WhyFi

Yeah - for gravel I would probably go wider, maybe even 650B.

Sure, LB were pretty tempting to me, also. In the end, availability in covid times played a big factor as did the lifetime warranty, not only for manufacturing defects but also for mild boneheadedness. I'm not completely inept, and I do have a spoke tensiometer, but it's nice to be able to send the wheel off for a rebuild if a spoke breaks rather than replace and maybe chase additional breaks.

The other major bonus for the Zipps - SO divisive. With many other brands, I'd have to explain who they were, where they were from, how much I paid, etc, etc and, even then, most people still wouldn't be sure if they should hate/love me and/or the wheels. I can't live with that kind of indifference.

guadzilla

You definitely should NOT be waving while riding them.

WhyFi

I don't, not unless I see an arm band.

NoWhammies

Wait. Isn't Rapha the only item/article that's allowed to claim that distinction?

WhyFi

I got the trifecta, bro - Cervelo, Zipp, and Rapha. If people don't cheer me, they jeer me.

sfrider 

Ha, I've got a Cervelo, ENVE SES, and Rapha. Maybe that's why every non-cyclist, overweight gym rat on a flat bar bike has to prove they're faster than me.

shona

I just jumped into this thread. At the suggestion of somebody I just got tubeless tires put on my road bike. Yes, I know nothing about them. My main question is how much pressure should I have in them? In my tube tires I ride on 100. Also, can I add air using the tubeless valve? I have many more questions but I'll keep it to these two for now. Thank you,

Trsnrtr

If you've been running 100 on regular tires of the same width, you can probably run 80 but you might want to try 85 first just to see how much deflection there is in the sidewall and yes, you air up just like a tubed tire.

sshakari

Had my tubeless setup for about 6 months. Initially, I put the recommended amount of sealant and 3 months later another 1 oz. Wondering if it is time to add more or take the old sealant out and just put fresh?

I've ridden about 1200 miles and don't know how many flats I had. I used to get a flat every other ride, now I don't pay attention. I am also asking because I have the Dura Ace C40 wheels and Shimano says not to use tire levers. Im sure I can just insert a tube and pull the old sealant out without taking tires off or its just as well to add another dose and deal with it later?

shona

I have been told to add sealant every three months.

WhyFi

With your previous flat frequency, you're probably due (or overdue) for some sealant at that kind of mileage. Leaving the tires in place is certainly the most convenient. If your valves will allow a sealant syringe tube to pass all the way through, it's best to suck it out and a) see if it's still in good shape (watery/thin is no good - it should be more like the consistency of half & half) and b) how much is left.

For some people, that might be overkill. For others, it could leave them without puncture protection after the first 4-5 weeks. You really should check it if you don't want any surprises on a ride.

Trsnrtr

I use a syringe through the valve body and did a fluid check last week after 3 months and a 1,000 miles or so. They started with 2 oz and were down between 0.5 oz. and 0.75 oz. since I had already sucked the used fluid out, I put new in. Took all of 15 minutes.

crazyravr

I went TL this summer. It was great until I recently got a flat. It was a cut in the tire that sealant would not seal, but it did let me get home 5km. That made me realize how much simpler it would be to stop, replace tube, pump and go. No more TL on road bike for me.

WhyFi

How big of a cut? And what sealant were you using? Did you have plugs?

sshakari

I did the same. Very simple and worked like a charm. Pulled old out & topped with new 2oz per wheel. Cheers!

crazyravr

Stans sealant. 1/8-1/4" cut. I tried to plug but they popped out. I added more sealant at home hoping it would seal up. Nope. Went back to tubes and will deal with the few punctures I get per year over my 10K km + riding.

WhyFi

Well, there ya go.

Pizzaiolo Americano 

Yep. Stans does not work great at higher pressures. I use it on MTBs but use Orange Seal on road bikes.

WhyFi

I honestly blame Stan's for about 80% of bad reputation that road tubeless has. Generally, people are willing to put up with a little futzing here and there if something works as advertised, but when early road tubeless adopters had piss poor results when carrying over Stan's, it just started the chorus of "tubeless is great for MTB but doesn't work for road!"

Pizzaiolo Americano 

Honestly, I was one of those. Rode tubeless MTBs for years using Stans. Once I decided to go tubeless on my road bikes, I had issues with it not sealing. I almost went back to tubes but tried Orange Seal on a whim (and maybe some advice here) and was happy. It works great at high pressure.

noodle soup

I was one of those guys. 23mm tires, high pressures, and Stan’s sealant just doesn’t work. Now I love tubeless road. 23mm internal width hoops, 30mm tires, 60psi, and TruckerCo cream II works great.

DangerousDanR

+1 on using Stans and failing, but working fine on Orange Seal. And I run 105 PSI because even after a major weight loss I am still at a slim trim 105-110 kilograms.

fried bake

So the Schwalbe Pro One TLE are on their way out. 900 miles and I think that, while a good intro to tubeless, there are probably better out there. The good: Sticky, grippy, sponge cake armchair ride. The bad: random rear tire failure (no cuts) with a sidewall leak while descending. Still no idea what caused this to happen. Anyway, installed a tube which lasted just a couple rides before another puncture. And, at that point, it was time for a change.

Today I installed the Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance11 Storm (who names these?) and went on inaugural ride. Mounted them right out the box with only a single tire lever for the last bit. They inflated and held air straight away with floor pump. So, easier to mount than the Schwalbe, even though they feel thicker, less supple in hand. As for the ride: no discernible difference in ride quality (which is a good thing) but I’m hoping for better reliability. Will report back after a couple hundred miles but so far I’m pleased with the decision. Shipped in two days from Merlin, and still cheaper than anywhere in the USA (even with the $27 shipping fee).

WhyFi

I was riding those Hutchinsons prior to the Pro One Addix TLE. They were fine, but I think that the Addix have a more supple ride and, on two occasions, with two different tires, they did take cuts that were just a little too large to seal on their own; it could have been coincidental, but those are a rare experience for me, so the fact that two took the same kind of damage was suspect.