To go tubeless or not to go tubeless,and best tubeless gloop

[mattrixdesign2]

I don't ride MTB much, spend most time riding road (daily commute and weekend rides), a little bit of CX, and MTB (good ole 26er) about once a month, ironically I have interest in competing in CX/MTB just for fun, but only willing to do the more local stuff, therefore not all that often.

Been happily running tubes, along with Nobby Nics and now Rocket Rons - and pretty darn reliable, in the 3/4 years I have had the bike I have only flatted once, but I do tend to run 35-40psi to avoid pinch punctures any way, its works, but perhaps not the smoothest/fastest/most efficient set up - especially for racing.

Recently my rear hub had died, so £150 poorer, and a nice new light weight Stands ZTR Alpine (tubeless rim) on XT hub. The plan was to run tubes for now! Took delivery of the wheels and I was surprised by how low profile the rims are, I can not even imagine how a clincher would hold on, willing to try, but then realised I needed some thin rim tape (the old stuff on my old wheel is too wide/thick), and all my tubes have the Schrader valve which wont fit through the hole on the rim ARRRGHHH!

So - 2 options, get some tape, and some new presta inner tubes, and stay happy and tubed. Or get the rim tape, some valves and some of the liquid/gloop stuff and give it a wirl.

What bothers me if the cost faff of getting it all together and working, then the "maintenance" i.e. the stuff dries up and needs topping up? Is it worth it? Will I benefit from the rare times I use the bike, wither in the local Summer races, up the near by hills or the occasional trail centre black run.

Finally, if I am to go tubeless and I have the rim tape and valves sorted, what is the best option for the gloop. I dont want to spend £££s. Stans is the obvious choice, but open to others.

Thanks

 

[hirosawa]

Re:

Only you know if it is worth shelling out to go tubeless for the amount you use bike, but if you've got the option tubeless is a good thing. If you can make it tubeless, make it tubeless IMO. Valves, tape and sealant aren't expensive. Tyres are more compliant, grip better, roll faster and you don't get punctures.

The sealant does dry up eventually, you will have to top it. It's not like you have to do it every week though, every six months or so. Getting it all on in the first place can be messy and a right faff if you haven't got a compressor or decent track pump.

Sealant: Stans is good, Continental is good, Bontrager is good... it's all pretty much the same. Maybe even the same stuff in different bottles.

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Hi, I'm having a similar dilemma at the moment, the only punctures I seem to get are pinch flats (the old "snakebite") and I too run fairly high pressure compared to tubeless, around 35-40psi, I've had a couple of flats in the last few months and they were the sort of flats where a new tube is needed, big tears in the innertube!

I can see that going tubeless should eliminate these pinch flats from happening.
I can imagine that lower pressures will improve the tyres grip (especially on the front end which is where I notice the higher tyre pressures more).

I can see that setting up tubeless is a faff.
I know it needs periodic maintainence.
I'd still have to carry a tube & pump on rides anyway, in case there was a major tubeless malfunction.

On balance I think I'll give it a go, there's bound to be teething troubles at first, but once sorted that should be it, done.

I'm looking around at tubeless stuff now. My rims are tubeless compatible and the previous owner ran them tubeless so the rim tape is already there, all I need is valves and sealant, of and I've some "Tubeless ready" tyres on their way fron On-One (good deals at the minute).

maybe by this time next week I'll be able to tell you how great Tubeless is, or I'll be at my wits end trying to get tyres seated on rims :facepalm:

 

[mattrixdesign2]

Re:

In the meantime. I have ordered all the parts to do my rear wheel. Got the tape and valves from superstar, sealant from CRC so going to give it a wirl, I have even had to order spared tubes with presta valves as all my MTB tubes are Schrader and won't fit.

I think my concern is the costs (it does add up!) and the potential for it to get messy.

Hoping it will let me run lower pressures and add to some minor weight saving. The old wheel was a heavy, replacement was light enough. Will report back.

