Fixing flats on Tubeless
#1
City Explorer
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Fixing flats on Tubeless
Before I make the final decision to go tubeless on my FX 3. How easy is it to fix a flat on a tubeless tire if you get a Bigger gash the liquid sealer won’t seal?
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
#2
Senior Member
I have three tiers of flat protection with my tubeless - (1) sealant, (2) DynaPlugs and (3) inner tube.
I have never used the inner tube. I've used DynaPlugs 4 times. If they didn't work I'd put the tube in to get home, with a boot if necessary. I can't imagine trying to patch a tubeless tire on the roadside. I've been able to mount my tires all but once using a good floor pump, but no way you'd be able to re-seat a tubeless with a portable hand pump, and almost certainly not a battery powered pump. You need a large amount of air delivered quickly. CO2 cartridges work.
I have never used the inner tube. I've used DynaPlugs 4 times. If they didn't work I'd put the tube in to get home, with a boot if necessary. I can't imagine trying to patch a tubeless tire on the roadside. I've been able to mount my tires all but once using a good floor pump, but no way you'd be able to re-seat a tubeless with a portable hand pump, and almost certainly not a battery powered pump. You need a large amount of air delivered quickly. CO2 cartridges work.
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#3
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The tubeless tires on my Zipp 30 Course were a real B!TCH to get on in the first place so I couldn't imagine trying to get them off and on on the side of the road. Then you have to deal with the mess from the sealant. Finally my bike with tubeless tires is my winter - foul weather bike so I can't see in the middle of January trying to get a tube in on the side of the road.
So I stopped carrying a tube and if needed, i'll call it a day and get a ride home.
So I stopped carrying a tube and if needed, i'll call it a day and get a ride home.
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One problem with inserting a tube is that it doesn’t always place nice with the tire. Once I had no problem, but two other times I did. The first problem time it took me a couple of tries to get the tire seated correctly. The second time it wouldn’t. The valve stem attachment caused a bubble/wobble in the front tire. There just wasn’t enough room for it. Fortunately I was only about 6 flat miles from my car, so I rode back slowly.
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#5
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One problem with inserting a tube is that it doesn’t always place nice with the tire. Once I had no problem, but two other times I did. The first problem time it took me a couple of tries to get the tire seated correctly. The second time it wouldn’t. The valve stem attachment caused a bubble/wobble in the front tire. There just wasn’t enough room for it. Fortunately I was only about 6 flat miles from my car, so I rode back slowly.
There’s some tough trade-offs with going tubeless. My ultimate goal is reliability on a commuter bike.
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#6
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My tires are Bontrager AWS 2 and are 32mm. I have about 5000 miles on them and not a single flat. I ride them in the rain and winter with all the sand, glass, sticks and debris on the side of the road.
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#7
Senior Member
It depends where you ride if tubleess is worth it. In SoCal we get goathead stickers. They have ruined too many rides mixed pavement/dirt roads, for me while running tubes. With tubeless the sticker seals up no fuss no muss. I have had 3 sidewall punctures put a plug in and reinflate. I used to carry a tube for the first year when I went tubeless, never needed it.
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#8
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I’ve also looked at the Bontrager H5 Hardcase. They’re a lot lighter than the Schwalbe Marathon’s. The FX is a light and fast bike, it feels a bit wasteful to add a ton of extra tire weight to a high performance commuter bike.
#9
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#10
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There's nothing we can do about glass except hope to avoid it. So I don't really prepare for it. I carry 2oz of sealant in case I've slacked off and let the sealant in the tires dry out, some Dynaplugs, and a couple of CO2s. I've ditched the spare tube and the pump. If the tire is cut so bad that I can't plug it, I'd just rather make the call of shame. Limping home on a hastily-inserted tube that's trying to force a dollar bill out of a 1/2" long slash is not fun. It's nerve wracking at best, and I can do without it.
Honestly, tubeless + sealant will get you through 99% of rides. I have something like 1,550 rides recorded on Strava, and have had to insert a tube a handful of times (like five times in five years, which is why I stopped carrying them,) plug a few, and call for a ride just once. Honestly, most of the times I've been on the side of the road was my own fault, having not checked sealant levels for weeks or even months. The rest has been glass. Infernal, evil glass.
Honestly, tubeless + sealant will get you through 99% of rides. I have something like 1,550 rides recorded on Strava, and have had to insert a tube a handful of times (like five times in five years, which is why I stopped carrying them,) plug a few, and call for a ride just once. Honestly, most of the times I've been on the side of the road was my own fault, having not checked sealant levels for weeks or even months. The rest has been glass. Infernal, evil glass.
