[igere]

Let me first say that I have been running a set of Race Lite Wheels and Jones ACX TR 2.2 on a Fuel EX9 for about three months now with tubes because I wasn't sure if there was any advantage [for me] to go tubeless. I've been using this setup in a lot of sandy & hardpack conditions and they've been a little slow, so I figured I'd give tubeless a try to see if it made any difference before trying a different tire.

Since I can't ever just let my poor bike sit when I'm not riding it, I decided to ditch the tubes and add Super Juice yesterday before a 16 mile trail ride (probably not smart but what the heck). The whole process was very easy from start to finish - it only took about 15 minutes per wheel! I aired them up to 40 psi and hit the trail. My first impressions is that at 40psi tubeless feels a lot firmer than 40psi with a traditional tube? Anyway, after airing them down to around 30psi they felt better. I had no leaks, and at the end of the ride they had only lost about 2-3psi, less than my tubes usually loose. Both tires lost about 4-5 psi overnight, but nothing major.

Here's my question. Other than the obvious weight savings, no more pinch flats which I rarely get anyway, and ability to run lower psi, what are the pros/cons to tubeless? How low can I go in terms of psi (I weigh 205 and am fairly aggressive)? Anything else I should know about running tubeless.

Thanks.

 

[shortpull]

you pretty much hit on all the pros there. the biggest con i've come across is a susceptability to sidewall tears. they won't seal with fluid, and may even be large enough to be tough to put a boot in. but it depends on how rocky it is where you ride. if you start seeing tears, you may want to switch to regular tubeless tires, as opposed to bontrager's "tubeless ready". regular tubeless tires have thicker sidewalls (and corresponding weight penalty).

as far as knowing the lower limit on psi. it depends on the tire/rim combo, how much you weigh, and where you ride. if 30psi worked, run 2-3 pounds lower and try it out. keep going lower until the tire starts burping air during hard cornering, or you start hitting the rim while riding over tough terrain, or if you don't like the way it rides. it's a little different for everyone.

 

[Thought Criminal 9]

My Impressions

Here's my impressions for Jones XR TR both front and rear:

- Light for UST.
- Good tread pattern for loose, rocky or hard pack surfaces.
- The front version is a fat 2.25.
- Nice looking

- Two pin-holes and one gash already in the rear so it's looking like there is a penalty for the light-weight casing.
- Rolling resistance seems a little high at low to medium pressures.
- Sealant is still necessary. I started with 37 grams of Bonty's sealant in each tire but that didn't last long. I am running about 50 grams now and they seem to be sealing better.
- They weighed a lot more than stated on the package.

A good start for tubeless ready technology. I am still running them after a month so I am fairly happy with them.