bikerjp

Shimano sent a tubeless version as a warranty replacement for my front wheel. I have no plans to run tubeless and doing just one wheel seems pointless anyway. The tire was harder to get on and there seems to be less space inside for the tube. Is this more likely to cause any issues? I wonder if less airspace will affect the ride or if the shape of the inside could make a tube more likely to flat. Keep it or try to get the non-tubeless version?

gc3

If you don't want to run tubeless tires, then I'd send it back. Not certain, but expect there might be some risk of a regular tire blowing off because of the different bead shape. I've run tubeless and it was okay. You can run a tube inside a tubeless tire is you like. Especially if you ever get a flat that won't seal.

gsa103

The main downside is the more difficult to mount rims. The main advantage is that you don't need any rim tape. The tubeless bead seat won't make a clincher tire more likely to blow off.

chaadster

I ran my AC Argents tubed for a bit, but mounting and removing Hutchinson Fusions was a breeze. I suspect the dificulty in that regard is dependent on the tire/rim combo, since it's not universally difficult, obviously.

Personally, I'd keep the wheel, run it tubeless, and look to get a tubeless rear for the full upgrade. Tubeless is an amazing improvement in ride quality and flat resistance.

dvdslw

I second that, Shimano is one of many wheel manufacturers amping up their tubeless wheel offerings and unless you've tried it, you have no idea how much your ride will improve, even with just the front wheel. My bike (CAAD10) came with the Ultegra 6700 wheel set and I wore down my Schwalbe Drano's and when it came time to look for new tires I decided to try tubeless and bought a set of Hutchinson Fusion 3's. Yeah, mounting the 1st tire seemed a bit tough but I was doing it wrong because the rim is shallower where the spoke holes would be and because of that you must make sure the tire is squeezed together and centered on the opposite end of where your trying to get the bead over the rim. After the 1st ride, it was all worth while. The ride is amazing, almost like I put a set of shocks on my bike. It was so much better I actually felt slower because I wasn't feeling the feedback from the road but my average speed didn't suffer a bit and I've made steady gains since. Not sure which bike you have this on but if its one of your CAAD's, you'll be amazed at the difference. As far as the wheel being different than the non tubeless version, the difference is about 50g of additional weight due to the solid spoke bed, maybe a "road tubeless" decal on the rim, and the need to pay a little more attention to where the tire is on the rim while mounting.

Jiggle

Why are you even posting this drivel if you aren't sure?

Not certain, but I think posting on bikeforums increases your risk of heart disease and thickens the hair inside one's ears.

ffs

bikepro

There are no safety issues. The tire will be harder to mount because of the tubeless rim and it sounds like the rim is more shallow.

bikepro

+1

Dancing Skeleton

I have Bontrager RXL TLR wheels with R3 tires & standard tubes (the regular R3's, not the R3 TLR's).
I've ridden ~5000 miles without issue.
The tires are no more difficult to mount on those rims than on non-TLR rims.

gc3

Slow news day. Trying to incite the rabble. How did I do?

Jiggle

Pretty good.

bikerjp

Thanks for the feedback. Not sure I'm all that interested in tubeless but maybe this is my cue to give it a try. Are you using sealant? I've heard that it voids the warranty and can corrode the rim. Is there a "right" one?

hueyhoolihan

Why are you even posting this drivel if you aren't sure?

dvdslw

I did use the Hutchinson Sealant (recommended by Shimano) and have had no corrosion whatsoever. From what I understand there was an issue with the 7000 series Dura Ace wheels and Stans Sealant. I have the Ultegra 6700 wheels which appear to be anodized on the inside to inhibit the corrosion issue. I'm not sure which wheel you have but I would hope Shimano has begun to anodize all of their road tubeless wheels these days. They are releasing the C35's in a tubeless version for 2015 and I plan to get a set but only if they're anodized. I say give it a try, the industry is headed that way so you might as well get on board. Everyone I have met that has gone tubeless swears they will never switch back to a std clincher, on the other hand there's a lot of people who are afraid to take the plunge because they have heard all the horror stories from the guys that had nothing but problems. The guys having trouble were simply doing it wrong using the wrong wheels, tires, or trying to do a ghetto setup which at 100+ psi is a recipe for disaster. You have the proper wheel so all you need is a "road tubeless" tire, stem (should have come with the wheel), and a small bottle of sealant. I just ordered a Fusion 3 from Performance during one of their 20% off flash sales and it was $63.00 delivered to the store. Either way, tubed or tubeless you'll be fine with the wheel they sent you but if you don't try tubeless you will always be asking yourself (as your riding) how much better would the ride be if I had tried it?

Elvo

Have the same wheels. Tires as as difficult to mount as they are on Hed Ardennes and A23's.

gc3

I rode tubeless Shimano 7900 wheels for well over a year. After the initial placebo effect wore off, I switched back to regular clinchers. Primarily because I wanted to go with carbon clinchers, not because tubeless was bad.

gsa103

With a proper tubeless rim (especially Shimano) you don't need sealant, all you need is the tire. Main disadvantage is that tubeless tires are pricey ($60-70 ea on sale), compared with a Michelin Pro4 for $40.

dvdslw

Here's a wheel that gives you the best of both worlds, one of the first true aero carbon clinchers that are tubeless certified EC90 AERO 55 CLINCHER | Easton Cycling

chaadster

That comment is a little misleading, in the sense that it's true you don't need sealant with a true tubeless rim for the purpose of holding air, i.e. the sealant doesn't need to make airtight a less than airtight rim/tire interface. However, I can't think of a good reason not to use some sealant for puncture sealing (some of the non-anodized Shimano wheels aside), especially since many tubeless tire and tubeless rim combos are awfully hard to mount and dismount, and not the kind of thing you'd want to tackle out on the road.

bikerjp

Is there a way to know if the RS81 wheel I received is anodized or sealant approved? Nothing came with the wheel. The inside of the rim is silver and looks slightly "rough" and dull.

dvdslw

I'd say if it's rough and dull that it is anodized. The older Dura Ace C24's were not and the inside of the wheel looked just like the brake track shiny aluminum/scandium finish minus the machining grooves.