[Closed] ive given tubeless a go and cant do it! old school tubes for me!

No issues here, ghetto tubeless for years.

Spesh purgatory tyres, Stans, BMX tubes from Asda, compressor, 20 minutes a tyre, sorted.

What's the problem?

No…perhaps you are just incompetent?……>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>…...Shields head and runs for cover, [i]incoming shell[/i] ……………..[b]BOOM![/b]

40psi. That must be great fun...

I haven't had a flat in three years running tubeless.

You don't have to have them at low pressure, I don't. They're more for hoovering up thorns with.

On the rare occasion I've put a hole in one that won't seal itself and am not in a position to repair it sticking in a tube has made things feel a bit wooden - maybe because the rebound is different??

If you don't get pinch punctures, fine, stick with tubes. I still think you're missing out on a bit of a different (superior) feel and tubeless can be a bit lighter, but the benefits aren't as great.

If, like me however, you get pinch punctures regularly (yes, even at 40psi +) then tubeless is a godsend.

each to their own, I wasn't saying one is better than the other, just stating my personal experiences with tubeless.

I ride xc and not so much at bike parks, distances between 30 and 100 miles approx and very rarely get punctures. I ride a full sus carbon xc bike so no probs soaking up the bumps and lumps, theres more flint where I ride so more likely to get tyre gashes than thorn punctures and tubeless dont seal holes big enough to shove yer thumb in.

A while backI hadn't had a puncture for a few years, then I seemed to get one every ride, so I tried tubeless. Once again,I don't get punctures.
And the rides waaaay better, even XC.
Stick with it. Use a 3 litre pop bottle to inflate them. See Youtube

How exactly did it go wrong?
Mine have been setup fine for quite a while now. All that with just some Stans tape, fluid, valve and the tyres I have been running normally.

Listening to the tales of woe from some work colleagues this morning made me glad I run tubes. 😉

I did a ghetto jobbie some years go, & it held up fine till I caught a jump a bit iffy & it burped a load of sealant out.

Might have to give it another go.

Been riding for a weekend with a bunch of guys for a couple of years, same bloke ran tubeless both years and had endless problems. Run high pressures cause I'm sturdily built, and I think I've had one puncture in the last two years - in all fairness, there've also been tubeless riders on both weekends, and I know other tubeless (and tubed) riders who don't have a problem with punctures. But the one guy I ever met who could not keep a tyre up was running tubeless.

first effort on some easton ea70xc wheels I have to say was ok with michelin wild dig'r tyres with joes no flats tubeless kit - was all good but sold them after a few months and tried again with some non tubeless tyres (bonty xr0's) on dt swiss xrc1250 wheels - first ride - small gash not sealable - tube in, patched at home and tried again - same again. stuck with tubes (michelin c4 latex tubes)

bought more wheels (ritchey wcs carbon) tried with rocket rons and blew off rim at 40psi, tried again, same again, knackered tyre! bought new tyres - hutchinson cobras put on tubeless rode once at about 32 psi, dfidnt like it - back to michelin xcr dry with latex tubes.

I understand why folks might find it hard the first couple of times but then, so was mountain biking.

You don't really say why you didn't like it. If you just don't like these tyres and decided to go back to the old ones, what's that got to do with tubeless? For that matter, why didn't you try and set up your old tyres tubeless?

I had a puncture at the weekend. Downright weird, it was last August I last had a flat on a mountain bike so it took me a moment to work out what had happened 😆

I dont like the fact that if you do get a puncture with tubeless then you have to get your hands covered in liquid latex taking the tyre off, the rim strip off (if you dont have tubeless rims) then put a normal rim strip on and then a tube in and put the latex covered rim strip in your jersey pocket.

If you want to change tyres, i regularly change for conditions or location riding etc its just quicker less messy with tubes.

