Hi all. Tubeless tyres. Are they any good ? What sought of puncture repair kit would you carry?

[Hoo Wheeler]

Hoo Wheeler

 

[screenman]

Never had a puncture since going tubeless about 5 years ago so I am no help.

 

[Sharky]

Never tried them, I guess I am too old to take on new technology.

Welcome to the forum and if your location is where I think it is, you might bump into me on a tuesday night in the summer, when the TT's resume down in Grain.

 

[screenman]

Never tried them, I guess I am too old to take on new technology.

Welcome to the forum and if your location is where I think it is, you might bump into me on a tuesday night in the summer, when the TT's resume down in Grain.

How old are you? 62 here.

 

[Sharky]

How old are you? 62 here.

67, 68 in Feb

 

[screenman]

67, 68 in Feb

Still young then.

Growing older is compulsory, growing up is not.

 

[lazyfatgit]

Ive gone tubeless on both road and mtb. Had 1 puncture on rear tyre on road which sealed and let me finish a sportive ride.

Mtb not done many km on and no problems yet.

Biggest benefit has been lower pressures and a touch more comfort on the road. Presumably lower pressures on the mtb will allow more grip. Haven’t used enough to really have a firm opinion.

I carry a spare tube, tyre levers and scabs for any roadside emergencies.

 

[Will Spin]

I've put them on my winter road bike, had them for about a year now and I've done about 3000 miles so far on them. I ride on some puncture prone roads in Hampshire and since putting them on I've had no puncture related incidents that have required roadside repairs (compared with tubed tyres which resulted in an average of one puncture per week in winter). With the tubeless tyres I still get punctures but in most cases they have sealed and I haven't had to stop. There have been a couple of bigger holes that necessitated a stop to reinflate the tyre after which I've been on my way again. As far as repair kit is concerned- I carry 3 CO2 bulbs, tyre levers and a spare tube, plus some tyre worms and superglue. The only items I've had to use are the CO2 bulbs. Some people say you don't need to carry the spare tube but I feel safer with this.

 

[andrew_s]

As far as repair kit is concerned- I carry 3 CO2 bulbs, tyre levers and a spare tube, plus some tyre worms and superglue. The only items I've had to use are the CO2 bulbs. Some people say you don't need to carry the spare tube but I feel safer with this.

What sealant do you use?
Apparently, latex-based sealants like Stans solidify if you use CO2

 

[Will Spin]

Yes there is a problem with CO2 and sealant in my experience, it seems to make the rubbery stuff separate out of the fluid, so you're just left with a thin semi opaque liquid in the tyre. If you use CO2 to top up pressure then it's only any good to get you home, then let the tyre down, top up with a little sealant and re-inflate with air. I use Hutchinson Protect Air sealant.

 

[Elybazza61]

What sealant do you use?
Apparently, latex-based sealants like Stans solidify if you use CO2

I've given up on Stan's and now use Effetto or Orange sealant,both seem better at sealing at higher pressures.

For repairs you can get kits which have 'worms' which push in large slits and cuts.

I recently had a double puncture on some Schwalbe X-Ones,kept up enough to get home and some added sealant at home finally sealed the cuts.

Good article here about co2 with tubeless tyres;

http://www.velonews.com/2014/12/bik...q/technical-faq-tire-sealant-questions_355499

 

[Lozi]

I have gone through 4 slime inner tubes in the last couple weeks on my mountain bike so I find this thread pretty interesting.

I have never looked into tubeless before as I thought you would be screwed if you got a puncture as I didn't think you could repair it. Seems I'm wrong about it!

 

[andrew_s]

With tubeless, there are 4 types of punctures
1) Those that seal themselves with no effect other than a slight loss of pressure, which you may never notice (thorns, small fragments of glass)
2) Slightly larger ones that you need to encourage to seal by spinning the wheel around to slosh sealant over the hole, Pump required, probably.
3) Those that will seal with the assistance of a worm (rubber coated bit of string, effectively) bunged in the hole. Pump required.
4) Those that are too big to seal at all. You need to remove the valve and put a regular inner tube in, and pump up. This will be more difficult than it is with a regular non-tubeless tyre & rim, and you may need pliers to get the tubeless valve out.

The above is from a road bike perspective

With Slime inner tubes, you should get the largest size that will fit, so the tube isn't stretched too much (which makes getting a successful seal more difficult)

 

[Will Spin]

With tubeless, there are 4 types of punctures
1) Those that seal themselves with no effect other than a slight loss of pressure, which you may never notice (thorns, small fragments of glass)
2) Slightly larger ones that you need to encourage to seal by spinning the wheel around to slosh sealant over the hole, Pump required, probably.
3) Those that will seal with the assistance of a worm (rubber coated bit of string, effectively) bunged in the hole. Pump required.
4) Those that are too big to seal at all. You need to remove the valve and put a regular inner tube in, and pump up. This will be more difficult than it is with a regular non-tubeless tyre & rim, and you may need pliers to get the tubeless valve out.

The above is from a road bike perspective

With Slime inner tubes, you should get the largest size that will fit, so the tube isn't stretched too much (which makes getting a successful seal more difficult)

That just about corresponds with my experience. In the case of a type 2 puncture, I have found that occasionally the plug formed by the sealant will get worn away after a few rides resulting in another puncture. In each case I've been able to carry on riding without stopping, but when at home I've put a patch on the inside of the tyre

for peace of mind.​

 

[Boon 51]

Don't know about tubeless on mtb but on my road bike they work a treat and are a better ride. Not had too replace a tyre yet but that don't seem too difficult.