GBK233

that’s good to know. New to bicycles this year, so trying to soak up all the info I can.

Going to upgrade wheels at some point, but def don’t want to spend $1000 on wheels

msu2001la

Some good info in this thread.
I started running 32mm GP5000 tubeless last summer, mostly out of curiosity. I swapped those tires for some 33mm Vittoria CX tires in March, again mostly just to try them out. Turns out I really like both setups. I'm back on the GP5K's now and with 3 tubeless installs under my belt, each time it's gotten easier.

There is definitely a learning curve to getting them mounted/seated. I'm a fan of the airshot canister, and use Orange regular sealant.

Zero flats for me since switching to tubeless. They may have not solved any specific problem (other than potentially reducing my likelyhood of flatting) but I also don't see why I'd go back to tubes, especially now that I own the equipment and have the knowledge of how to set up tubeless.

jaxgtr

So I was on a ride today with a friend today and we are both running tubeless. On the way home, my friend hit something that cut his tire and it was large enough that the fluid would not plug the leak and a plug would not do the trick. So he decided to install a tube so he could get home. What a blooming mess not to mention a pain in the rump trying to get the tire back on. I've not had a flat on tubeless, but I have only been tubeless for about 8 months when I got my Domane. He has been running tubeless for 5 or 6 years and has had a couple of instances where the sealant would not seal, and if a plug would not seal it, he was generally close enough to the house that he just walked home or called for a pick up. After this today, he said, he would never do that again on the road, and would just get a ride home. Luckily there was a plant nursery close by and we were able to clean up a little before we headed back.

I just ordered some new tires which will be delivered tomorrow and now wondering if it is worth the hassle. I never really flatted that often, I have pretty good roads where I ride, so thinking I might just revert to tubes.

scottydonald

I was cleaning my bike after a ride today - sealant all over it. I smiled, looked at the clean tyre found a hole perfectly sealed.

tubeless on my wide disc wheels(Schwalbe Pro One - Enve 4.5 AR Disc) is the way for me.

DaveSSS 

Installing a tube on the road should not be a major problem. I practiced doing this with my michelin 28mm tubeless tires. It pays to wear thin nitrile gloves and have a paper towel to wipe off stray sealant. I used the fulcrum tire levers that came with my wheels and had no problem breaking the bead loose or reseating it. Of course when you get home, you'll have a sealant covered tube to clean up and then decide whether to patch the tire or toss it. In the last 35 years, I've never had damage to a tire that required a boot to get home or ruined a tire.

chaadster

Yeah, I mean, c’mon….we’re talking about a rare, emergency roadside repair; toughen up and get it done. The sealant does make it a bit more messy than a tubed tire, but the stuff just dries up quickly and rubs off, so it’s not like getting covered in oily chain grime. Use best practices (like keeping cut down towards road and bleeding air from valve) and have the proper tools (notably tire levers) and booting and tubing a tubeless tire should not blow your mind.

I’ve done it once over the past seven years of tubeless riding, and did not find it so distressful, but I may have had a little microfiber towel I often carry for my glasses, wiping sweat, blowing my nose or whatever— old school dress habits I got from dad, I suppose; he always had a handkerchief— which would have made it even less dramatic. But really, having that wetness from the sealant helps the bead slide back onto the rim, so there are some upsides, too. Rub your hands together for a few seconds or a minute, and the sealant dries, pills, and falls right off, and doesn’t leave your hands sticky or anything.

I’d probably rather do the coarse work of tubing tubeless than patching an innertube, I think. It’s just easier to execute repair steps than it is to have to troubleshoot the source of the flat tube and then execute repair steps which may include sanding, waiting for vulcanizing, and pressing and holding the patch for a time.

I had a tubed clubmate flat twice on a ride a few weeks ago, and after dickin’ around for 15 minutes with the first one, getting a second flat 10 minutes down the road was too much for him, and he called in a pick up ride.

WhyFi

Yeah, I've had to use a tube in a tubeless tire on a couple occasions; it's not as big of a deal as non-tubeless users like to make it out to be. First, if the puncture isn't sealing, then the vast majority of the sealant is going to evacuate the system, anyway, and what's left is going to be a relatively light coating (or, in the more likely scenario, it'll be completely dry because the user neglected to check/top it off regularly, not that I'd ever do that... ).

GBK233

Even after my initial struggle with my OEM Gavias…..I’m sticking with tubeless. The vast majority of flats/leaks are very small and should be able to be handled by the sealant. On the side of the road…Inserting a tube into a tubeless tires shouldn’t be much more hassle than a clincher aside from dealing with some sealant. I would assume that breaking one side of the bead…and pouring out any sealant before adding a tube, would make the job easier.