 

[mechanical_vandal]

Re:

Having been a bike shop mech and having had to deal with other peoples tubelessness put me off it for ages but I've just made the switch on the rear wheel for my mtb and will be doing it on the front once I get the wheel built too.

I didn't bother with a kit or tape and valves and blah blah, just drilled my rim out for a schreader valve, cut along the back of a 20" tube and used that as rim tape (that was for a 26er wheel, the front is 29er so I'll be using a 26" tube for that I hope. Only thing I bought was a bottle of Stans sealant for £13 from Evans and that'll do my front too.

Should be said though, I'm working with nice wide - like 40mm+ - flat rims so the tyre popped on no bother. The rear held air even without sealant and seated with just my track pump. I had previously tried to set up another wheel with a much narrower rim and a complex profile and had no end of trouble so your mileage may vary.

 

[mattrixdesign2]

Well that was interesting. Got my rims taped, got my tyres on, and got them sealed and inflated on first try, using my cheap foot pump.

So un seated the tyre and applied the liquid, re seated the tyre, and the bugger would not inflate. I tried and tried, had milky fluid leaking, kept trying, and failed.

Last resort as I was basically in a mess I used a CO2 canister (not supposed to, I am guessing it sets the sealant off?). Job done! Added more air with the pump. Left it all to settle on both sides, seems fine.

Note sure why my pump wouldnt work second time around? So my question is, is the CO2 a really bad idea, how can I test the results... other than just riding? When it comes to the font wheel will my car compressor work?

 

[NeilM]

Re:

It might not have pumped up the second time because the tyre was not touching the rim.

I have started running tubeless on both my 29'er and recently refurbed 26" DeKerf, both using Rocket Rons and both on Stans rims.

When putting the gloop in on one of the 26" tyres, I had exactly the same thing. I carefully rotated the wheel, difficult with one hand while trying not to spill gloop, and found a small crinkle in the tyre that meant about 5 or 6 mm of the tyre was over the rim tape an not touching the rim. A quick prod with my finger moved the bead sufficiently and all was good.

It is a bit of a phaff putting tubeless on for the first time, but we now have four bikes in the family running tubeless and are set to do more as and when.

 

[02gf74]

Not a chemistry expert but co2 is pretty unreactve so i *think* you are better off using that than air, which is one fifth oxygen, which is reactive.

Re tubeless, i am resisting. At present i carry puncture repair kit plus one inner. To be on the safe side i woukd carry two inners plus dont like the mess.

Maybe i am worrying too much. Cant remember the last time i walked homeamd most punctures are thorns and less often snake bites, both of which would not happen with tubless.

On the rare occassion, happened twice, was slicing tyre which would need an inner tube. Never had slice in both tyres but it is still a risk.

 

[hirosawa]

Well that was interesting. Got my rims taped, got my tyres on, and got them sealed and inflated on first try, using my cheap foot pump.

So un seated the tyre and applied the liquid, re seated the tyre, and the bugger would not inflate. I tried and tried, had milky fluid leaking, kept trying, and failed.

Last resort as I was basically in a mess I used a CO2 canister (not supposed to, I am guessing it sets the sealant off?). Job done! Added more air with the pump. Left it all to settle on both sides, seems fine.

Note sure why my pump wouldnt work second time around? So my question is, is the CO2 a really bad idea, how can I test the results... other than just riding? When it comes to the font wheel will my car compressor work?

It makes no difference. The key to it is getting pressure in fast so it pops the bead on to the rim. With proper tubeless rims and tyres a compressor or CO2 canister will usually blow them straight on. It's loads easier with a compressor as if you get a loose tyre that won't go, you can keep pressure going into it and sort of press down and pull around the tyre until you get a seal (hope that makes sense).

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Interesting hearing about others experiences.
Stans sealant and valves ordered and on their way.
Will update next week...