Which Tubeless Tyres?

[dim]

an update ... I have still not bought any tubeless tyres, but I have decided what I will get at the end of the month

I've decided on 2017 IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless road tyres in 25mm wide. I've read several very good reviews on these (from people that have used them personally) , and some say that they get over 4000 miles (approx 6500 km) with very few punctures (which seal properly if you use the correct sealant)...

I emailed Malcolm Borg from The Cycle Clinic LTD

https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collections/road-tyres/products/2017-irc-formula-pro-rbcc-tubeless-road-tyres

and asked him a few questions .... on my rims (HED Belgium Plus), 25mm tyres measure 25mm wide and 28mm measure 28 wide, so I will opt for the 25's as my frame will struggle with 28's.

I also asked him what sealant he recommends, and he said that he uses Effetto mariposa.

He also stated he runs  these tyres between 50 and 80psi depending on whether he can be bothered to pump the tyres up, and he says these tyres work well with my rims

I'm actually looking forward to trying these

[gibbo]

I've very recently started running Schwalbe Pro One folders on DT Swiss PR1400 wheels, the same setup as used and recommended to me by the owner of my LBS (Pinarello no less!) and whilst I really like the combination for ride smoothness and comfort I'm finding I lose about 20psi on the rear and 5psi front overnight.

I talked to the owner and he confirmed he had the same issue which is slightly annoying as I probably wouldn't have run the same setup. Not a problem when at home due to having a track pump on hand but not the best when doing a multi day trip and having to use one of those tiny pumps. Please don't tell me to get another pump - the issue is that the wheel/ tyre combo should seal.

Given the above I can't say I'd recommend the setup I have, rather disappointed given the overall cost.

Gibbo.

Thought I'd give an update on this. Whilst the front wheel combo continues to hold pressure over time the rear was getting progressively worse and I ended up having to re-inflate during the ride, not ideal as I couldn't get the necessary amount of air in as I was rocking the valve seat which in turn started to spew sealant out on every pump. Overnight I was down to about 20psi.

Yet another return to the LBS ensued and this time they agreed to start from scratch with new tape etc. This time they stripped it down and used Schwalbe tape and this seems less brittle and slightly more flexible than the factory fitted Dt Swiss stuff. The mechanic was able to fully inflate using only a track pump (like I was able to on the front originally) and now all is good. I reckon I lose about 5psi over a week.

Moral of the story is to make sure the tape is correctly fitted and doing its job.
Gibbo.

[Ivan]

I've also had a problem with the valve stem not being tight enough.  I cranked it up to "very tight" and the losses stopped

I've had the problem of leakage around the valve as well, but found that wiggling it a bit got it to seat/seal

[dim]

an update on my 2017 IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless ....

so far, I have used them for 1,177.5km .... one puncture on the front that self sealed ... these tyres still look brand new. They grip like superglue, and roll fast (I have not seen any rolling resistance data yet, but I'd rate them better than Conti GP4000 SII) ... I will try the IRC Roadlight Tubeless next (these are even faster rolling)

I asked the chap from Cycle Clinic about what sort of mileage I can expect from the IRC Formula Pro RBCC and this was his reply:

quote:

dim, on my commutor bike 9 kg with 6kg load min and 87kg of me I get 7000km from the last rear RBCC. it was bulging at that point from impact damage (ridden off road alot) but it was actually not fully worn. The current formula pro x guard tyre on there at present has nearly 4400km on them and the centre section of file thread is worn but the tyre looks like half way through it life according the wear dimple. the front 28mm RBCC tyre has 11000km on it and no wear to the file thread. These tyres can do huge miles. On a race bike with less rear load mileage would be higher. The roadlites i use on my race bike (lower Crr than the RBCC but less grip) have around 2000km on them and there is no wear not even rounding off. The formula lights I also use on the race bike have 3000km and again they almost pristine.

on a sidenote, I read that when you park your bike for long periods, you should ensure that the valves are not on the bottom of the tyres/wheels where the sealant pools (i.e. rotate the tyre so that the valve is on the top of the tyre .... I'm not sure if this is true, but I do it anyway

[sojournermike]

an update on my 2017 IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless ....

so far, I have used them for 1,177.5km .... one puncture on the front that self sealed ... these tyres still look brand new. They grip like superglue, and roll fast (I have not seen any rolling resistance data yet, but I'd rate them better than Conti GP4000 SII) ... I will try the IRC Roadlight Tubeless next (these are even faster rolling)

I asked the chap from Cycle Clinic about what sort of mileage I can expect from the IRC Formula Pro RBCC and this was his reply:

quote:

dim, on my commutor bike 9 kg with 6kg load min and 87kg of me I get 7000km from the last rear RBCC. it was bulging at that point from impact damage (ridden off road alot) but it was actually not fully worn. The current formula pro x guard tyre on there at present has nearly 4400km on them and the centre section of file thread is worn but the tyre looks like half way through it life according the wear dimple. the front 28mm RBCC tyre has 11000km on it and no wear to the file thread. These tyres can do huge miles. On a race bike with less rear load mileage would be higher. The roadlites i use on my race bike (lower Crr than the RBCC but less grip) have around 2000km on them and there is no wear not even rounding off. The formula lights I also use on the race bike have 3000km and again they almost pristine.

on a sidenote, I read that when you park your bike for long periods, you should ensure that the valves are not on the bottom of the tyres/wheels where the sealant pools (i.e. rotate the tyre so that the valve is on the top of the tyre .... I'm not sure if this is true, but I do it anyway

I'll be trying either the rbcc or roadlite when I have worn out the 25mm One's on my gf Ti. I fancy a file tread when it's wet and skanky, even if Schwalbe don't think it does anything.

[mrcharly-YHT]

on a sidenote, I read that when you park your bike for long periods, you should ensure that the valves are not on the bottom of the tyres/wheels where the sealant pools (i.e. rotate the tyre so that the valve is on the top of the tyre .... I'm not sure if this is true, but I do it anyway

If you are trying to avoid sealant building up in the valve, wouldn't it make sense to park with the wheel positioned so the valve is at the *bottom/road*? That way the sealant will pool in the tyre and if any is in the valve it should drip off.

If you position it the other way round, a small bit of sealant could 'puddle' around the valve, on the rim. I guess this would stop any slow leaks around the valve seat.

[dim]

Please don't tell me to get another pump - the issue is that the wheel/ tyre combo should seal.



Gibbo.

speaking of pumps: 

this is the one that I will be buying .... small and powerful .... ideal for tubeless and will seat a tubeless tyre on a rim:

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HP ABS Pump with Gauge



I cycle with a small Camelbak backpack and this will fit in snugly (it's small, and can be mounted to your frame)