Author Topic: Tubeless for Dummies  (Read 194213 times)

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1025 on: 21 June, 2020, 03:57:58 pm »
Wow.

In 5 years I've had zero.

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1026 on: 21 June, 2020, 06:29:00 pm »
I got yet another side wall slice on a tubeless set up yesterday. There was no way that was fixable roadside, so I put an emergency boot in ( a five pound note that’s been hanging around before this virus stuff started). Put a tube in, and managed to get home. That’s 6 Irreparable failures from 6 tubeless tyres, in a year. I’m not using them anymore on my road bikes. I’ve still got them on the 29er, they work brilliantly on that bike, just not the road bike.

I know you are just one person riding one particular set of roads but it would be nice to know which tyres you used that failed, what pressure etc etc

I've also been riding tubeless for a few years and I've had one failure like you describe in several years

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1027 on: 21 June, 2020, 09:29:41 pm »
I got yet another side wall slice on a tubeless set up yesterday. There was no way that was fixable roadside, so I put an emergency boot in ( a five pound note that’s been hanging around before this virus stuff started). Put a tube in, and managed to get home. That’s 6 Irreparable failures from 6 tubeless tyres, in a year. I’m not using them anymore on my road bikes. I’ve still got them on the 29er, they work brilliantly on that bike, just not the road bike.

I know you are just one person riding one particular set of roads but it would be nice to know which tyres you used that failed, what pressure etc etc

I've also been riding tubeless for a few years and I've had one failure like you describe in several years
The failures have been on the Yksion Pro tubeless tyres that came with the Mavic wheels on my cheaper bikes, and one was a Vitorria Graphene on my XR4. The roads I tend to ride on are back roads / country lanes, and they are pretty horrendous for flints and thorns / bits of trees if the weather has been ‘interesting’. I’ve been using them at about 85 psi. I tried replacing the Yksion pros with Continental GP5000TLs, but they won’t go on the Mavic rims, no matter what I try. I checked that it was the tyres that were the problem by fitting another Yksion Pro, which went on with no bother at all, and I tried a non tubeless tyre with a tube, and that went on with no problem. So I’ve left that set up on the bike.
Loving life with a beautiful Bianchi.

Davef

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1028 on: 21 June, 2020, 09:47:51 pm »
Surely that is no worse than if you weren’t tubeless. Side wall damage seems to be very much a personal thing, some people seem to suffer often, others never.


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citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1029 on: 22 June, 2020, 10:10:00 am »
I've had two occasions where I've had to put a tube in because the hole wouldn't seal.

On one of those occasions, I blame myself for not managing to avoid the large pointy stone, which I actually saw in the road before I rode over it...  :facepalm:

Can't remember what was the cause on the other occasion.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1030 on: 22 June, 2020, 02:07:58 pm »
Tubeless tyres have thicker sidewalls than normal tyres.

Just think what would have happened if you hadn't been riding tubeless  :o

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1031 on: 22 June, 2020, 02:26:35 pm »
Just think what would have happened if you hadn't been riding tubeless  :o

For the pointy stone incident, I don't imagine the consequences would have been that severe, since I was riding slowly uphill at the time.

Of course, this only makes it even more embarrassing that I didn't manage to avoid the stone.

I can't see myself going back to tubes on the audax bike. The MTB has tubeless rims but is still fitted with the non-tubeless tyres it came with. I need to ride the bike a lot more to wear them out so I can justify buying some tubeless tyres for it.

The cross bike has non-tubeless rims. I might upgrade them next time they need replacing, but don't anticipate that being any time soon.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1032 on: 22 June, 2020, 02:35:21 pm »
I was really referring to the OP, tbh. 

As far I can recall I've had 3 tube-in punctures on TL in 5 years, and I put 2 of them down to using Finish Line Sealant which is so shit you might as well just use water.  I think I patched the tyres on the inside.

In 35 years of riding I'm struggling to recall ever cutting a sidewall, and, it has to be said, I have a liking for lightweight tyres. 6 occurrences in 6 tyres in 12 months suggests something else is at play here

simonp

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1033 on: 22 June, 2020, 04:06:54 pm »
I can only recall a couple of sidewall punctures ever. One was in 2008 in the Lake District. The other was probably earlier - a drill bit in London went through tread *and* sidewall.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1034 on: 22 June, 2020, 04:16:17 pm »
The only sidewall failure I've ever had was when I was 18 and it was entirely due to my teenage incompetence at aligning brake blocks. It would still have happened with tubeless, just taken a bit longer. Disc brakes would have avoided the problem entirely, but neither they nor tubeless were around back then (hub brakes were, of course).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Davef

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1035 on: 22 June, 2020, 04:52:30 pm »
I have had some novelty punctures but never a side wall (touch wood)


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zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1036 on: 22 June, 2020, 06:32:55 pm »
tubeless have been fine so far (four years i think) regarding punctures, i haven't even carried an inner tube with me, except for the big rides like pbp.

i had 2.5 instances of sidewall failure over my cycling career: once on a commuters marathon plus, due to it's age and mileage (rode home 6km on a flat tyre, cba to fix it in the rain), once on a racing tyre, caused by a sharp debris on the road (booted successfully and rode 20km home), and on tubeless front tyre just before the last year's pbp, when the wheel dropped in between two cobble stones in rambouillet (fixed with superglue, casing luckily stayed intact).

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1037 on: 22 June, 2020, 07:39:04 pm »
Surely that is no worse than if you weren’t tubeless. Side wall damage seems to be very much a personal thing, some people seem to suffer often, others never.


