Tubeless Back to Tubes
09-09-21, 01:30 PM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Eastern VA
Posts: 1,718
Bikes: 2022 Fuel EX 8, 2021 Domane SL6, Black Beta (Nashbar frame), 2004 Trek 1000C for the trainer
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 266 Post(s)
Liked 447 Times
in
266 Posts
I’ve been thinking about going TL when I wear out the tires on my Domane SL6. I had to buy the plastic rim strips and valves extra. Anyway two days ago I was talking to the local bike shop owner about the switch. He’s been tubeless for years. He said it is best to pull the trek plastic strip is switching. Unless your on the road like mentioned above. Otherwise new tube tires can be tougher to mount. I like your plan to give it another go before bailing on TL. The higher end than mine Treks come ready but not set up. If the shop set them they may have sat for a time and need sealant. Good luck and please update here. That way if it does not work for you and later me then I will have been warned. 
09-09-21, 02:25 PM
#52
Shawn of the Dead
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 578
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 448 Times
in
216 Posts
I’ve been thinking about going TL when I wear out the tires on my Domane SL6. I had to buy the plastic rim strips and valves extra. Anyway two days ago I was talking to the local bike shop owner about the switch. He’s been tubeless for years. He said it is best to pull the trek plastic strip is switching. Unless your on the road like mentioned above. Otherwise new tube tires can be tougher to mount. I like your plan to give it another go before bailing on TL. The higher end than mine Treks come ready but not set up. If the shop set them they may have sat for a time and need sealant. Good luck and please update here. That way if it does not work for you and later me then I will have been warned.
As has been mentioned in this thread a dedicated tubeless sealant injector will make the whole tubeless thing easier from both a set up and maintenance standpoint.. Once I get mine I will most likely aspirate the sealant from the front tire and reapply all new.
Likes For Rdmonster69:
09-09-21, 03:07 PM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 3,834
Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Focus Mares AL, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Volae Team, Nimbus MUni
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 892 Post(s)
Liked 2,052 Times
in
1,074 Posts
On the topic of tubeless to tubed (not VS). On a couple recent long rides I had two experiences of putting a tube in a tubeless tire, on the side of the road, then continuing the multi day rides. What I experienced in both cases was the tire softening within a few miles.
The first time, I assumed the tube was punctured, probably by a piece of glass or other item in the tire, and I attempted a repair. Oddly, i could not find either a hole in the tube or anything inside the tire. I put in another tube and carried on. That tire required multiple top-offs over the next day or so.
The second occasion, I simply topped off the tubed tire over the course of a day or so. It holds air to this day.
So here's my theory, arrived at over a few hundred miles of cycling and noodling on slow air loss after tubing a tubeless setup: inflating the tube inside a tubeless setup, eventually the tire seats and seals, possibly trapping air outside the tube. Further pumping compresses air both inside and outside the tube. The air outside the tube slowly leaks out, at the (unsealed) valve stem, and through whatever tubeless failure led to the tube installation in the first place. This will continue until all the air in the gap is gone.
Which is all leading to, when going tubeless to tubed, beware what look like slow leaks. To prevent, replace tubeless tape with porous rim tape. Use tires designed for tubes.
The first time, I assumed the tube was punctured, probably by a piece of glass or other item in the tire, and I attempted a repair. Oddly, i could not find either a hole in the tube or anything inside the tire. I put in another tube and carried on. That tire required multiple top-offs over the next day or so.
The second occasion, I simply topped off the tubed tire over the course of a day or so. It holds air to this day.
So here's my theory, arrived at over a few hundred miles of cycling and noodling on slow air loss after tubing a tubeless setup: inflating the tube inside a tubeless setup, eventually the tire seats and seals, possibly trapping air outside the tube. Further pumping compresses air both inside and outside the tube. The air outside the tube slowly leaks out, at the (unsealed) valve stem, and through whatever tubeless failure led to the tube installation in the first place. This will continue until all the air in the gap is gone.
Which is all leading to, when going tubeless to tubed, beware what look like slow leaks. To prevent, replace tubeless tape with porous rim tape. Use tires designed for tubes.
Last edited by downtube42; 09-09-21 at 03:11 PM.
Likes For downtube42:
09-09-21, 03:31 PM
#54
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 6,866
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7 AXS, Trek Emonda ALR AXS, Trek FX 5 Sport
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 761 Post(s)
Liked 1,719 Times
in
1,004 Posts
Get a syringe-type sealant injector/remover (like this - https://www.amazon.com/KOM-Cycling-T...4XR/ref=sr_1_5) so that you can easily check your sealant levels periodically.
__________________
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Last edited by jaxgtr; 09-09-21 at 03:37 PM.
09-10-21, 11:43 AM
#55
Senior Member
now, if you haven’t done it already, figure out the right tire inflation and enjoy.
Likes For JohnJ80:
09-13-21, 09:06 PM
#56
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I gave up on tubeless on my bikes because of the number of them I have (somewhere around a dozen), which means that any one bike can easily not be ridden for two or three months, and more often than not, if it's setup tubeless, when I come back to it I'll find that the sealant has solidified in the lowest part of the tyres. OTOH, my wife only has three bikes, and does probably 95% of her riding on the one bike, so I've set that one up tubeless, which has been quite a success from the point of view of avoidance of punctures - I don't think she has had a puncture on that one since I set it up tubeless several years ago.
I've switched my own bikes to using the lightweight TPU tubes, most of which weigh somewhere between 40g and 60g depending on the size, though you can get extremely light ones down to 25g or so.
I've switched my own bikes to using the lightweight TPU tubes, most of which weigh somewhere between 40g and 60g depending on the size, though you can get extremely light ones down to 25g or so.
09-16-21, 09:11 PM
#57
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Nick, what's the ride quality like on the TPU tubes? I typically use Vittoria latex tubes in 25c and 28c sizes. Do you notice any difference in ride quality with TPU?
