Originally Posted by
SylvainG
What about performance? Does it add much to the tire weight and rolling resistance?
Obviously it's going to add some weight. I usually go a little overkill and add a complete 4oz sized bottle to each tube, although 2-3 is sufficient. Weight wise, it's probably less than tire liners. The tires I got the 7000 miles on were lighter weight tubeless gravel tires. I went through 2 sets, and although it's probably not a good idea to reuse a tube with lots of little pinhole plugs, I did it anyway and didn't have any issues. I would say overall, a lighter gravel or touring type tire with a tube and sealant is probably lighter than something like a Schwalbe marathon tire with a tube. I used those for a couple of years with maybe 1 flat, but I don't really care for the ride quality nor the weight. They definitely felt heavier to me plus with the super thick rubber, they kind of feel like riding on garden hoses.
There's definitely pros and cons to any "flat resistant" setup, but so far, a lighter, more supple tire with a tube and sealant seems to have the least amount of compromises that I've found.