Originally Posted by
c_m_shooter
Tubeless is not needed for the riding you describe. Tubeless is for lower tire pressures on singletrack rides. I hear some are going tubeless on road bikes, but I am not sure why. I tried it on a cyclocross bike years ago with bad results. Good road tires just don't flat that often, and I ride through a section of road regularly that looks like gravel, but is actually broken glass.
YMMV. I have issues with flats fairly regularly.I don't ride gatorskins, but have gone thru' a decent range.
My take on tubeless -- not 275, but not light -- is that it's better if you can run at a lower pressure/higher volume. I tried it on 25mm tyres with ... less success than I'd like. On 28mm it's gotten me home more than once where I'd otherwise need to do a lot of work.
The downside? If you DO have to tube it roadside, it's a lot more work and messy. I've also had challenges fitting the tyre; GP5000TLs run /great/ and are pretty bloody good at not flatting, but installing is a huge sodding pain.
I think if you get flats semi-regularly (and in summer, on good tyres, I'm getting 1 every 2-3 weeks) then it's worthwhile IF your frame will take a 28mm or larger. You can run lower pressure, have better flat 'recovery', and a more comfy ride. However, be prepared for more fussy installs (better have a compressor) and the huge pain if you DO have to do a tube roadside. There's tradeoffs -- I'm back to tubeless this year, but have flip-flopped regularly.\
What I will say is -- good road tyres flat pretty bloody often here. I avoid glass patches, I try and pay attention, and I don't ride a tonne of miles (100 or so a week). I'd LOVE to be
c_m_shooter and not flat, but not my life!