WhyFi

Yup, but before you even get to that point, you should be rotating the puncture to the bottom of the tire to give the sealant a chance to do its job - either it'll seal, or the majority of the sealant will blow out.

tomato coupe

Not necessarily. With a major puncture, the tire sometimes goes flat so fast that most of the sealant remains in the tire.

WhyFi

Then rotate the cut to the bottom and let the sealant run out. The point is that, unlike how it's typically depicted by non-users, it's quite easy to avoid working with a tire that's sloshing sealant and that it's a "problem" that quite often takes care of itself, one way or another.

tomato coupe

It takes a long time for the sealant to ooze out of a puncture if there is no pressure behind it.

WhyFi

You're describing a scenario that I've never experienced.

I've had punctures seal without me ever noticing them. I've had punctures take a little while to seal, but eventually get there on their own, sometimes with the proper downward positioning of the cut. I've taken cuts that wouldn't quite seal on their own, but have held with a bacon strip. I've taken insta-flat large cuts that no sealant could ever address and required booting (in both of those instances, I let the sealant run out before breaking the bead).

Either you're describing something in a hyper-specific middle ground (a cut big enough that it'll [nearly] instantly depressurize the tire, but still small enough for the sealant to dribble out at no pressure) or you're describing a situation that was mishandled by the rider (not positioning the cut downward while there was still air pressure). The former is tough luck, and I wouldn't plan my approach based on something so rare, the latter is a learning opportunity.

tomato coupe

There's nothing "hyper-specific" about a scenario where a tube needs to be installed in a tubeless tire and there is still sealant in the tire. You're fortunate that you haven't experienced this, but many people have, including myself. It's not that unusual.

WhyFi

Then I would say that I'd take another look at what you're using and how you're using it. Any insta-flat should be a puncture big enough to drain (in addition to spewing massive amounts of sealant on its own). If it's smaller than that, but still doesn't quite seal, there should be time to point it down and/or use a plug.

Trsnrtr

I've only had to install a tube once in 6 years of running tubeless and it was no big deal. Sure, the bike needed cleaning but the sealant was dry by the time I got home and it was no big deal.

Regardless, I live in a region where cinders are often used in the winter and they are still in corners and odd places on the road even in the summer. They never seem to totally wash away. In the life of a tire, I usually find at least one orange spot, often a couple. I have a front tire at the moment with two orange sealed places. Only saw them by accident.. The system worked.

PeteHski

I just swapped over a set of tubeless tyres with no hassle whatsoever. I use Muc-off sealant, which is more like a thick paste that evenly coats the inside of the tyre rather than pooling up at the bottom like some do. It made very little mess and I could have easily fitted a tube if required. No tyre levers needed either. The residual sealant on the rim made a good lubricant for the bead and it sealed quite easily first time.

tomato coupe

Many people, including several on this thread, have dealt with sealant remaining in the tire when installing a tube. They’re not doing anything wrong - it just happens.

PeteHski

I just don't see the big deal here. Just pack a pair of disposable gloves with your tube (which is a good idea anyway when working on your bike at the roadside) and tip out any excess sealant before fitting the tube. Nine times out of ten you won't get to this last resort anyway.

tomato coupe

Yep, wear gloves and pour out as much sealant as you can.

WhyFi

I'm not denying that it happens. I'm saying that, the vast majority of the time, and if you play your cards right, you can minimize or completely eliminate the issue during the normal course of addressing the puncture. If one chooses to shrug their shoulders and watch the air leak out of the top of their tire, sealant pooled inside on the bottom, and if one chooses not to use a plug, then that's on them; I'm offering advice to those looking to minimize the roadside hassle, which is why most people go to tubeless in the first place.

Rodrigo Kenobi

About those GP5K TL tires.... A word of warning regarding Continental GP5000TL Basically, they say that the tires are way too tight, to the point that they're discouraging the usage of this tire if you have carbon rims, due to fear of damage caused by excessive force on tire levers.

Well..... I have carbon rims, and I'm thinking of switching to tubeless when my current GP5K clinchers wear out. And since the TL version seem to be highly regarded and reasonably priced, I was pretty set on them, but now I'm having second thoughts. Does anyone have experience with both the TL and non-TL versions? I know my clincher tires are tight, but I can still mount them without tools.

PeteHski

I don't have any experience with the Conti GP5k, but I can recommend Pirelli P-Zero Race TLRs as an alternative. Those fit on my Giant carbon rims easily without tyre levers.

Rodrigo Kenobi

I'll keep a lookout for those. They were in fact my first choice based on the research I've been doing for the last few days, but they seem to be very hard to find, especially the 28mm ones. Also, quite a lot more expensive than the GP5k.

PeteHski

I got the 30 mm Pirellis and they seem true to size on my rims. I know the first generation of Pirelli tubeless ready tyres measured up larger and they adjusted their sizing for the latest P-Zero Race TLR. I'm not sure how they compare against Contis in relative sizing.