This is my opinion and it suits the way I ride, the area I ride in and the type of tyres I like to use.

others may prefer tubeless for their own reasons, like riding style, location etc..

xcretro - Member

I dont like the fact that if you do get a puncture with tubeless then you have to get your hands covered in liquid latex taking the tyre off,

I got essentially no sealant on me fixing that flat at the weekend, it just needs a little care. More mud on my hands than sealant so it all added up to much the same as fixing a normal flat, except that it was a year since my last one.

It's slightly slower to change tyres- a few minutes an end unless you're bodging it- but it's not messy. Or very wasteful either because you reuse the sealant.

But you said "rode it, didn't like it"- what didn't you like about the ride? What's not to like?

I dont like the fact that if you do get a puncture with tubeless then you have to get your hands covered in liquid latex taking the tyre off, the rim strip off (if you dont have tubeless rims) then put a normal rim strip on and then a tube in and put the latex covered rim strip in your jersey pocket.

I see the point about tyre swapping but with the exception of DH I tend to run the same rubber for at least half the year by which point it's either dead and needs changing or it's winter and needs changing.

I swapped the tyres on the missus XC bike (TR rubber and TR rims) in about 15 mins with a track pump, syringe or the little stans bottle to hoover up the sealant and a quick spray with the fairy liquid and it was all back up and running.

I was skeptical at first but properly converted. Don't run low pressures normally round the 30-32 mark but find when you get to 40psi it's all a bit too skittish anyway.

As for the downsides I've had 3 riding issues,
2 were landing sideways/scraping the tyre into a gully/rut which would have don'e bad stuff to a tubed tyre too.
The other was casing something very badly onto a rock, that would have popped a tube too.

After that I decided to put some more air in while waiting for a race start and panicked and bent a presta valve core. I had the thing sorted and back up with a tube in under 5 mins.

Cobras are pretty shit tyres, tubeless or not.
I just converted my CX bike with normal tyres & it earned it's keep on its first ride.

If you don't like getting dirty hands carry some latex gloves.

Or change hobby 😉

For the record I have 2 bikes set up tubeless, one has tubeless rims with non tubeless tyres and the other has tubeless tyres on non tubeless rims (added rim Superstar rim tape).

I use to pinch puncture most rides before converting.

perhaps if you all get so many pinch punctures you should learn to ride a bit better, pick better lines and look where you are going!

I carry a pair of washing up gloves in the backpack, fantastic for removing/fitting difficult tyres

Got several bikes in our group all set up tubeless by me and I'm a ham fisted mong... They're all still going strong. Some
Tubeless wheels, some not. Some with tape and valves, some ghetto BMX tube method. Not one tubeless tyre between us... Tape and valves is the easiest by far rimstrips are the same as the ghetto method IMO.

I do like my tubeless setup and don't see me going back...

but in the last month i've had two different tyres puncture and not seal, I can't help but feel that sealant could be better than it is. They weren't big holes by any stretch of the imagination and i'm using stans fluid which is supposed to be excellent.

I find it just as easy, if not easier than running tubes. Only had 1 puncture since converting (double spike through the tyre so nothing would have stopped that). Both sets of wheels go up with just a track pump now, saved loads of money on tubes and even more time of faffing about on the trail.
Mine are set up using Duck Tape, so for £2 a roll will set up around 8 rims so the cost is very small even with a bit of jizz every now and again. I can see its not for everyone though, especially if you have the spannering skills of a hippo

exactly the same here. first puncture was very recently, it was quite a big hole and my sealent was dry. put a tube in to get home, felt awful in comparison.

One puncture in about 4 years. Loads of thorns in tyres when I change them though but all sealed. I use plenty of sealant and change it every 6 months. Also change tyres every year - 18 months. If you puncture quick fix is turn bike upside down so hole is at the bottom so latex flows to it and give it a quick pump. Fixed a puncture from flint on South Downs way. Also carry a tubeless puncture kit. Used that to repair it once I got home. Very easy to use and simple.

Tubeless is just so faff free if you have tubeless wheel/rims. Most problems come from the ghetto setups. At 20 psi the tyre deforms as intended to give great grip grip and ride without the rolling resistance.

