I've had my Puffin for about 6months now and in that time I've ridden it more than my other bikes.
Sadly in that time I've also had more punctures than I've had for years with all of my bikes - I must be up to seven now 🙁
I'm now running ML rims with a Bud/Nate combo. The Bud tyre seems more resilient to puncture than the Nate.
The punctures, I think, have all come from thorns.
I know tubeless is possible with the above combo and some gorilla tape but before I go this route I wanted to gleam other fat users thoughts.
I've said before on here I do run the tyres firmer than I imagine others use and that might be part of the problem. I also don't have a pressure gauge that I guess isn't helping.....
So have I just been unlucky?
I run Nates and HuDus, with.tubes, and have punctured twice in 3 years.
Hmm & bugger 😆
What pressures are you running?
Do you use a pressure gauge? If so which one?
I'm not TL on my fatty. I tried but with Holey Rolling daryl rims and another 64 spoke holes, it wasnt successful. I need to try again....
I ran Floater tyres and Schwalbe SV13 F tubes at 20psi in summer but now snow is here, much lower pressure. I dont think its a pressure problem.
Post tubeless attempt there was a small latex ball inside teh tyre and this caused a puncture.... but if its thorns, they will keep puncturing so TL may be the best answer. Good video for this on Yt.
I get quite a few punctures on my fatty if I go down certain local single track.
Around more used trails I have yet to get a puncture (touch wood).
I run 8.5 psi rear, 7.5psi front, OO floaters and SV13D tubes FWIW
I typically run 10-12 psi, though I now just squidge them to see what feels right.
I ran Floater tyres and Schwalbe SV13 F tubes at 20psi in summer but now snow is here, much lower pressure. I dont think its a pressure problem.
20psi?! I run less than that in 2.1" Rons!
You're just unlucky! I've had one pinch puncture in over 2 years. If it's thorns tubeless is the only answer really. Laminate floor underlay and a ghetto BMX tube. Bedmaker here will tell you exactly which one is best.
I couldn't be arsed with tubeless on my fatty (on-one rims + baggy floaters with light weight Specialized inner tubes) so I squirted a load of Slime into the tubes. I've only had 2 punctures this year - one slow one that took 2 days to go flat, and one inch long shard of slate through the tread that would have punctured anything.
I know slime is horrible stuff but it does seem to help. There are millions of hawthorns round here
I put Stans in the tubes. I run at about 8psi although I don't have an accurate gauge.
contour cycles of stevenage
got my on one wheels and baggy floater tyres tubeless ok and i havent had one puncture, mind you i havent ridden it yet.
i also have tubeless beargrease and have had 1 puncture, spun the wheel and sealed immediately and lost no more air.
Just unlucky, only 2 punctures in a similar time. Mind I do put some Stans in my tubes.
I've only had one puncture in a year of Mukluk ownership and it didn't occur on the trail, just found it deflated on day in the garage.
I run reasonably low pressures and am 15+ stone. Tyres are 120tpi though. I managed to put a sizable ding in the rear riding Sligachan - still no puncture. I've occasionally landed hard enough to feel the front rim making contact...nothing.
Not being funny but if it's thorn punctures, then the bigger tyre and wide contact patch is probably going to make a difference, no? You'll just inevitably ride over more thorns
I have been puncture free (so far) - grabs a tree quickly
I went tubeless almost immediately & run at about 8psi.
I have ridden nothing else since October so have done a good few miles.
I have OnOne rims with a Bud & Nate.
Tried the [url= http://cyclesinlife.com/tubeless-fatbike-conversion-update/ ]gaffer tape method[/url] but the rims suck & just would not hold.
So went for the [url= http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/how-to-convert-your-fat-bike-to-tubeless-using-a-split-tube/ ]split tube ghetto method[/url], could not have been easier. I did not bother with the the foam bit as I did not have any.
MadBillMcMad : I'm tempted to so the split tube method. What size tubes did you use?
I have a few 20" BMX tubes, would these stretch over ok? Or would 24" tubes be better?
I got loads of punctures from thorns on my Beargrease....way more than on other bikes. Then I went tubeless (split tube method) and not had one since
Yeah I think you've been rather unlucky! I've been running On One Floaters on my Puffin and haven't had a puncture since I built the bike.
Mulefut rims run tubeless from the outset using Gorilla Tape Tough & Wide. Was painless to set up, went up within the first couple of strokes of a track pump. Set up using this method
I set my tyre pressures at nine psi rear and eight at the front using a Topeak Smart Gauge D2. Works well for me, just a shame the gauge only reads whole numbers.
been researching going tubeless on my Weinmann HL80 rims with Vee Mission's.
some say these components arent ideal for tubeless but many saying theyve had no problems with thh split tube/foam method? buy McMad's post raises one simple question, what is the foam bit for exactly? why cant you just use split tubes on top of the rimstrip??
also if the foam is definitely required, what stuff should i buy?
I converted my on one rims using the foam method with mixed results, the front was fine, the rear (presume due to the greater side loads) worked its way off the bead hook and them compressed the foam, allowing it to leak air after which it was useless. Have a look at the 'fatty for £640' thread for pics and instructions.
Going to try a split tube next.
I suspect the 'it works perfectly' crowd using only a split tube either have rims with little/no well in the middle between the box sections (or they've single wall rims with no box section), which means theres nowhere to catch the bead as it inflates so it goes straight to the bead hook. And it probably needs a compressor. I think a split tube and compressor would allow enough movement of the bead to keep it sealed, contary to internet wisdom the floaters are quite tight, its the on-one rim that makes tubeless difficult (and tubes even worse!).
sorry, i just want to know what the foam is doing - just so i can make an informed comment if anyone asks! better than '**** knows, saw it on the internet' 🙂
Just look at the instructions, it's fairly obvious what it's doing in the pictures and if you've ever isntalled a fat bike tyre, they'll pretty much all just fall off the rim imediately as there's a lot more space compared to a normal <30mm rim.
It seals the bead against soemthing rather than having it flop arround on the rim, so that you can actualy inflate the tyre. The alternative is to use a lot of air (i.e. a compressor) to blow the sidewalls of the tyre out to the bead hook.
Had a fair few thorn punctures over the last year but i've covered thousands of miles on my Muk so a law of averages I guess.
I've had two snake bites in that time as normally when clattering down something very fast and baby head rocks kind of terrain.
I run Bud & Lou combo at the mo with 7psi in the front and 8psi in the rear (15 stone + Bivvying stuff)