rbrides

Is anyone still riding with tubes on their gravel bike? Since jumping into gravel riding and bikepacking several years ago, I've ridden only tubeless. However, I thought it would be a good thing to clean out all the old Stans sealant and add new. Now, I cannot get the tire to seat properly, and I've tried everything I know. It's crazy. Instead of continuing to fight it, I thought I could just install tubes, since the TWI show lots of tread still on the tire. Thus, I'm curious; is anyone riding their gravel bikes with tubes?

tFUnK

Yes, while I also like tubeless, I've gone back to tubes (TPU) because they're light/supple and I tend to switch out tires often so tubes are less messy.

Andrew R Stewart 

Of course there are. Perhaps we just don't feel the need to post about it Andy

choddo

What are you using to inflate them ?

Steve B.

I have 2 mt. bikes that are tubeless, yet kept the gravel and road bikes tubed. I just find tubes easier to deal with, I've been riding 35 years and am pretty proficient at changing a flat, as well I rarely get flats.

Andrew R Stewart 

An air pump when at home. A frame pump and a CO2 when on the ride. Andy

choddo

the latter matters the most really.

frdfandc

A little soapy water around the bead will help the tire to fully seat. Also an air compressor or a floor pump that can introduce a lot of air at one time can help.

choddo

What’s an air pump? Like an air line on a compressor?

edit: Sorry just realised I didn’t quote the OP originally. That’s who I meant to ask.

choddo

Yeah that’s exactly what I was going to suggest. A bit of soap and a track pump with a reservoir (or a compressor) usually do the trick.

rccardr 

Gravel and tubes works for me.
Never had a flat on gravel,either.

brooklyn_bike

also cross posted in the thread "Do tires (tubeless) not hold air as well as they age?"

i've heard and read this to be a problem with tubeless. the handful of my friends who have at least one bike tubeless wheelset have discussed the pros and cons. one con being : if they have to remove the tire for some reason - they can't get the tire to seal again well enough and end up tossing the tire and having to buy a new one . seems like one of the bigger potential downside to tubeless

brooklyn_bike

OP describes same problem you're having : https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...-they-age.html

Just curious - I recently swapped in some used tires I had that still had some life left in the tread on my gravel bike. Same rims the tires were originally on. I'm used to tubeless tires going through phases where they seem to fluctuate in how well they maintain pressure when new (at least this has been my experience) as the sealant does its thing, but these tires just aren't settling back in and stabilizing. I've gone over them and I don't think there's any leaks at the valve stems, and the bead is seated all the way round. I don't see sealant coming out anywhere. I've put in a double dose of sealant too. Could it be that older rubber gets more porous as it's more dried out? These have been sitting in a hot garage for the better part of a year.

Steve B.

Having ridden for 4 years on tubeless mt. bikes, I certainly see the advantages for a gravel riding situation. I run much less air on my mt. bikes, around 15-20 psi and the ride is terrific. I’m just too lazy to bother setting up my gravel wheels for tubeless.

frdfandc

Until the sealant creates a thick enough layer on the inside of the tire, air will leak out. Takes several days of riding to get the sealant evenly distributed around the inside of the tire/rim. As long as everything is mounted up properly, and the right amount of sealant used, the tire will eventually seal. Been tubeless on my MTB for years. Some tires leak more than others. Especially old used tires.

squirtdad

Jan Heine of Rene Herse fame or infamy often uses tubes depending here is a pretty good write up on tubelss https://www.renehersecycles.com/tubeless-faq/

rbrides

I use an air compressor with a presta valve air guage attachment.