Running Schwalbe tyres on Stans Arch rims and Stans sealant, no problems here, inflated with a track pump and easy on the rim, maybe it's the tyres that are the problem for you.

BTW, I used this setup at Megavalanche this year and out of our group of 4 I was the only one not to flat, all others were on tubes.

If you want to change tyres, i regularly change for conditions or location riding etc its just quicker less messy with tubes.

This is my opinion and it suits the way I ride, the area I ride in and the type of tyres I like to use.

others may prefer tubeless for their own reasons, like riding style, location etc..

That's fair enough,but it doesn't really square with your original post where you confessed to being a tad cack handed.
I prefer tubeless as it really is so much better in every respect. I'm also lazy , which is why I mainly ride a rigid singlespeed, on 1.8" tyres. Tubeless isn't just for fat lads on fat tyres.

Go UST, no need for sealent, no faff it just works.

Loads more GRIP, the lack of punctures/pinch flats and reduced weight of the system is a bonus.

A little heavier than stans due to the thicker sidewalls (great for flinty/rocky areas), can change tyres quicker than a tubed set up with just a handpump and in one case, spit.

I went tubeless this year, on Mavic 521 rim with Stans strips and sealant, Spesh purgatory and butcher tyres, they inflate fine with a track pump, and no punctures or flats yet, but until the last ride I did, the front kept burping air if the side wall got any stick, just flexed and lost air. So, I've now upped the pressures, and they seem ok, didn't have any washing out.

I'm talking 40psi, 26" aluminium hardtail, 95kg rider - that sound bonkers?

I run all my bikes bar my Fat Bike tubeless.

I've solved the 'change tyres according to the conditions' issue by using n+1 and just picking a different bike with the right tyres on.

Round here (South Downs) it's thorns not pinch flats that cause the problems. Sure enough 2nd fat bike ride and I got my first puncture for over 2 years.

If the OP is having problems with tubeless I'd say it was technique, not the products at fault.

I've never bought tubeless ready tyres. Some leak on the sidewalls a bit more initially but they all seal after a ride.

i'd heard nothing but negativity on this place about setting up tubeless, all that can go wrong, tyres just not seating, sealant everywhere...

so i set about doing mine with an air of trepidation.... imagine my surprise when i got both tyres done, 1st time of asking, with minimum fuss, all done in less than 15 minutes... if anything i was a little disappointed, i'd been told i could have a couple of hours in the garage so had to potter about for the remainder of my allotted time 😀

no going back now, really getting on with them too

If you just don't like these tyres and decided to go back to the old ones, what's that got to do with tubeless? For that matter, why didn't you try and set up your old tyres tubeless?

This was my question - seems you didn't like the Cobras, that's because they're crap, not because you ran them tubeless...

mikewsmith - Member

You know you don't actually need rum strips? Not running any on non tubeless rims, don't know of anyone who needs to.

DT rims... I never even dared ride mine when they were just taped, I could push the tyre off the rim with my thumbs.

I put a tube in mine to get the bead seated and get the tyres in to shape...

several 1000km later (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech/Polish trail center and Cairngorms), the air hasn't all fallen out.

To actually go back and put the slop in, by definition, will be more effort, regardless of how easily the sidewalls seal. And my total outlay on tubes since 2008 is less than the cost of 1 bottle of Stan's.

After battling with tubeless kits I opted for the much cheaper ghetto tubeless and have been running that for 2 years plus with no issues.

Much cheaper and easier than tubes in my experience.

DT rims... I never even dared ride mine when they were just taped, I could push the tyre off the rim with my thumbs.

I'm still running them on the Yeti, Mike. Can't seem to kill them.
Which reminds me, I need to take the tube out of the front & put some fresh stans in.

