on where and how you ride. The sealant will deal with thorns and the like without you noticing but serious tyre damage is going be as much an issue as with tubes. I’ve had one puncture that the sealant couldn’t deal with on its own and had to use an anchovy plug to stem the hole (brand new tyre as well 🙁 ) after that it was fine.

I had a rim strike a couple of weeks ago in the Cairngorms when I got a water bar wrong. The hit was so hard I honestly thought that I’d be walking from then on but it was fine, no loss of pressure and I did another 200Km on it. There’s a fresh scar on the outside of the rim edge but the rim itself is still true. Not expensive wheels either (Alpkit Rumpus) so perhaps not ultra delicate.

Won’t ever go back to tubes BUT I am lucky to have access to a proper compressor that will seemingly inflate ANY tyre/rim combo so the faff is no worse than with tubes.

So how does it work out if like me you are a frequent tire changer ?

As a long time tubeless advocate I’d say it’s on balance not the way to go hence my post above.

While there are things you can do to minimise mess it turns a 5 minute job into a 30 minute one.

Tubeless is fantastic at dealing with thorns etc and if you only change tyres twice a year (e.g. summer set, winter set) it’s hard to beat imo.

If you want mud tyres on a Tuesday and trail tyres on a Saturday then I’m not sure it’s as helpful.

So how does it work out if like me you are a frequent tire changer ?

It’s ok if you have a decent way to reseat the beads- I use a Bontrager Flash Charger (CRC do one for about half the price which gets good reviews). You do get pretty quick at it, although it takes longer if it’s a new tyre because you need to let the sealant make the sidewalls airtight.

https://www.evanscycles.com/bontrager-flash-charger-tubeless-ready-pump-EV228252?esvt=54932-GOUKE2289492&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-1219650-1&esvcrea=189741422323&esvplace=&esvd=m&esvtg=aud-495532802872%3Apla-329069002484&esvo=EV228252-NA-NA&esvaid=50080&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9uHOBRDtARIsALtCa96huQuNiSZQNh_jnNTVnoA2LknbwcksDfgg10CxyLV8R6Z7TG09H7caAuJrEALw_wcB

I’ve been running lightweight tubes and sealant for a while instead of tubeless, schwalbe SV29a’s and sealant, works well. One puncture from a tear/slash in the tyre and tube that would have took out tubeless too, one in the rim side of the tyre that wouldn’t have affected tubeless, but much easier to swap tyres, wheels, etc. I don’t run super low pressure though and I’m reasonably lightweight.

Went tubeless 6 months ago, not had a flat since, I am also no longer a serial tyre swapper!

I’ve been running lightweight tubes and sealant for a while instead of tubeless, schwalbe SV29a’s and sealant, works well. 

Interesting to hear about this- I tried it but couldn’t get it to work. What sealant are you using?

Went tubeless on my MTB a year and a half ago, haven’t had a single puncture. Bloody brilliant.

Road bike is still tubed.
4th week in to starting to use it to commute I rode over a big square edge something in the way home yesterday and was subsequently late to pick up my son from school due to Snakebite issues.

I’m now researching what I need to do for road tubeless…

I loved it on the 3 Peaks CX on top of Whernside when I put a rock through the tyre, spat sealant out, I took the wheel off expecting to have to pop a tube in, but tried putting the hole downwards and shaking…. it worked!!! Sealed the hole 🙂 I was less impressed with my antique CO2 adapter that the O rings had perished on though 🙁

Love tubeless for its puncture proofing. However im happy with a set Summer / Winter setup so im only changing tyres once per year, something i did today.

Tubes and sealant here in a handful of bikes. Admitting to using tubes these days seems to draw gasps of shock and mutterings of burning at the stake. However it makes using sealant and seating tyres a non issue. All the benefits and none of the drawbacks & faff. I’ve seen more rides stopped terminally by tubeless failures than by punctures and out of all of my bikes that have ever been loaned out nobody has ever complained or bemoaned the fact that I’m running tubes.

The last “lecture” I received extoling the virtues and reduced rolling resistance of tubeless at Laggan was quickly overtaken on the fire road climb. So for now I’m sticking with tubes 🙂

The last “lecture” I received extoling the virtues and reduced rolling resistance of tubeless at Laggan was quickly overtaken on the fire road climb.

You overtook yourself at Laggan? How is that even possible?

It astounds me that people are even still running tubes in 2017.

I’m not trolling when I say it astounds me it ever took off and ‘stuck’.

I’ve had exactly 1 flat this year, a pinch flat admittedly but it was my own fault for running too low a pressure and landing like a dick. I whipped a tube from my bag, couple of pumps and I was away.

I listen to my tubeless Mates moan about this or that about how it was a pita to fit or change a tyre etc. I’m waiting for Pro-Core to release a “full tyre” system.

Get a compressor and a big syringe and it’s as fast as a change with a tube.

Yes thats a pricey set up but if you get a used compressor (paid £80 for mine) then its a worthwhile investment.