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It’s about the same, the difference being putting a boot and tube in a tubes set up doesn’t make me look like an accident in a yoghurt factory. I’ve never had a problem with my MTB / Hybrid tubeless tyres though. I guess the MTB / off road tyres are more robust, and the added weight doesn’t matter.
Loving life with a beautiful Bianchi.

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1038 on: 26 June, 2020, 04:46:48 pm »
Was thinking the other day. The only time I need tubeless is hedgecutting season. For various reasons that doesn't justify the new rims, tyres tape etc   Would it be possible to just use latex sealant inside a tube?

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1039 on: 26 June, 2020, 10:36:04 pm »
the only marathon plus (with tubes..these are tube tyres) deflation I had in 10,000 km was a sidewall puncture from a big thorn in snowmelt

but I just put in a spare inner tube and was back in business in 10 minutes


citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1040 on: 27 June, 2020, 08:06:24 am »
The only sidewall failure I've ever had was when I was 18 and it was entirely due to my teenage incompetence at aligning brake blocks. It would still have happened with tubeless, just taken a bit longer. Disc brakes would have avoided the problem entirely, but neither they nor tubeless were around back then (hub brakes were, of course).

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before... Had this happen to me when I was old enough to know better. It was about 10km and three punctures into the Anfractuous 200 before I worked out the cause. I thought it was ride over and a long walk back to the start. Luckily JJ otp was on hand with a tyre boot to save my day out. Took a gamble on completing the ride with no more spare tubes, managed to get round with no further mishaps.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1041 on: 03 July, 2020, 06:07:09 pm »
About to take the plunge. Have Hunt wheels so rims are compatible and taped.  Have ordered a Hutchinson kit with tyres, sealant etc.  I am currently running them tubed so I am assuming I will have to place some tape over where the valve for the tube went through the rim tape?

Any other advice for a first timer?

simonp

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1042 on: 03 July, 2020, 06:20:48 pm »
Tubeless still has a valve. The valve goes through the rim tape in the same way and seals against the rim tape. So in principle you should find the existing tape is ok. It might be worth adding some extra tape but bear in mind more tape may mean mounting the tyre is harder.

For mounting the tyre you need to put the valve in first and fit the nut. Just finger right. If you do it up really tight you can distort the rubber seal and make the seal less effective. Too loose and you disturb the seal when fitting/removing the pump.  Then start mounting the tyre from the opposite side. This is the hardest part in my experience.

To get the tyre to seat on the bead a track pump may be sufficient. I found this initially but have an air shot reservoir now. This has always done the trick.

Once you’ve got the tyre seated it may be fairly air tight. To add sealant let it down, remove the valve core and inject sealant, at least 30ml. Rotate the tyre so the valve isn’t at the bottom, reinstall core, inflate. Spin wheel to spread sealant. Leave overnight to check seal (unless obvious leaks). Always add air with the valve near the top.

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1043 on: 03 July, 2020, 07:08:52 pm »
Thanks for the above.  My explanation of the valve situation was poor, for some reason I thought the valve was attached to the rim under the tape but after reading your explanation I realise that I was wrong and that common sense dictates that it wouldn’t be.  Thanks again!

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1044 on: 14 July, 2020, 01:52:42 pm »
Finally got round to doing this.  So far so good, both tyres still inflated.  Tempting fate of course, went surprisingly smoothly!

Looking forward to riding on them in the next 24 hours or so.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1045 on: 14 July, 2020, 02:34:23 pm »
Spin wheel to spread sealant. Leave overnight to check seal (unless obvious leaks).

I tend to find that you need to go for a ride to really do the job properly.

If I just spin the wheel after adding sealant but don't go for a ride, I'll come back the next day to find it deflated. Once I've been for a ride, it only deflates at the normal rate from then on.

Just me?
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1046 on: 14 July, 2020, 11:14:17 pm »
Spin wheel to spread sealant. Leave overnight to check seal (unless obvious leaks).

I tend to find that you need to go for a ride to really do the job properly.

If I just spin the wheel after adding sealant but don't go for a ride, I'll come back the next day to find it deflated. Once I've been for a ride, it only deflates at the normal rate from then on.

Just me?

It’s a bit tyre and rim dependent I think. Just fitted some WTB Exposure 30s in tan wall and the walls took a bit to seal. Dropped from 60 to just over 20 psi in a day or so, but much better after a ride of course. 25mm Hutchinson Fusion Performance on another bike seem pretty good from the off - once I remembered to tighten the rear valve enough.

simonp

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1047 on: 14 July, 2020, 11:52:06 pm »
I’ve had some tyres hold air well without any sealant. I guess YMMV.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1048 on: 02 August, 2020, 06:27:39 pm »
OK, people, I need a recommendation for a road tubeless tyre - I'm having to accept the reality that my current set are on their last legs.

Current set is ERE Research Omnia 28mm. They've been fantastic - fast rolling and have lasted well. Tempted to replace like for like. Also considering the ERE Tenaci, which is a more gravel-oriented tyre and starts at 30mm (I occasionally do a bit of light offroading on this bike). I think 30mm is probably just about the biggest my bike will take.

Other options:
Schwalbe Pro One Evo, which is also available in 30mm
Conti GP5000, for which I'd have to choose 28mm

Any thoughts on any of these? What else should I be looking at? (Bearing in mind 28/30mm is my preference.)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Davef

Re: Tubeless for Dummies
« Reply #1049 on: 02 August, 2020, 07:25:05 pm »
I use both conti 5000 tl and schwalbe on different bikes. The schwalbe because that is what hunt recommend. I get many more punctures (though all have self healed) in the schwalbe so would recommend 5000 tl. I was chatting to someone else about to set of on lejog at the same time as me and he had exactly the same experience. Two people is perhaps just a coincidence and certainly not statistically valid.