Tubeless on road bikes??
#176
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The more efficient solution to small puncture flats is to use tires that have more flat resistance. Such as via. tread thickness and armor layers. Using irresponsibly lightweight tires and then depending on some messy slime to (temporarily) plug up holes is a suboptimal solution. Plus with the more robust normal clincher tires you don't have to deal with the mess, the special (expensive) tires with stiff (less compliant) sidewalls and the difficulty getting the beads to to seal etc.
Hey, I had tubeless on a recent gen Ultegra wheelset. Tires were impossible to install and remove without our shop-grade metal tire levers. Needed an air compressor to get any tires to seat. I tried, but it just wasn't worth the hassle.
Besides, if I need lightweight performance road gear, I'd be on tubulars. Strong, no pinch flats, and with 20cc of sealant injected, pretty much impenetrable to flats. Plus you save at least 100g per wheel, mainly in the rim.
Hey, I had tubeless on a recent gen Ultegra wheelset. Tires were impossible to install and remove without our shop-grade metal tire levers. Needed an air compressor to get any tires to seat. I tried, but it just wasn't worth the hassle.
Besides, if I need lightweight performance road gear, I'd be on tubulars. Strong, no pinch flats, and with 20cc of sealant injected, pretty much impenetrable to flats. Plus you save at least 100g per wheel, mainly in the rim.
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OK so now your criticism seems more reasonable. I also had a set of tubeless at the start that were near impossible to fit and it almost put me off for life. They were GP5000TLs. Since then I have used 3 types of high quality tubeless on 3 different wheelsets (IRCs and GP5000TR) and they are pretty easy to fit and I did two tyre swaps including new sealant in less than 10 minutes last week. I've never used a compressor in my life.
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yeah, same. no metal tire levers, no special skills or hand strength. ±1850g weight for front and rear (disk brake) wheels including the tires, sealant, valves, rim tape.
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The more efficient solution to small puncture flats is to use tires that have more flat resistance. Such as via. tread thickness and armor layers. Using irresponsibly lightweight tires and then depending on some messy slime to (temporarily) plug up holes is a suboptimal solution. Plus with the more robust normal clincher tires you don't have to deal with the mess, the special (expensive) tires with stiff (less compliant) sidewalls and the difficulty getting the beads to to seal etc.
Man, you're confusing me.
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The loudest proponent of "rotating mass is critically important" is advocating for heavier tires. I'd say it's ironic, but that would be too generous.
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#181
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Yeah so my experience with modern tubeless has been that it just works. I have tubeless on two bikes (fatbike and road bike) and if I don't actually pull them off the rim they can be inflated with a hand pump after a adding sealant (or water in my case, since the sealant I use is water soluble and can be refreshed with water).
After I swap tires I use a track pump and soapy water to lift the tires on the rim. Usually takes a pump or two to get air tightness. The soapy water isn't always necessary, but it helps so much and takes so little effort that I just use it regardless.
Compressors were needed when tubeless standards were still all over the place and people (including myself) used tape to build up traditional rims shapes which would actually support a tubeless tire. But those days are long gone. The issue one might have these days is a tire / rim combo that's so tight that a tire is difficult to take off the rim. But that's really rare.
After I swap tires I use a track pump and soapy water to lift the tires on the rim. Usually takes a pump or two to get air tightness. The soapy water isn't always necessary, but it helps so much and takes so little effort that I just use it regardless.
Compressors were needed when tubeless standards were still all over the place and people (including myself) used tape to build up traditional rims shapes which would actually support a tubeless tire. But those days are long gone. The issue one might have these days is a tire / rim combo that's so tight that a tire is difficult to take off the rim. But that's really rare.
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#182
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After too many years of roadside, or trail-side, flat repair, I went tubeless. Zero flats in 3 years on the mtb - where I would have at least 5 a season. On the road bike only 1 sidewall cut which required a tube and boot and a roofing nail (which I was able to ride home on/with in the tire - which lost 5 lbs pressure which I plugged and rode 2000 miles with) in 4 years and 20,000+ miles. On my old tubed road bikes, I would fix at least 6-8 flats per year. The results speak for themselves, but to each their own.