Let the tyre down, pop it off. Use the big syring to suck all the stans up. Pop new tyre on syringe stans back in plus a small top up. Whack the compressor on.

Tyre change in 2 minutes.

I swapped to tubeless in 2005… ive had 2 punctures since. One of them when I took the tyre off I had no fluid left and over 30 thorns in the tyre.

The other one was caused by a man made trap that was made to deter motorcross bikes.

Swapping tyres is a non-issue with the right rims, just got some Mavic XA rims and I’ve put on the Mavic Quests they came with, Schwalbes and Maxxis tyres which have all seated without any sealant (put in the sealant after they’ve seated fully onto the rims) and the use of a normal track pump.

No air blaster used to get that initial seating, simply me with my standard track pump and within 20 pumps they’re up.

Threw me back the first time, thought I was going to blow the tyre off they went up so quick.

There was a rattling in my tyre which I thought was a sealant ball. It wasn’t! Tyre lost no pressure at all.

I love tubeless 😀
Mostly for the “fit and forget” puncture proofing (just a check and top-up in the last 6 months).

Don’t think I could be bothered changing tyres frequently though, so I got myself a 2nd set of wheels, now wheel/tyre swaps are a 2 minute job.

I’m now researching what I need to do for road tubeless..

There seems to be a smaller choice of tyres available because of the higher pressure- with me it stops the sidewalls from sealing and a lot of people worry about blowing the bead off the rim, although that has not happened to me. Schwalbe S-One (I think I’ve got that right- it’s def something-one) seems to be the tubeless road tyre of choice

I took a while to come over but having done it wonder why I took so long – tubeless can be frustrating when you put a new tyre on, but compared to putting a new tube in on a cold day, with a tyre covered in clag while the rain is coming down (I ride on Dartmoor!) it is vastly preferable! Looking at road now as well.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/airwave-airblast-tubeless-tyre-track-pump/rp-prod142714

35 quid will seat anything. Amazing

I must be the most unluckiest tubeless rider here or just the fact my favourite tyre is so woeful for get tyre slashes 🙁 gone through about 6 Racing Ralph that way… have given up on them and hope now changed brand will have some better luck?!

There is direct correlation between those who struggle with practical tasks and those who struggle fitting tubeless tyres.

If for example you can attach a stem face plate without cross threading every other thread, or if fitting a bayonet light bulb doesn’t require a call to your parents then, you should be fine with tubeless.

Bit harsh perhaps but it’s the case in my experience!

We have far fewer puncture stops on group rides now almost everyone is on tubeless!

I’m currently riding with a tubeless front and tubed rear. The best of both worlds 😆

Used to get frequent punctures with tubes (usually pinch flats),have been tubeless for a few years now,and have had one puncture in the last 2 years.

I can comment with the zeal of the recent convert. I resisted tubeless for years because I was afraid it would be one of those things that just didn’t work for me and I’d end up rocking in the corner near a pile of tyres, rims, strips etc.

Turns out it was a piece of piss. Did it all properly by the book and got two tyres to seat easily using a track pump.

Since then I have had no issues and the difference is amazing. The tyre feels much more conforming, especially on the rear wheel, even though I still run it quite hard because I built the wheel myself and am very protective of it.

I’d come off of a run of six pinch flats in two rides, so it was a no brainer for me.

After my earlier comment about considering tubes again I’ve just done a tyre and tube change on Mrs GD’s bike.

It’s a doddle but while I was doing it I looked at the tubes hanging off a hook on the wall as I had no idea what was there.

“Time for a sort out” I thought ” so I can find the right spares and I bet there are a few unfixed ones hiding in there.”

Every tube except the two new ones is littered with patches. Half of them still need patching again.

The reason is both my main bikes are tubeless. I reckon I last stuck a tube in mid-ride at least 18 months ago.

I decided that I am actually prepared to take an extra 5-10 minutes to swap a tyre and put up with the mess.

Slice of crow pie please.

Still using tubes on my road bikes and CX but tubeless on my mtb.

Still hate all that faffing md gunk.

I can swap a tube and be riding my roadbike in under two minutes.

Slightly off topic, but how often do you guys top up your sealent. I haven’t done mine in over a year.

For the big bike I’m planning to just inject more in, but on my xc bike, where I have spent thousands of pounds trying to get it as light as possible, I’m reluctant to just throw 50 gms of sealant in each tyre every 6 months.

Do folks go to the bother of taking them off and cleaning out all the dried up sealant, or is that weight weenie behaviour a step to far

I know it sounds daft, but folks spend hundreds of pounds trying to lose 100 gms on a new wheelset, or over the odds for the latest lightweight tyres, so it seems like its maybe worth doing?

If you can hear a sealant monster rolling around in there, it’s probably worth pulling out. A chunk of the weight must be in the liquid anyway, so if that’s dried….
I wouldn’t bother personally. Just top up and run until the tyres are knackered.

Most of the weight in sealant is the liquid.