Bitten by Tubeless
#201
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Until they develop a tubeless system that either doesn’t require sealant or one where you NEVER have to add sealant I have no interest. Would you buy tires for your car that you had to add sealant every 4 months?…I like to be able to install my own tired, tubeless is just too complicated.
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Until they develop a tubeless system that either doesn’t require sealant or one where you NEVER have to add sealant I have no interest. Would you buy tires for your car that you had to add sealant every 4 months?…I like to be able to install my own tired, tubeless is just too complicated.
But with car tires when you get a flat you have to use a spare wheel that you carry around in the car. And most everyone cant easily change tires at home.
So if we went the car tire route in terms of tolerances and fitting, We would all need to carry a 3rd wheel with us and bring our bikes in to the shop for a flat. Also, car tires are significantly tougher so they flat less often. We could do that with bike tires, but then everyone would be riding around with some awful tire that is the spawn of a Schwalbe Marathon and a Conti Gatorskin.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both.
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Until they develop a tubeless system that either doesn’t require sealant or one where you NEVER have to add sealant I have no interest. Would you buy tires for your car that you had to add sealant every 4 months?…I like to be able to install my own tired, tubeless is just too complicated.
Lot of faff if you have a N+many situation.
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Until they develop a tubeless system that either doesn’t require sealant or one where you NEVER have to add sealant I have no interest. Would you buy tires for your car that you had to add sealant every 4 months?…I like to be able to install my own tired, tubeless is just too complicated.
Last edited by alcjphil; 09-01-21 at 07:55 AM.
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#208
Junior Member
Nice to get a NON-SARCASTIC, VERY helpful response, will strongly consider giving tubeless another try at least on my gravel bike.
#209
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#210
Senior Member
It is a less than elegant solution compared to car tires.
But with car tires when you get a flat you have to use a spare wheel that you carry around in the car. And most everyone cant easily change tires at home.
So if we went the car tire route in terms of tolerances and fitting, We would all need to carry a 3rd wheel with us and bring our bikes in to the shop for a flat. Also, car tires are significantly tougher so they flat less often. We could do that with bike tires, but then everyone would be riding around with some awful tire that is the spawn of a Schwalbe Marathon and a Conti Gatorskin.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both.
But with car tires when you get a flat you have to use a spare wheel that you carry around in the car. And most everyone cant easily change tires at home.
So if we went the car tire route in terms of tolerances and fitting, We would all need to carry a 3rd wheel with us and bring our bikes in to the shop for a flat. Also, car tires are significantly tougher so they flat less often. We could do that with bike tires, but then everyone would be riding around with some awful tire that is the spawn of a Schwalbe Marathon and a Conti Gatorskin.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both.
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#211
Junior Member
I have ridden tubeless without sealant. In fact I just installed new Hutchinson Fusion5 All Season tires on my Campagnolo Shamal wheels. The front holds air really well and the rear loses about 20 psi after 24 hours. I may decide to install sealant in the rear tire and leave the front as is. Of course, without sealant I lose some flat protection, but I seldom flat anyway even though I have often ridden without in the past. My tires can be installed without using tire levers and inflated With an ordinary track pump. Takes less time than installing a tubed tire because I don't have to fiddle with getting the tube inside the tire
#212
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... and to help seal the tire and wheel. They aren't perfect interfaces and the sealant helps seal it all up. So the sole purpose of sealant is to seal.
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#213
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In automotive applications there are such a thing as bead sealant, even if liquid sealant, like in bikes are not used. Conceivably such a bead sealer could be used in a bike wheel, is you want an air tight bike wheel without liquid latex in it.
https://www.rematiptop.com/products/...-products.html
https://www.rematiptop.com/products/...-products.html
#214
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#216
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It's not easy to continually address the strong, negative opinions of people that have little-to-no practical experience and to do so with a smile. Maybe *you* should try a different tack when you're clearly out of you element?
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I'm a big believer in tubeless - for me, it requires much less work and it allows me to (generally) pick and choose where and when to do the work. That said, if you're really getting one or two punctures per 5k miles, I wouldn't bother - I'd stick with tubes.
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#219
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A tubeless fail experience...
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
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#220
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I like the 5K tubed… but I’ve given up on them tubeless.
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#221
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A tubeless fail experience...
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
I really am starting to feel that the GP5k will be to Conti what the ProRace3 was to Michelin.
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#222
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A tubeless fail experience...
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
4 miles into my ride last Sunday morning, I hit something that slashed the sidewall of my rear Conti GP50KTL. It went flat pretty quickly. I pulled the wheel off the bike, and tried rolling the tire around on its side to get sealant to the site of the cut, and hit it with a small shot of CO2. Nope - it wouldn't seal. I pried the bead off to pop in a tube without an issue, and noticed that there wasn't any liquid sealant left in the tire, despite a recent 20ml top-off. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the nut on the tubeless stem to budge, and it just wouldn't. When I reached my limit for how much pain I would tolerate in my fingertips trying to turn that nut, I called an Uber for a ride home.
Inspecting the tire the next day, I found a pretty clean 1/2" long cut perpendicular to the bead. I reassembled the tire with a fresh load of sealant, but it just wouldn't seal. I pulled it apart again, and threw the tire in the trash. Maybe I could have patched the tire from the inside, or booted it and run a tube, but I choose to just get a new tire.
This wasn't really a failure of the tire. I wouldn't expect that a tubed tire to have survived the same slice, either. It was a failure of the tubeless system...or my lack of carrying pliers (not something I've ever carried)...or me ignorantly tightening the valve stem nut too tight.
This is the second time I've had a sidewall slash issue cause a flat with the GP5KTL. Maybe it's time to try a different tire.
#223
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IMHO - the GP5k isn't really a very good tire. It just cuts too easily. The nature of tubeless makes those cuts feel even more catastrophic - even though as you say a tubed version will suffer the same fate.
I really am starting to feel that the GP5k will be to Conti what the ProRace3 was to Michelin.
I really am starting to feel that the GP5k will be to Conti what the ProRace3 was to Michelin.
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#224
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I carry Stan's darts on my MTB, but I haven't been carrying anything for my road bikes. Lesson learned.
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#225
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IMHO - the GP5k isn't really a very good tire. It just cuts too easily. The nature of tubeless makes those cuts feel even more catastrophic - even though as you say a tubed version will suffer the same fate.
I really am starting to feel that the GP5k will be to Conti what the ProRace3 was to Michelin.
I really am starting to feel that the GP5k will be to Conti what the ProRace3 was to Michelin.