New road wheelset.Go tube or tubeless?

[joeegg]

A road wheelset is arriving this week and in with the price are a pair of Schwalbe Pro one tubeless tyres and sealant.The rims will already have the tubeless rim tape fitted.
Will my hair drop out while trying to fit them or will my garage be an oasis of calm ?
I could chicken out and just fit a tube but I'd like to see what I'm missing out on,or not,by going tubeless.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Some people love them, others are apathetic. Never had an issue fitting them personally but know it can be a hassle. My main problem was cuts in the tire that were too big for sealant to seal. To cover this you pretty much need plugs or a tube anyway so I thought I may as well switch back to tubes as installation and puncture repair just seemed easier, all things considered. Just my experience with them though.

 

[si_c]

Tubeless is pretty easy to fit for the most part - the biggest issue is getting the bead to seat as you don't have the tube to contain the air.

I usually fit the valve and then seat the tyre - a track pump and furious pumping is usually enough to get it to seat - although some prefer to use a tubeless inflator (big tank that releases the air quickly) but you can use a CO2 cartridge as well if having trouble. If you have access to an air compressor that's the best option.

Once the tyre is seated remove the valve core and put the sealant in, reattach the core and reinflate - the last step is to spin the wheel repeatedly to get the sealant all the way into any gaps and form an airtight seal - if you can go for a short ride afterwards then do that.

All in all it takes me about twenty minutes to fully fit a pair of tubeless tyres, the first time it was a little over half an hour.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

and don’t forget you have to top up your tires more often and then top up the sealant periodically and then clean the rim each time you change a tire because it has a ton of goo on it and you have to carry a tube anyway because the sealant doesn’t always work and… and…

it’s not really worth all the pfaf… stuff an inner tube in them!

 

[PaulSB]

In my experience tubeless are more reliable and comfortable than tubed. Two years ago when I changed the tyres we found seven "punctures" that had self-sealed without me knowing it. That's seven saved roadside tube changes.

The initial set up can be a PIA. In my experience finding the best valves for my wheel was the issue.

My routine is to check tyre pressure before every ride. I've done this for decades. It's no more work than a tubed tyre.

If you get a hole which is too large to self-seal a plug will do the job quickly and permanently. Plugging a tyre is far quicker, cleaner and simpler than changing a tube. If the damage to the tyre is significant, I once put a 2cm slash in my tyre riding over broken glass, you're in no worse a position than if you had tubes.

Since going tubeless in spring 2019 I've had one major issue, slashed tyre as above, which required a tube. I was tired, rain pouring down, getting the tyre off was difficult, sealant mixed with rain everywhere. A nightmare. Yes, I was ready to bin tubeless that day.

Always carry a tube just in case the tubeless fails completely. Unlikely but it can happen just as with tubes you can be really unlucky and use all your spare tubes on a single ride!!

Today I use it on both bikes. Tubes are a thing of my past.

 

[accountantpete]

There is a learning curve with tubeless - techniques for getting some tight tyres on, getting the tyre to seat completely by over inflating, choosing the right sealant, choosing the right valves for the rim and choosing the right tubeless tyres that minimise punctures or bleeds.

Get yourself prepared to acquire this knowledge and the whole thing will go a lot easier.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

If you and your bike are light (so you need less pressure) and you know what tyres you like and you tend to get frequent punctures on your road bike rides... Then maybe tubeless is worth a go.

Otherwise, get some quality latex or TPU tubes, they will give very similar rolling resistance benefits to tubeless.

I'd struggle to recall the last puncture I had, possibly on the way back from a stupid first attempt at the cat4 climb between the Southwick roundabouts https://www.strava.com/segments/1229348 (doing fractions under 4W/Kg into a block headwind isn't going to be very quick, a mere ~15mph)... April '20!

 

[si_c]

If you and your bike are light (so you need less pressure) and you know what tyres you like and you tend to get frequent punctures on your road bike rides... Then maybe tubeless is worth a go.

I ride tubeless without issues, and with my bike and I the weight is well over 110kg - I run 70/75 psi front/rear which is more comfortable than the 90/95 I would be running with tubes - if I can get my weight down another 10kg or so I'll probably drop it to 65/70.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Go for it. The wheels are already set up and you have the sealant. What kind of wimp wouldn't have a go at setting them up? Worst case is you'll have a terrible time doing it, but the upside of that is that you will be able to make heartfelt furious contributions to "why I think tubeless is crap" threads on CC.

That said, I'd be lost without my air-blaster for getting the tyres to seat. So that could be extra expense.

 

[AlanW]

Tubeless everytime as the advantage far outweigh the disadvantages. But.....you do need to keep an eye on the sealant especially in hot weather.

This is what l found in my rear tyre yesterday, which explains why it felt out of balance! The sealant (Orange Seal Endurance) was fitted 4th March this year and has covered 1951.1 miles.

I would also 100% recommend fitting Fillmore valves. Yes they are on the expensive side, but IMHO worth every penny as zero issues now with valves blocking with congeled sealant!

 

[si_c]

On a side note, changed the valve stems on my RTD today as the rear had a partial blockage so was just doing due dilligence. Took me about 2 hours, but mostly because I had dinner and watched the TDF highlights and then washed the bike.

Did need to put new sealant in unfortunately as removed the tyres completely but I keep plenty on hand. 60ml into each tyre.

 

[joeegg]

According to Hunt,definitely latex and possibly tpu tubes as well,shouldn't be used with carbon rims and rim brakes.
Set it up yesterday with 25c tyres and tubes to see how much clearance there was on the frame.
Supplied tubeless tyres are 28's and it looks like there is enough clearance.

 

[si_c]

According to Hunt,definitely latex and possibly tpu tubes as well,shouldn't be used with carbon rims and rim brakes.
Set it up yesterday with 25c tyres and tubes to see how much clearance there was on the frame.
Supplied tubeless tyres are 28's and it looks like there is enough clearance.

Do you have a link? With rim braked carbon wheels there is a risk of overheating causing a failed inner tube but I wasn't aware that this was a problem for disc braked bikes.

 

[joeegg]

It applies to just carbon rims with rim brakes,not discs.

 

[Colin S]

I've been running road tubeless for a 3 or 4 years now. Yes it is more difficult to set up initially, but with a bit of time and effort easily doable. Ive had no punctures in that time.
When you take the tyres off and see the little clots of sealant that would have been punctures you will be amazed and pleased you made the effort.

C