is Tubeless for me?

currently in the process of building a new bike, for primary use in MaxxiAvalanche cup and other similar DH marathon events. It will probably also see use for long freeride days where pedalling is involved. Now I’ve never used tubeless before, but obviously I want to save as much weight as possible for racing, plus I’m attracted to running low pressures too. However…

1. I change tyres quite a lot. have been known to make several changes over a weekend as weather conditions vary… is this a big annoyance when running tubeless?

2. I’m not mechanically inept, but I dislike excessive faff, so am not particularly attracted to “ghetto” systems with bmx tubes.

3. I don’t particularly want a specific UST system. Ideally, I’m looking at Sun EQ29 rims with Maxxis tyres (since this is what I trust). I guess I should still run the dual ply tyres for racing (I always have done in the past), but are the sidewalls on the single-ply tyres thick enough for general use when running tubeless?

So… is it worth me going tubeless and if so what system/rimstrips do you recommend? or should I stick with inner tubes… Please help!

If you change tyres that often, I’d say don’t do it. Too much faff.

UST is the only tubeless sytem that you’d get on with if you change tyres that much, but you don’t want that.

I’d stick with inner tubes.

I change tyres quite a lot. have been known to make several changes over a weekend as weather conditions vary

I dislike excessive faff,

Stop changing tyres so much?

thanks for the opinions guys – keep them coming. the reason I said I didn’t want UST is that I’ve got a bad record of denting Mavic rims (but never had any problems with Sun). plus being Swiss I hate the idea of supporting the French economy 😉 If anybody else makes UST rims then I’m quite happy to try them.

grumm, let me give you an example of a race I did last year… dry on Thursday/Friday (practice). run minions as usual. cloudburst and biblical downpour 3 hours before qualifying: everybody panics and switches to wetscreams. course dries substantially overnight but remains sticky at the top: switch to cut-down wetscream on the front and swampthing on the back for race-day. merely messing around with a trackpump and tubes for 10 minutes would appear to be substantially preferable to performing surgery on bits of rubber and getting sprayed with latex into the bargain…

[plus being Swiss I hate the idea of supporting the French economy]

So why aren’t you using DT Swiss then 😉

I’m Swiss/British so my bike consists of Hope/DT Swiss where possible 😀

Seriously though, Tubeless doesn’t sound right for you at all. Constant tyre swapping and Tubeless systems just don’t mix IMO (Unless you’re not planning on using Latex with your tubeless system).

nick – have 4.2ds on my xc hardtail and neither front nor back is really round any more… whilst not (particularly) fat I weigh a fair amount and definitely couldn’t be described as having a “light” riding style. have seen too many dinged 5.1s to want to risk it. but I do insist on DT Swiss spokes 😉

On my DH bike i’ve been tubeless 18 months, mavic rims and stans strips. Works better with sealant, and you get bonus puncture protection, but you don’t need it (you might initially though till any gaps in rimstrip are sealed). it’s great, better feel for same pressures and tyres, saves a chunk of weight on a DH bike too. 2.5 UST high rollers there.

Even with latex, swapping tyres isn’t too bad – use a syringe or scoop to get the latex out the tyre after you unmount it. Better would be mavic UST rims and no sealant though. No more hassle than swapping tyres normally is then. If you’re denting an 823, you’d have dented anything else too…

Thanks, IA. looks like I may have to be subsidising somebody’s Gauloises, vin rouge and pause-cafe if I do want tubeless then… do Mavic have a lighter UST rim than the 823, something roughly equivalent to a DT 5.1 or Sun EQ29?

Fair do’s – what about an 819 rim?

I was thinking of an 819, but won’t it be a bit too narrow for a 2.5″ minion on the front? don’t Mavic have anything in-between an 819 and an 823 in UST? or are they trying to push their Crossmax wheels instead…

819 is 19mm internal diameter, 823 is 23mm etc for all Mavic rims.
DHers etc often go for wider rims like the 729 though that’s obviously not tubeless. Mavic only make the 819 & 823 tubeless unless you get a wheelset.

Personally the 823 takes a 2.5 HR very well, but on the 819 it rolls way too much unless it’s pumped excessively hard

I really don’t think you’d like tubeless if you change tyres that much.
When one fails to seal first time, you’ll get really frustrated and stressed. Not what you want before the big race!

Thanks for explaining that, TinMan. the 823 is probably a bit more rim than I want to put on this bike, even considering my own special brand of mal-co-ordination – I was hoping for something around the 480-550g mark. Also, I’m not known for having vast quantities of patience, particularly not on race-day…

looks like we may have to stay with the EQ29s and a DH tube for the back wheel. Shame since I was really trying to build a freerideable 6.5″ bike to weigh less than 32lbs (including Gravity Dropper and Hammerschmidt) – I think that’s a bit of a pipedream now…