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#183
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The issue I need advice is regarding my wife’s Specialized Como e-bike. The bike is a portly 50 lbs, which is too heavy for her to change a tire. Besides, it requires special tools to remove the rear wheel. Removing the tires requires someone with Herculean strength or a vice to place the tire into. Since It appears Slime is a ‘no bueno” , so is there any well regarded sealant that can be used on a tubed bike?
She had a flat this last summer and had to call me to bring the car to rescue her and the bike. (She does have CO2 and an inflator which works for a slow leak, but that was not the case)
She had a flat this last summer and had to call me to bring the car to rescue her and the bike. (She does have CO2 and an inflator which works for a slow leak, but that was not the case)
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Can her wheels not take proper tubeless tyres? They tend to only need removing in 99% of cases back home/in a workshop.
but Orange Seal reckon their stuff works in tubes.
but Orange Seal reckon their stuff works in tubes.
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The issue I need advice is regarding my wife’s Specialized Como e-bike. The bike is a portly 50 lbs, which is too heavy for her to change a tire. Besides, it requires special tools to remove the rear wheel. Removing the tires requires someone with Herculean strength or a vice to place the tire into. Since It appears Slime is a ‘no bueno” , so is there any well regarded sealant that can be used on a tubed bike?
She had a flat this last summer and had to call me to bring the car to rescue her and the bike. (She does have CO2 and an inflator which works for a slow leak, but that was not the case)
She had a flat this last summer and had to call me to bring the car to rescue her and the bike. (She does have CO2 and an inflator which works for a slow leak, but that was not the case)
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#186
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Will have to see if they have tubeless in that size. They look like truck tires - but when they are supporting a 50lb bike plus rider, they have to be industrial.
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I have seen plenty of fat bike tubeless kits around, so I’m sure it can be done. It would make sense if you can.
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#189
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Hey !
I tried my wheels to run tubeless and in fact it worked (Roval CLX32 rim brake - 2018-19 I think, I can't find manual for them, but I think they are not tubeless).
But, what was most annoying, that tubeless tape doesn't stick to carbon surface ! (I clean it few times with IPA).
and also when I remove tires, they are slighly glued to the tape, so when I remove the tire, the tape gets removed too :/
(tape is correct width - touching the sides)
How do you deal with that problem ?
I tried my wheels to run tubeless and in fact it worked (Roval CLX32 rim brake - 2018-19 I think, I can't find manual for them, but I think they are not tubeless).
But, what was most annoying, that tubeless tape doesn't stick to carbon surface ! (I clean it few times with IPA).
and also when I remove tires, they are slighly glued to the tape, so when I remove the tire, the tape gets removed too :/
(tape is correct width - touching the sides)
How do you deal with that problem ?
Last edited by razorjack; 03-24-24 at 05:34 PM.
#190
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Hey !
I tried my wheels to run tubeless and in fact it worked (Roval CLX32 rim brake - 2018-19 I think, I can't find manual for them, but I think they are not tubeless).
But, what was most annoying, that tubeless tape doesn't stick to carbon surface ! (I clean it few times with IPA).
and also when I remove tires, they are slighly glued to the tape, so when I remove the tire, the tape gets removed too :/
How do you deal with that problem ?
I tried my wheels to run tubeless and in fact it worked (Roval CLX32 rim brake - 2018-19 I think, I can't find manual for them, but I think they are not tubeless).
But, what was most annoying, that tubeless tape doesn't stick to carbon surface ! (I clean it few times with IPA).
and also when I remove tires, they are slighly glued to the tape, so when I remove the tire, the tape gets removed too :/
How do you deal with that problem ?
Like this
https://youtu.be/9Zr8rgP7MO4?si=4qYas3GrEHOE0xCI
Last edited by choddo; 03-22-24 at 03:36 AM.
#191
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Not all rim tapes are alike and they must be the correct width to completely cover the ledge on both sides. Scotch 8898 is often recommended, but widths are limited. My BTLOS wheels have no spoke access holes and require no rim tape. I sold Zipp 303s wheels to get rid of rim tape.
Any rim tape without adhesive would obviously not work for tubeless.
Any rim tape without adhesive would obviously not work for tubeless.