Advice on Tubeless Tyres, please

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CharlieB

Junior Walker and the Allstars
I've just purchased a pair of wheels as an upgrade. They've arrived this morning, with tubeless tyres attached. They weren't described on the website (Wiggle) as coming with tyres, but thank you anyway.
The problem is I'm completely new to tubeless tyres and the tech. behind them.
There's a big syringe and tyre sealant in the box. So do I now need to carry both these on a ride (they're both quite bulky), rather than the two spare tubes I'm used to carrying?
Are tubeless tyres more puncture resistant anyway?
Are they generally easier in practice?
Any advice would be gratefully received!
Thank you, C
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Deflate tyres, unscrew valve core and inject the sealant into each tyre.
 
Location
Essex
The only sealant you need to carry is that which is already in your tyres - the syringe and bottle can sit on the shelf at home, ready for periodic top-ups as required. The idea is that you have a little bit of liquid sealant sloshing around inside the tyre so that if you get a puncture, the liquid and the gunky particulates it contains get forced to the puncture hole and seal it up like Goldfinger in his plane window ^_^

Tubeless tyres aren't specifically any more or less puncture-resistant, but they are able to 'look after themselves' allowing you to keep riding. I had puncture yesterday, for example, which I knew about because I could feel the liquid spray on my left calf for a few metres, while the sealant did its stuff, but I could carry on riding home untroubled. I carry one spare tube anyway, as if the tyre punctures to the point where the sealant can't hold it (they say 5mm+) then it's just a slightly messier replacement of a tube at the roadside.

The way I think of it is that I'm trading off faff at the side of the road (replacing tubes, repairing punctures) against less faff in the garage (periodically topping up sealant and a slightly more convoluted process fitting a new tyre), so for a commute which I like to cut a bit fine time-wise :okay:, it works perfectly!

Hope that helps.
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Before you fill the tyres with the disgusting slop required, try taking the tyres off the rims to see how tight/impossible it is.

And if you do go the tubeless route, remember you will have to deal with the messy gloop at the roadside anytime you suffer tyre damage that the gloop won't fix and resort to putting in a tube. You will also have to contend with the same mess everytime you wear out and replace a tyre. Some compounds also need topping up periodically as the solution dries out.

Just a few things to consider before jumping to the panacea that is claimed for tubeless tyres.......
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Well, after putting my rear wheel of my CX into the LBS for a rebuild last week, I`m back on my non tubeless roadie bike and I`ve had two punctures in a week. To be fair the tyres were a bit worn and old but if I had been running tubeless it would not have happened ! I`ve splashed out on two new tyres to be safe but not very confidence inspiring.....
 
OP
OP
CharlieB

CharlieB

Junior Walker and the Allstars
The only sealant you need to carry is that which is already in your tyres - the syringe and bottle can sit on the shelf at home, ready for periodic top-ups as required. The idea is that you have a little bit of liquid sealant sloshing around inside the tyre so that if you get a puncture, the liquid and the gunky particulates it contains get forced to the puncture hole and seal it up like Goldfinger in his plane window ^_^

Tubeless tyres aren't specifically any more or less puncture-resistant, but they are able to 'look after themselves' allowing you to keep riding. I had puncture yesterday, for example, which I knew about because I could feel the liquid spray on my left calf for a few metres, while the sealant did its stuff, but I could carry on riding home untroubled. I carry one spare tube anyway, as if the tyre punctures to the point where the sealant can't hold it (they say 5mm+) then it's just a slightly messier replacement of a tube at the roadside.

The way I think of it is that I'm trading off faff at the side of the road (replacing tubes, repairing punctures) against less faff in the garage (periodically topping up sealant and a slightly more convoluted process fitting a new tyre), so for a commute which I like to cut a bit fine time-wise :okay:, it works perfectly!

Hope that helps.
Thank you for that!
Before you fill the tyres with the disgusting slop required, try taking the tyres off the rims to see how tight/impossible it is.

Just a few things to consider before jumping to the panacea that is claimed for tubeless tyres.......
Thank you for that, too.
I gingerly tried budging the tyres - obviously they’re not going to give up without a fight, come the event.

Just how much glop do you put in each time?
The instructions don’t give guidance.
 
Location
Essex
How much sealant is the mystery part! Depends on the tyres and their width. The syringe is probably 60-100ml, and depending on the tubeless system, some of the initial sealant will be used up in sealing the bead to the rim. Trek's recommendations are here but your tyre manufacturer may have more info on their website. Personally I err on the side of caution and put 100ml in the 47mm Panaracer Gravelkings on my commuter bike.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Ditto, I make sure there is plenty in my Panaracer GK 35c as well, learned the hard way !
 
Well, after putting my rear wheel of my CX into the LBS for a rebuild last week, I`m back on my non tubeless roadie bike and I`ve had two punctures in a week. To be fair the tyres were a bit worn and old but if I had been running tubeless it would not have happened ! I`ve splashed out on two new tyres to be safe but not very confidence inspiring.....
That's it - I'm going to throw away my tubeless wheels.
@MrGrumpy says they make your other tyres go flat more often!!!

(incidentally, the first pinch/impact flat I've seen in a while was at CX a few weeks back. League V40 champion, knew the course, knows his tubeless tyre pressures ... still flatted on tubeless.)
 
I do carry sealant with me but i don't carry a tube. Any TL puncture should be fixable roadside without having to take the tyre off unless we're talking about serious wheel failures, accidents etc (i'm sure someone will come along and mention flint and sidewall damage:whistle::whistle::whistle:). For me a set of decent tyre worms and some sealant are enough and today there's even the Stans Dart option.

As it has been mentioned TL can be a messy process until you're competent at using it, those that give up on it usually don't master it;)
 
OP
OP
CharlieB

CharlieB

Junior Walker and the Allstars
Thank you all. Most helpful to an ignoramus.
Wheels and glop installed with very little issue (nothing on Mavic website to suggest amount), but 35ml as read from Trek site used. It's really stinky, isn't it?
Tyres pumped - let's see if they're still 7bar in the morning.
We'll cross the bridge of changing tyres when we get to it, and then I'll be back for suggestions.
Cheers again, C
 

geocycle

Legendary Member
I do carry sealant with me but i don't carry a tube. Any TL puncture should be fixable roadside without having to take the tyre off unless we're talking about serious wheel failures, accidents etc (i'm sure someone will come along and mention flint and sidewall damage:whistle::whistle::whistle:). For me a set of decent tyre worms and some sealant are enough and today there's even the Stans Dart option.

As it has been mentioned TL can be a messy process until you're competent at using it, those that give up on it usually don't master it;)

You lost me with the talk of darts and worms? I’m anticipating some tubeless arriving and feel I need to know about these!
 
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