There are so many anti tubeless threads on here but I honestly don't know what is not to like. It's not difficult to set up. If you are doing a conversion then first time might take a bit of thinking about but once you've worked it out then it's fine. You get a much better ride, noticeably faster and comfier and more grip. And punctures which were a very regular occurrence are suddenly a very rare.

The only downside I can see is if you want to always swap tyres, but I would argue that if you are swapping tyres, you should also be swapping wheels.

I would love to get ride of tubes on all my bikes. I have gone tubeless on my road bike now and I might try giving it a go on my cross bike.

+1 traildog

Tubeless has been easier that running tubes ever was, plus better ride. I'm tubeless on mtb and road and won't go back.

If your tubes don't puncture then tubeless will always be more effort and more cost. Some people seem to get flats or shredded Schwalbes if the tyre comes within a half a mile of a stone. Others go 6000km with nothing more than a mere top up of air every few weeks.

My total outlay on replacement tubes since 2008 is €7. And half of that was incurred wheeling my bike between Super Morzine gondola and Zore chairlift. The Maxxis tyres were shredded by the end of that week, with nobbles dangling off.

Nobby Nic Snakeskins on all bikes in our family, mine are on Arch EX on the HT and Flows on the bouncer. The rear tyre on the HT now has somewhere in excess of 70 healed holes, and a couple of longer slits, all perfectly well sealed. The rear of the IBIS has forty or so , and the fronts a dozen or so each. The tyres went up first time every time I've fitted them with SS valves and stans tape and fluid. Apart from the grip and superior feel the fact that I haven't had to stop and repair flats over a hundred times says it all for me.

The only problems I've had were on my son's bike. He hit a square edge hard enough to split the tyre near the rim, but that would have destroyed a tubed setup anyway, and he also picked up a split at Penmachno which I couldn't seal with weldtite worms. Having said that I didn't read the instructions properly ..... 😳

There are so many anti tubeless threads on here but I honestly don't know what is not to like. It's not difficult to set up. If you are doing a conversion then first time might take a bit of thinking about but once you've worked it out then it's fine. You get a much better ride, noticeably faster and comfier and more grip. And punctures which were a very regular occurrence are suddenly a very rare.

"It's not difficult to set up": I've now got a proper setup (Superstar tubeless rims and TR tyres) and it was relatively easy, although one of the tyres leaked for weeks. But I tried a conversion and it was a nightmare. One "tubeless ready" Bonty Mud X lost over a pint of sealant. I'd fight for an hour to get it to seat, it would eventually inflate, with plenty of sealant inside. I'd shake, rotate, etc etc, leave it for a bit when all the hissing had stopped. Then come back a few hours later to a huge puddle of sealant on the floor. Repeat until I had no sealant left.

I pinched my tyre at the weekend. Tubeless meant it sputtered for a bit, I put a bit of air back in and carried on riding rather than mucking about with tubes, so thumbs up for it there, but don't pretend it's all easy or flawless.

As someone said above, not everyone suffers on a regular basis from punctures. And I can't notice an improvement in grip or speed.

With a proper setup it's probably worth it, but you can get the puncture resistance by putting a bit of sealant inside a tube.

With a proper setup it's probably worth it, but you can get the puncture resistance by putting a bit of sealant inside a tube.

Tubes don't work half as well with sealant as tyres do because the tube wall is thinner and the tube moves relative to whatever has punctured it (if it's a thorn) and so the punctures reopen. And it takes a much much bigger hit to snakebite on tubeless.

Tubeless/tubes
Road/MTB
Dropper/hi-postin'
Shimano discs/Hope discs
King BB/cheap Shimanos
Campy/Shimano
Baggy/lycra
Blur/Oasis

And so on : )

None are right or wrong until you take a position based on experience or predjudice ..
Apart from Blur, they were simply lame.

exactly jameso I never started this thread saying I hated all you MF tubeless AH's did I? NO I simply stated that I had not had a good experience with tubeless and was reverting to tubes. I also later commented that this was just my opinion. Others will have had great experiences with tubeless.

