Tubeless or not tubeless??

[Graash]

I have a set of Maxxis Larser TT Tubeless tyres on my spare bike (which I just bought) which I am considering putting on my race bike. I have a few questions though:

 

1) If I get a puncture while far out in the mountain/bush, what if the tyres sealant does not fill the hole and I am stuck out there with a flat tyre? And is the tyre sealant guaranteed to fill the hole?

 

2) How often does one need to re-fill the sealant in the tyre?

 

3) Can I put the tubeless tyres on with tubes in them instead of tubeless?

 

4) What is the benefit of going tubeless, puncture resistance?

[wynandvdmerwe]

just do it,you will never look back...

[MrJacques]

1) Take a spare tube and pump. The sealant can only fill holes up to a certain size and won't generally work on side-wall cuts.

2) Depends on the type of sealant you use. I've used slime pro and only needed to fill it up after 6 months

3) yes, but it's a bit pointless

4) in my experience, no pinch flats (which tends to happen often on rocky terrain), you can run lower pressure which adds comfort and traction and the sealant does seem to work better with tubeless than with tubes. Never had any problems with punctures while running tubeless.

 

Definitely worth the upgrade!

Edited January 7, 2012 by Jacquers

[RiderX]

Id recommend tubeless over traditional tubes and wheels anytime especially since you already seems to have most of the stuff needed. The main advantages are avoidance of pinch flats aswell as normal punctures.

 

It is possible to use a tube inside a tubeless tyre, it will then function just like a normal mtb tyre. You should carry atleast one tube with puncture repair kit with you at all times since it can happen that you hit something nasty like a nail or barbed wire and then get a huge hole in your tyre that will not seal. Another possibility is damaging the tyre bead by riding with underinflated tyres, going over ectremely rough terrain or landing a jump badly (if you jump your bike). This is difficult to fix in the field and mostly will require you to temporarily put in a tube until the end of your ride. Remember to thoroughly check the tyre for thorns and debris before inserting the tube.

 

Sealant needs to be replaced now and then, about twice a year depending on how much you've used. Take the wheel of and shake it around a bit to hear how much sealant is still sloshing around inside. I use Stans sealant which is cheaper than many of the others and easy to find. From personal experience I've found that it is possible to keep the old sealant and just top up with more as needed. Some bike shops disagrees with this, best to research, experiment and find out for yourself. Remember to always inflate the tyre with the valve stem near the top.

[Graash]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. Need new tyres on my race bike anyway, so why not go tubeless then. I was just worried about the puncture out in the bush or mountain and then being stuck with the flat and not being able to repair it. But if you say carry a spare tube anyway, and it can be put in in extreme circumstances then that's cool.

[steve61]

Tubes are just so yesterday ..... like morse code!!

[Squier]

Tubeless. Just carry plugs with you for big punctures and a spare tube for sidewall cuts.

[reteid]

tubeless all the way.best thing i have done on the bike.

[rouxtjie]

I have a set of Maxxis Larser TT Tubeless tyres on my spare bike (which I just bought) which I am considering putting on my race bike. I have a few questions though:

 

1) If I get a puncture while far out in the mountain/bush, what if the tyres sealant does not fill the hole and I am stuck out there with a flat tyre? And is the tyre sealant guaranteed to fill the hole? It will stop most punctures, if not plug the hole with a rubber worm and bomb. Tip: carry electric tape with you and tape over the plug going on the outside of the tyre and rim twice. Why? : If you ride straight after fixing your puncture the worms sometimes gets pulled out by the terrain again, the tape gives it enough time to settle and "glue" with the sealant

 

2) How often does one need to re-fill the sealant in the tyre? My rule of thumb, every 8 months...with the stan's injector you will do two tyres before your beer is finished

 

3) Can I put the tubeless tyres on with tubes in them instead of tubeless? Yes but that is pointless.

 

4) What is the benefit of going tubeless, puncture resistance? Yes its puncture resistant but for me the greatest benefit is that because you can run lower pressure, you have more grip that in turn gives you more confidence.