Proabably not the last time anyone asks about Tubeless...

[livpoksoc]

But after a frustrating ride this evening where I had all seasons of weather, but feeling great...my Garmin froze, I ended up off course. Had 2 punctures I successfully changed by the side of the road, only for the gas bulbs to let me down and I had to call the wife out to collect me.

So now I have simmered and decided I want to seriously look at Tubeless. My main questions are:
1. Can I use my existing rims (Bontrager...not sure if any of these are the product code: 6061 t6, erd: 590 . etrto 622x14)
2. Can I get 25mm wide tyres (larger lad, I prefer the wider tyre)
3. What can I expect to spend to change over? (Not bothered about going carbon unless they are well priced, and they can handle a 19st rider?)

Thanks in advance as always!

 

[wafter]

FWIW...

It appears your issue was compounded / made terminal by the use of CO2 and could potentially have been avoided by carrying a pump instead.

No idea on the rims; probably not tubless compatable unless they're specifically stated as such (and would have to be on a pretty new, mid-high end bike for this to be likely). The numbers you mention are the alloy and heat treatment condition (6061 T6) and wheel size (622x14) not sure about the "erd" but I suspect this relates to sizing too rather than a model number. If they're not TC an alternative might be to look at "ghetto tubeless" if you can be bothered to mess about..

25mm tyres will fit 14c rims, but I doubt yours are intended to run tubeless.

Not that I've looked too hard but you'll be looking at a good few hundred quid for tubeless rims - IIRC Mavic's entry level tubless stuff is about £500-600/pr..? On top of this (and potentially tyres which aren't cheap either) you'll require the other peripherals (sealant, tape, valves, potentially an inflationtank - the proper name of which escapes me - ) which will be around another ton.

I looked into it and couldn't be arsed for my gravel bike to start with, however with two of the three punctures I've suffered in the 1300 miles since I bought it being pinch punctures (and the third potentially within the scope of sealant to fix) it's looking like a more appealing proposition.

Conversely I've run the road bike on 25mm tyres and tubes for 1700 miles with zero punctures; so tubeless on this bike has very little appeal and tbh I'm more than happy carrying a repair kit and a mini-pump for when it eventually does happen...

 

[HarryTheDog]

In my opinion Tubeless works brilliantly on higher volume lower pressured tyres. I have used it for years on my MTB and it is a complete no brainer at combatting thorn punctures and other small intrusions, tyres over 2 inch wide around 40psi. I also use it on CX bike with 33mm tyres both for racing and winter commtting running anything from 25 to 60 psi . When I have had a puncture I have to let the pressure down to around 20 odd PSI to allow the sealant to seal.
I run normal clinchers on my road/commute bike in the summer etc. I have not bothered with tubeless as I follow around 30 people on Strava and a few have tried it. Most seem to complain that when they get a puncture due to the high pressures it just coats their frame in latex and they have to wait for the pressure to go down enough to allow the sealant to seal . In that time they could have changed the ruddy innertube easily.
I carry tubes with my tubeless tyres anyway as any sort of slit over 2 mm ish is not going to seal anyway. Offroad racing tubeless seems defo faster as well compared to tubeless and tyres distort much better giving more grip.
I am waiting for the boffins to come up with a sealant that works better at high pressures sealing quicker.

 

[derrick]

Been using tubeless on the road bikes most of this year. Had no problems. Was a bit nervous to start with, have hit a couple of potholes expecting a problem, but nothing. I am only 68kgs. Dont know if that helps.

 

[I like Skol]

Get a decent hand pump!

I use the Topeak Pocket Rocket and in about 8 yrs it has never let me down. No gauge but is rated for, and achieves in reality, high pressures in excess of 100 psi. This is guess work but if you pump until the tyre feels rock hard then give it another 30-60 seconds you will be around 100psi and can continue your ride normally. Check when you get home and you will likely find it is within +/-10psi

I do carry co2 but never leave home without the tiny Topeak, for the reason you describe above.

