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Just in case this tale is of use to someone else out there, I will share.
I've got some Flow rims which are great. I've also set up my cross bike to be tubeless using a standard MTB kit, set my other halfs bike up with 317 rims, Specialized Revolution tyres and a standard kit. Best mate is also running 317/517 rims, Blue Groove tyres and a standard kit that I set up for him.
So, these Flow rims of mine... The other half gave me some Maxxis Advantage tyres for Christmas. I was probably pushing things a bit too far when I asked for the exception series tyres. I like to carry a fair lick of speed through things and ride with a certain gusto! So, I set the Advantage onto the Flow rims. The advice is that if you use normal tyres, use a Flow rim strip and if you use UST tyres, use the yellow tape/vavle method. Well, I've had a lot of success with tubeless before so I thought I'd try a double layer of tape and a valve. Everything went together well. It took a couple of rides to seal all the zits but I got there. I was riding in the Peaks recently and hopped a little lump on the trail. The landing was not ideal and the result was that the tyre blew off and I found a hole in the sidewall. I'm not sure which came first though. Anyway, I repaired that and put it down to bad luck. This weekend, I was ridin at GT and managed to puncture on a rocky climb. It was too much for the sealant to deal with and I ended up having to put a tube in.
Bottom line, I think I was trying to get away with a bit too much by using the lighest tyres with the thinest casing and not using the rim strip. I've ordered the LUST version, lets hope that works better.
Anyone got any ideas as to what I could do with a harly used pair of Advantage exceptions that have a little latex stuck to them?
Oh yeah, one other think. Because of what's happened, I've got the ride the same bike with the same tyres, tubeless and tubed back to back. They certainly feel better tubeless and I'm still sold on the concept.
i ripped a hole in the sidewall of my ADvantages in the alps last summer, while they were ghetto tubeless.
new set of wheels a few months back, and i'm using tubes again. where the rip in the tyre is, i've just stuck a strip of toothpaste tube in there - its held in place by the innertube.
its since survived some natural riding, and a few loops of laggan black the other day, no worries... i like tubeless (and have it on my race bike), but it is a right faff now and again.
Hey, out of curiosity where did you puncture?
im running advantage exceptions tubeless no problems . Touch wood lol
I've been thinking of converting my cross bike- have you had any problems? Did you use tape or rimstrips, and what tyres seem to work?
Northwind, do you mean geographically or mechanically?
The first was last weekend. Rear tyre from a bad landing on a tiny natural jump. I knew the landing wasn't going to be right while I was in the air but I didn't expect the loud pop and the disappearing tyre! I don't know if that caused a puncture in the side wall and the rapid deflation caused the roll off or if the tyre rolled off and riding over it while trying to stop caused the puncture. I'd taken the bridleway from the top of Mam Tor to Edale, that then goes back up to Hollins Cross. I was on the bottom of the climbing sction believe it or not!
The second one was at GT on Saturday. I was climbing the "all routes up" single track section. The punchure was caused by me riding a slightly rocky line at the start of one section where it crossed the fire road. I limped on a while but had to put a tube in when I got to the bike park as it felt like it was going to roll off in the corners. I could hear that it had a few goes at sealing itself but it must have been just a little too big to take properly.
Mick, I think I'd have been fine if I'd used the slightly heavier tyres but I've got the exception series. Bit silly getting the lighest tyres when I'm not actually the lighest bloke!
ive got those too and weigh in around fourteen stone with kit. Ive jinxed it now eh lol
I don't think you'll have problems with the LUST ones.
Well, I've got the LUST ones on order, CRC seem pretty cheap for them right now. Just need to work out what to do with the old ones. Other half isn't going to need new tyres for ages!
i cant picture the rocky section you speak of at GT.
It's probably misleading to call it a rocky section. As you cross the fireroad on the initial big climb, there's a smooth line feeding into the single track or a more direct line that's a bit rougher. To be honest, it's the sort of thing an experienced rider would cross without thinking twice about it. It's really not savage enough to justify a puncture, especially not on a climb!
Did tubeless all those years ago when they first came out to many cons and to little pros so went back to tubes after a flat could not reseat on rim due to lack of pressure from pump.Ride with slim tubes now weight issue yes but no puntures for 2yrs new tubes needed for the summer.
See, I'm still sold on the concept, I think the feel and the traction is better. I just think I was trying to squeeze too much from the set up. I'm convinced the failure was my own fault.
I have had problems with Maxxis exception tyres running tubeless and splitting sidewalls and now would only run one on the front. The rear i now always run a heavier more robust version and still keep a light tyre on the front...
Thing is, the first episode was on the rear, the second was on the front! In fact, the rear performed faultlessly around GT. Even on some of the sillier stuff I tried.
Interesing to read this, I'm running tubeless on all my bikes. Have got some Flow rims and have set them up with the Flow rim strip and 2.4 Advantage tyres (huge tyres BTW), but have yet to ride. Will be using them on my hardtail (when it comes back from Germany), so I'll see how they go. Must admit, I'm sold on tubeless too.
auric, I set my mate up with Flow rims and 2.25 ADvantage and he's had no issues riding similar stuff to me. He also loves tubeless and is looking to getto his kids bikes as he's fed up of fixinging punctures on them. How do kids manage to get so many punctures? Guess it's a bit like my other half. She can find a dog egg and bulleye it with the front tyre at 200 paces. Maybe it's because I clean all the bikes!
Just dont run the LUST tyres too soft as they do pinch flat quite easily. I ruined a Highroller LUST in three rides by running it at about 30 psi and putting 2 x 1/2 inch cuts in it where I pinchflatted it 🙁
A mate has one on the rear too and he had pinch flatted it, right on the bead, about 4 times now again from running at low pressure on rocky riding. His pinch flats have sealed with sticky string though.
Why can't a tyre company make a lightish (700-800g) UST tyre that has cut resistant sidewalls? It can't be that difficult can it>
Ah, cool, cheers... I was thinking it'd have been further up, the last section of blue climb on the way up to spooky woods has turned into a huge mess of sharp rocks...
Andy, don't tell me that. I was running mine at 25 front and 30 rear. Still, it wasn't pinching that was my issue.