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#11
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There's nothing we can do about glass except hope to avoid it. So I don't really prepare for it. I carry 2oz of sealant in case I've slacked off and let the sealant in the tires dry out, some Dynaplugs, and a couple of CO2s. I've ditched the spare tube and the pump. If the tire is cut so bad that I can't plug it, I'd just rather make the call of shame. Limping home on a hastily-inserted tube that's trying to force a dollar bill out of a 1/2" long slash is not fun. It's nerve wracking at best, and I can do without it.
Honestly, tubeless + sealant will get you through 99% of rides. I have something like 1,550 rides recorded on Strava, and have had to insert a tube a handful of times (like five times in five years, which is why I stopped carrying them,) plug a few, and call for a ride just once. Honestly, most of the times I've been on the side of the road was my own fault, having not checked sealant levels for weeks or even months. The rest has been glass. Infernal, evil glass.
Honestly, tubeless + sealant will get you through 99% of rides. I have something like 1,550 rides recorded on Strava, and have had to insert a tube a handful of times (like five times in five years, which is why I stopped carrying them,) plug a few, and call for a ride just once. Honestly, most of the times I've been on the side of the road was my own fault, having not checked sealant levels for weeks or even months. The rest has been glass. Infernal, evil glass.
The tire just isn’t designed for anything but pavement.
#12
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I don't think I'd go tubeless on a road bike, if only as I ride a long way from home where walking back to the car is not an option. I run tubed tires on a tubeless rim and found the trick to changing a flat is to get the bead of the tire off the raised upper portion of the rim floor and into the center channel. That's easy to do once you figure it out and once you do, a tire lever works fine. Then a replacement tube goes in just fine and I've never had issues getting a tire designed for tubes to seat.
I run tubeless on my mt. bike and gravel bike. As I sometimes run road tires on separate wheels on the gravel I have a tube, CO2, mini-pump, tools, and a tubeless tire patch kit in my seat bag I'm almost always riding the mt. or gravel bike (in gravel mode) on a trail system that's a not killer walk to the car. I only just got a tubeless tire patch kit. No way to really test it so hope it works when needed.
I run tubeless on my mt. bike and gravel bike. As I sometimes run road tires on separate wheels on the gravel I have a tube, CO2, mini-pump, tools, and a tubeless tire patch kit in my seat bag I'm almost always riding the mt. or gravel bike (in gravel mode) on a trail system that's a not killer walk to the car. I only just got a tubeless tire patch kit. No way to really test it so hope it works when needed.
#13
Senior Member
The Pirelli Cincurato is the most puncture resistant tire tested by Bike Tire Rolling Resistance and reasonably fast. That might be an idea. I have ridden on Pirellis and they are awesome tires.
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#14
Non omnino gravis
#15
Senior Member
I would ride the Pirelli Velo without hesitation but neither of my bikes will take the 25s because they size large. But the Pirelli tires along with the Panaracer Race A put most tires to shame.
I rode the Pirelli on my friends bike. Heaven.
Above, Merlin Cycles has them for 43 but I don’t know about shipping.
I rode the Pirelli on my friends bike. Heaven.
Above, Merlin Cycles has them for 43 but I don’t know about shipping.
Last edited by Mulberry20; 05-19-20 at 07:22 PM.
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I’ve put a tube in a tubeless tire on two occasions. Other than it being a little messy, it is just like putting a tube in any other tire. I do not understand the comment about some tires not playing nice with tubes.
#18
Senior Member
I’ve had my tubeless bike since Feb 2018, I ride it about 1/2 the time and my Roubaix the other half. So in 27 months thats about 7,000 miles on each bike. Other than inserting a DynaPlug, I’ve never had to fix a tubeless flat. Most of the time I just keep rolling and the sealant does its thing. On the Roubaix I’ve had to stop and replace a tube maybe 8 or 9 times during the same period. IME tubeless is pretty darn reliable.
#19
Full Member
Before I make the final decision to go tubeless on my FX 3. How easy is it to fix a flat on a tubeless tire if you get a Bigger gash the liquid sealer won’t seal?
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
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Before I make the final decision to go tubeless on my FX 3. How easy is it to fix a flat on a tubeless tire if you get a Bigger gash the liquid sealer won’t seal?
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
The Tubeless tire repair kits are pretty straight forward. I wonder how easy the tubeless tire would be to re-seat on rim with a portable hand or battery powered pump.
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I switched to tubeless on my road bike a few years ago and will never ever go back. After trying a couple of different brands, I now only ride Hutchinsons.
I've never used a plug but do carry a pair of tubes and some boot material with me.
FWIW, I've not had a flat in 2+ years.
I've never used a plug but do carry a pair of tubes and some boot material with me.
FWIW, I've not had a flat in 2+ years.
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