 

[rivers]

DTSwiss tubeless ready rims start around about £300/£350 (E1800 model), which I have on my winter bike. They are currently running 32mm pirelli cinturato velos. You can find them online for about £270-£290.

 

[livpoksoc]

Just found Hunt do Tubeless ready for less than £100 per rim...what's the catch? (I assume I need hubs, spokes etc.?)

https://www.huntbikewheels.com/coll...uperdura-rim-490g-31deep-24wide-28-32holes-89

 

[Milkfloat]

How old are you current rims or what exact bike did they come from? I would not buy new rims just for tubeless and I say that as someone that runs tubeless quite happily on 6 of my 7 bikes.

 

[Sharky]

What ever system you you use, you've got to assume that at some point, it's going to fail. So whether tubed, tubeless or tubular, I would recommend always carrying a pump, tyre levers and repair patches and if tubular, a razor blade, wax thread and a needle.

Or be happy walking or calling out the OH to pick you up.

 

[livpoksoc]

How old are you current rims or what exact bike did they come from? I would not buy new rims just for tubeless and I say that as someone that runs tubeless quite happily on 6 of my 7 bikes.

It's a Trek Madone 3.1 from c. 2015/6 and as far as I know, the same Bontrager rims it came with when new.

It's one of those where I have a birthday coming up, have been a grumpy sod and said 'don't worry' to the questions about what to get me, and then an open goal has been presented to me. If it's going to cost £hundreds, then it'll likely be a 'as per the above posts, buy a mini pump and be done with it', but if it's less than say £500 all in then I might be swayed.

 

[fossyant]

I always carry a pump, and will use CO2 only for speed. I carry two tubes and an a repair kit. I can't be bothered with the faff, and I'd need some new wheels for the MTB - which I don't need. I've not had enough flats to be bothered about running tubeless.

 

[Venod]

I've not had enough flats to be bothered about running tubeless.

The puncture aspect is just one advantage of tubeless, comfort and grip are other advantages. My first tubeless set up was MTB non tubeless rims and tyres set up ghetto style, I now run tubeless on MTB, CX, and road, I ran some non tubeless tyres tubeless on the CX for a couple of years with no problems, the comfort alone is worth it for me.

 

[Milkfloat]

It's a Trek Madone 3.1 from c. 2015/6 and as far as I know, the same Bontrager rims it came with when new.

It's one of those where I have a birthday coming up, have been a grumpy sod and said 'don't worry' to the questions about what to get me, and then an open goal has been presented to me. If it's going to cost £hundreds, then it'll likely be a 'as per the above posts, buy a mini pump and be done with it', but if it's less than say £500 all in then I might be swayed.

Your current rims won't be tubeless then. If you really want to go for it without breaking the bank then looking out for a Superstar components voucher code would be a good start. Remember to budget for tubeless tape, valves, sealant and tyres (about £100).

 

[I like Skol]

Save your money, don't make a knee jerk decision based on a single incident!
For less than £20 you can have a small hand pump that will get you out of a spot if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Mull it over for 12 months and if you still think it is worth the time, effort and expense of going tubeless then maybe give it a try.
Just remember, once tubeless the currently simple task of fitting new tyres becomes a technical feat that is messy and not always successful. Also, if you do get into trouble with tubeless when out on the road you still need to be carrying a tube, pump and tyre levers, but also have a tyre full of gunge to contend with. I don't run tubeless....

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

If you are considering tubeless rims, Kinlin XR22 or XR31 are a good value option. I've built a set of XR22s for myself and they are £35 each from Spa Cycles. Fitted Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres without too much of a problem, the 30mm versions measure 29.5mm width installed and have replace 28mm Conti GP4000 (which measured at 30mm width). I'm running them at 68/72psi on my Equilibrium (I weigh just under 90Kg). The ride comfort is sublime, far better than the Contis, indeed my first thoughts were they felt like the Vittoria Hypers that I have in 35mm on another bike.
Have a look at https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/pages/tech-page for information about the "issues" of running tubeless.
I'm a convert.