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Tubeless on the road


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Wow, I have had really bad luck since switching to tubeless.

Blaming luck and not the tyres at this stage because there is no way to tell how a trusty Gatorskin or my old GP4000's would have coped.

 

My pair of Giant Gavia AC 1 (25mm) lasted about 1000/2500km (F / R)

Giant Gavia AC2 (28mm) rear lasted 2500km.

They all suffered cuts that just sprayed sealant everywhere. no slow death, just catastrophic failure.

I did have one puncture that sealed without me knowing - other than that they have been a disaster.

 

On the plus side, the 28's are plush, especially with lower pressure.

They are heavy though...

 

It's been an expensive trial and error process. Like I say above, not sure if it's luck or the tyre (Giant or tubeless itself) and there is no way of knowing how a different tyre would have coped.

Not sure if I should try a different brand or switch back to ordinary tubed tyres (like GP5000 and Tubolito's).

I've got the Gavia's 25mm on my bike, not sure if AC1 or AC2, they've done around 1000km, no issues with punctures or cuts (so far).

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Looks like the GP5000 has the best protection of the more racier options, maybe thats why it is also slightly heavy at 300g for a 25C

 

Would love to run a 28C, but think I might struggle to fit one at the back

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Wow, I have had really bad luck since switching to tubeless.

Blaming luck and not the tyres at this stage because there is no way to tell how a trusty Gatorskin or my old GP4000's would have coped.

 

My pair of Giant Gavia AC 1 (25mm) lasted about 1000/2500km (F / R)

Giant Gavia AC2 (28mm) rear lasted 2500km.

They all suffered cuts that just sprayed sealant everywhere. no slow death, just catastrophic failure.

I did have one puncture that sealed without me knowing - other than that they have been a disaster.

 

On the plus side, the 28's are plush, especially with lower pressure.

They are heavy though...

 

It's been an expensive trial and error process. Like I say above, not sure if it's luck or the tyre (Giant or tubeless itself) and there is no way of knowing how a different tyre would have coped.

Not sure if I should try a different brand or switch back to ordinary tubed tyres (like GP5000 and Tubolito's).

 

I tried the Giant Gavia's - they originally came with my bike, they were a disaster for me too. I remember a late Thursday evening being stuck in a dodgy part of Woodstock cursing and covered in sealant. There is a Gavia version 2 out now from what I've seen on a friend's new bike - not sure if its any better.

 

Try the GP5000 TLs - and no I don't work for continental or a bikeshop :).

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I've been running Continental GP5000 TL since December last year when they were launched - I'm using Continental revosealant and I fitted them myself at home with a floor pump. So far looking at Strava I've done around 8,000 kms over 9 months with zero punctures. I'm running 25c tyres at around 80psi - makes for a smooth ride.

 

I've tried a set of Schwalbe's and they didn't work for me, they both got cut badly by glass in the space of a month. There is always some luck involved - but I've recommended the GP5000's to two other guys and the one has been ridding a month since switching also without any issues.

 

So yeah I would go as so far as to highly recommend GP5000TL with revosealant - its working well for me so far [emoji106]

Hm... have GP5000s but been running them with tubes. Have Revosealant at home... time to give it a try I think...
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Maybe the lower the pressures are more prone to tyres cutting. I always run my tyres at 95 psi.

I wouldn't dare run them at lower than 80 psi for fear they would unseat at 80km/h down Kloof Nek!

Have GP5000 28s. Find that higher pressures give me more punctures, not less. I weigh 85 and run 6 bar rear and 5 bar front. Rarely get a puncture but go up one bar and its a puncture every second or third ride - at least, sometimes more.
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I have had Gavia (I think 28mm AC1's)  since i got a new bike in January. I am sold sold on tubeless. Haven't had a puncture in about 2000km, although at one point I a had continual slow leak until I topped up the sealant. The bike feels fantastic compared to its (aluminium framed) predecessor, although i cant say if that is because it is a carbon frame or because of the tubeless wheels. I guess probably a combination.

 

My positive attitude will probably change once i have a catastrophic puncture and have to Uber my way home though.

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It's been an expensive trial and error process. Like I say above, not sure if it's luck or the tyre (Giant or tubeless itself) and there is no way of knowing how a different tyre would have coped.

Not sure if I should try a different brand or switch back to ordinary tubed tyres (like GP5000 and Tubolito's).

 

I was thinking of going to Tubeless route but decided against it. Using normal GP5000, almost 600km done with no issues. Still early days but loving how they roll.

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 I weigh 85 and run 6 bar rear and 5 bar front.

How do they run at these lower pressures?  Don't feel too flat?

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Hm... have GP5000s but been running them with tubes. Have Revosealant at home... time to give it a try I think...

 

Just double check the type before your convert, there is a difference between the normal GP5000 and the tubeless version. The tubeless version is GP5000TL (for tubeless), its a slightly thicker+heavier tyre with more of a raised hook profile to fit into tubeless compatible rims. It actually has a slightly lower rolling resistance than the normal GP5000 from what I recall.

 

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/continental-grand-prix-5000-tl-2018

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How do they run at these lower pressures?  Don't feel too flat?

 

I weight 83 atm and I run around 80 psi, feels great! I've gone as low as 60 psi on the tubeless setup. 60 psi does start feeling a bit flat when your climbing, but very cushy on poor road surfaces - sadly becoming more common around part of the Cape Peninsula ... 

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How do they run at these lower pressures? Don't feel too flat?

I am 93kg on a good day. I run my Schwalbe Pro Ones at 5bar.(25c wide,but they measure out to 27mm wide on the rim)

 

Plush ride, while still super stable going down those fast descents at 947 and Amashova, not squirmy at all.

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Just double check the type before your convert, there is a difference between the normal GP5000 and the tubeless version. The tubeless version is GP5000TL (for tubeless), its a slightly thicker+heavier tyre with more of a raised hook profile to fit into tubeless compatible rims. It actually has a slightly lower rolling resistance than the normal GP5000 from what I recall.

 

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/continental-grand-prix-5000-tl-2018

 

Thanks for that. I'll check my tyres out - think that they are not TL. Interesting that the tube type has a much higher TPI. Should in theory have a lower rolling resistance then (?).

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  • 2 months later...

Early days for the 28c GP5000 TL on my road bike, but so far so good. They were a fair old mission to get fitted by hand on my DT Swiss rims, but once on and with application of a bit of soapy water between hook and bead, they seated first time using a Lezyne chamber-pump. added 60lm of Ryder TL sealant and pumped up again, and the job was done.

 

the proof is in the pudding, so let's see how it goes

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Tubeless is a learning process indeed.    Previously running tubeless on my MTB was something I had to learn how to prep and fit and seal the wheels.   Now I can do it quickly.    I thought the same processes would apply when I went tubeless on my gravel bike, but it was a new learning process especially because of the higher pressures as opposed to MTB wheels.    It is easy to run tubeless om 2 bar wheels, but when you run it on 4 bar or higher pressure wheels then different challenges present themselves.   Unfortunately I cannot comment on the road bike wheels and running tubeless, but I guess the higher pressures also present some different getting used to methods.  Luckily once you understand your wheels and how to make them work and keep working tubeless, then the tubeless route becomes a no brainer and it is hard to go back to tubes.

 

On the 947 I noticed many people next to the road fixing wheels and fitting new tubes, lucky I wasn't one of them - But when I got home I noticed sealant that sprayed against my seatpost - After inspection of the rear wheel I was able to find 2 places where sealant was excreted and found the small holes - luckily sealed fine and the wheel still had good pressure ...

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