It is neither right or wrong - but it would seem that all the tubeless runners where very quick to be all defensive and also offensive !!

Tubes don't work half as well with sealant as tyres do because the tube wall is thinner and the tube moves relative to whatever has punctured it (if it's a thorn) and so the punctures reopen. And it takes a much much bigger hit to snakebite on tubeless.

I've been using slime filled tubes for the last 4 years with a fair amount of success. I've had a couple go in that time, but they were large holes created by rocks/flint, rather than thorns. Generally, if the tube does leak a little bit of air on a ride, you can pump more back in and the hole will seal again. Only downside is that they weigh a tonne.

I now have Arch EX rims on my full sus bike, and have been trying to build up the energy to switch to tubeless. Bit confused about rim tape though. The wheels came with Hope rim tape. Can I leave that on, or do I need Stans rim tape / elecrical tape / no rim tape at all?

(EDIT: Butcher / Purgatory tyre combo)

you just need yellow tape (or duck tape which I prefer) and some valves and fluid

edit. i.e. remove the existing tape and replace with couple layers of the yellow tape / duck tape or elec tape

(personally I found elec tape a bit fragile which could be an issue if the tyres are really hard to get on)

Cheers

If you didn't want to write this:

It is neither right or wrong - but it would seem that all the tubeless runners where very quick to be all defensive and also offensive !!

Then you shouldn't have written this:

nope still messy, wasteful, expensive and time consuming... ...I don't feel the need to run my tyres at a severely under inflated pressure so will stick with the tubes - no risk of pinch flats at 40psi

Just saying...

bails - Member

"It's not difficult to set up": I've now got a proper setup (Superstar tubeless rims and TR tyres) and it was relatively easy, although one of the tyres leaked for weeks. But I tried a conversion and it was a nightmare.

TBH, I wouldn't be keen to do it without a proper tubeless rim or at very least a purpose built rimstrip (DT Swiss rim strips are really good for their rims). Tried, it didn't work too well.

What strikes me is always the varying results, people say "it just needed yellow tape and it sealed" but sealing's not the end of it, I did a ghetto job on some Mavics and it was easy to seal but totally untrustworthy- I did about 5 rides and rolled a tyer off the rim twice. But maybe other folks just had it work better, or maybe they don't do corners.

But it's like anything else, you can't really bodge it then declare it to be a bad idea full stop.

The other one I don't get is "I never get punctures, I went tubeless and I don't see what all the benefit is". If you can get away with lightweight tubes and not flat then yeah, there's not much point. Doesn't mean there's no advantage, it's just not one you use. It's like buying a fast car and going everywhere at 20mph, then saying there's no point to fast cars.

. If you puncture quick fix is turn bike upside down so hole is at the bottom so latex flows to it

Would it not be easier just to rotate the wheel half a turn so the hole is at the bottom?

xcretro - Member

all the tubeless runners where very quick to be all defensive and also offensive !!

xcretro - Member

perhaps if you all get so many pinch punctures you should learn to ride a bit better

Hmm.

lol northwind - that's right! and repeat 100 times "i must learn to ride a bit better to avoid pinch flats" LOL

At this stage of the game I feel like it's not so much that I ride tubeless but that OP rides 'tubed'

Even I can do tubeless tyres use Continental something kings. I think it's got special rims though which makes a lot of difference.

Can't remember the last time I had a puncture!

Gone from tubes to tubeless and not noticed any difference, didn't flat with tubes don't flat without.

I've often wondered about the benefit of being able to run at lower pressure. By the time my tyres are up to the point where I can get round corners without them squirming around on the rims I get very few punctures, and I can't see any advantage in being able to go lower. I get that general improved puncture performance is maybe a bigger advantage than the pressure thing though.

I guess it must help with what rims and tyres are used. Been running Hans Dampfs on Flow Ex 29s for a while with tubes. Already put the tape on, so was as easy as unseating one side of the tyre, removing tube, adding valve and jizz and reinflating with track pump. Bob's yer uncle 🙂