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Currently a five minute job to change a pair of tyres if I need to, how easy is it to change a tubeless pair?
Really only a few minutes more. I changed my tyres over the other day and it was completey painless. Remove tyre from rim and give the rim a wipe, popped the new tyre on leaving a little bit of bead open, sucked out the sealent from the old tyre with a syringe and squirted it into the new on then added a bit more from the bottle. closed the remianing tyre bead and pumped it up.
Admittedly one of the tyres wouldn't go up with a track pump so I used a compressor, but you don't need a compressor, as other smaller systems are available. Airshot and the like...
My gravel tyres always go up with a track pump.
I have several bikes all still running tubes. The family have several bikes all still using tubes. I used to be a serial tyre swapper so don't want the perceived faff of having to re seal every time. In reality I don't really swap tyres out so much any more but have never felt the need to to go tubeless. Being a 50 year old fat lad of 14 1/2 stone I don't see the benefit of being able to run super low pressures and only vary between 25 - 30 psi. I am not mentioning how often I puncture as that would be to court fate.
I run rigid forks (and hydraulic brakes) because I like riding bikes more than I like cleaning, maintaining and servicing them. I've yet to be convinced that occasionally having to take five minutes to pop in a spare tube is worth the extra time in the garage or yard setting up and maintaining tubeless systems. That last but one post kind of reinforces this opinion rather than reassuring me otherwise!
TBH I don't understand the faff argument at all. Other than my Fatbike, I've managed tubeless with just cheapo valves and a standard track pump and it's better that any additional time us spent in my garage than trying to change a tube out in some cold, wet, muddy hill. I've 5 bikes set up tubeless at the moment (7 wheelsets) and regardless of time between riding each it's normally just a case of restoring any pressure loss before a ride.
I've not gone tubeless on my road bike yet but will do when the current tyres need replacing.
I'm riding tubeless but don't rate it as an outright better solution to tubes - both are absolutely fine but work differently.
Issues with tubeless - as much as it was hailed as better and lighter when it was first being branded about - it wasn't - tyres are heavier, adding sealant adds weight, inserts were then 'invented' to help protect rims (and add more weight) and unless you like a saggy/squirmy feel from your tyres then you don't actually ride them much softer than something with tubes (actually it might be - I'm a 1/3rd less psi with tubeless, so that last bit might be proper mince rather than just my mince opinion). It is more faff than tubes when it comes to replacing tyres as you then have the added excitement of getting the sealant in and the tyre seated to be inflated without spilling any sealant over the place (and if you are a regular tyre swapper then it must be seriously annoying as the sealant is wasted). If you do flat out on the trail, unless you can get a proper seal on the tyre/rim and the tyre leakage fixed, you can't ride it out - so need a tube to get you home. You need to remember to 'regularly' top up the sealant.
Pros of tubeless - punctures are fixed instantly (puncture not tyre rips); pressures can be a bit lower and you tend to get more grip. Tyres tend to have thicker and sturdier sidewall and tyres don't deform as much.
Issues with tubes - the light ones are very fragile and tend to be expensive, replacing a tyre always runs the risk of a pinch puncture, if you do run lower pressures the risk of pinch punctures are far greater and much more likely. When a tube does fail, unless you get proper sticking on the patch then the tyre needs repaired again - tubeless tends to be repaired instantly and pretty permanently (saying that a properly applied puncture repair patch will be permanent as well). Tyres are lighter (or can be) as you don't need such a strong case. Cheap inner tubes can be quite heavy.
Pros of tubes - changing a tyre is much cleaner and easier/quicker - I can change a tubeless tyre in about 5 minutes or so but a tubed tyre is only 2 or 3 minutes and it is a much cleaner experience. Serial tyre changers have less mess and hassle with a tubed system. Decent inner tubes aren't that heavy so a tubed tyre (so a single skin sidewall type thing) and a decent tube is probably not any heavier than a tubeless set up.
I'm posting this more as a therapy for myself - I'm still not convinced tubeless is a real winner but I'll keep using it as I've got it, but if I every buy a new bike (or new set of wheels) then I'm likely to use tubes as there is less faff getting them set and less 'regular' checks.
I get asked at coaching which is better and I tend to respond with ride what you have, if you want to change then do so, but it isn't likely to be a real transformational change to improve your riding.
I’ve yet to be convinced that occasionally having to take five minutes to pop in a spare tube is worth the extra time in the garage or yard setting up and maintaining tubeless systems.
There is an element of luck with tubeless which doesn't need to exist with tubes.
My current tyres, Schwalbe X Ones, went onto rim easily just using hands, and pumped up immediately with a track pump. Added sealant through valve and done. Time and faff comparing to tube was marginal
Haven't touched them since installing them 3 months ago. If I had been running tubes I would have expected at least 3 or 4 punctures by now with the faff, real faff, of fixing a flat tube or putting in a new one with muddy tyres, cold wet hands etc,.
I used to be a serial tyre swapper so don’t want the perceived faff of having to re seal every time.
but tubeless tyres make that problem go away. I change tyre as often as I did back when ran tubes, it's no more hard now that it was then.
I’ve yet to be convinced that occasionally having to take five minutes to pop in a spare tube is worth the extra time in the garage or yard setting up and maintaining tubeless systems
the extra time is adding sealant. a 30 sec job maybe? That's it.
Anyone run tubes containing sealant? I see Muc Off have a specific inner tube sealant, which is different to their tubeless sealant:
https://muc-off.com/products/inner-tube-sealant
I tried the slime filled tubes many years ago and they eventually dried up inside and had to be chucked. The Muc Off stuff claims to not dry out in a similar way.
I tend to retape every 3 or so tyres. That is a faff and costs more money. And if you stuff it up means you spend ages redoing it all.
Anyone run tubes containing sealant?
I have done in the past but found the sealed holes would reopen (daily commuter). Whilst they would reseal it was a pain and I sacked them off after a few months once the fluid had run out.
They can be a bitch to fix a snake bite puncture as the goo can prevent patches from sticking to the tube.
I'm 50/50 on tubes/tubeless on the outdoor bikes.
5 bikes here, 3 tubed, 2 tubeless. But the two tubeless are my MTBs. the cargo, brompton and gravel/commuter bikes are all tubed and work fine. Although my gravel/commuter has marathon plus tyres which are very puncture resistant, although this bike gets ridden the least
All the other bikes we have as a family are tubed becaused they aren't ridden much