[mtnbkrdr98]

Being that I have Cross Max Enduro wheels and Smilycook has recommended going tubeless, I did a quick keyword search on the wheels board to get some info.

Sounds like the main advantage for here is major flat resistance to goatheads.
I'm not sure if that applies without stans though?

Next is pinch flat resistance, lower pressures (better traction), and possibly lower rolling resistance.

Sooo, who is running tubeless around here and what are your thoughts? I've been wanting to do this, maybe.

I am very stubborn to change from tubes, yet so hate changing flats!

All I need are the tires and some Stans, I already have the valve conversion kit.


Thanks a bunch

 

[laffeaux]

I run tubes and tubless on different bikes. Tubeless has fewer flats, but they're a bigger pain to deal with when you do get them (ripped sidewalls, blown tire of rim, etc.) since you have to deal with the sealant goign everywhere. Tubeless tires cost more, but the tubes cost less (although still carry an extra just in case you rip a sidewall).

For foothills riding, if you get a lot of goat heads, it's an improvement. If not, there's no real difference as the lower pressures don't really matter.

It's a bit of a wash in the end. If you need new tires, try it out, but I don't think it's worth spending a lot of money to "upgrade."

 

[smilycook]

never go back

I almost always wear out a tire before I ever get a flag with tubless and stans, sometimes in the hot summer my stans dries out but it is a minor hastle compared to not getting flats.

I no longer buy thin sidewalled tires so that is not an issue and I like the lower pressure especially on the steep climbs and descents. Stop beating around the bush and go for it.

Why don't you just put the valve in and then put stans in and blow up your current tires as tubeless, stans will seal a non-tubless tire on a tubeless rim. Now you have no new cost and are flat free.

 

[garnetspur]

my experience is that the tubeles just ride better. actually allows the tire to conform to the trail and hook up better.

you'll feel a difference immediately.

don't know if tubeless is a great idea if you're hucking around and stuff though.

especially if you're going to use "non tubeless" tires which have a thin, less reinforced sidwall.

you can easily roll one of these off the rim if you're running way low air pressure.

for a regular, boring x-c ride. tubeless is the way to go.

 

[mtnbkrdr98]

They must work for big drops and such

my experience is that the tubeles just ride better. actually allows the tire to conform to the trail and hook up better.

you'll feel a difference immediately.

don't know if tubeless is a great idea if you're hucking around and stuff though.

especially if you're going to use "non tubeless" tires which have a thin, less reinforced sidwall.

you can easily roll one of these off the rim if you're running way low air pressure.

for a regular, boring x-c ride. tubeless is the way to go.

Since Ian (Ivan) said he is using them on his Transition....

 

[mtnbkrdr98]

I'm going to go for it

I almost always wear out a tire before I ever get a flag with tubless and stans, sometimes in the hot summer my stans dries out but it is a minor hastle compared to not getting flats.

I no longer buy thin sidewalled tires so that is not an issue and I like the lower pressure especially on the steep climbs and descents. Stop beating around the bush and go for it.

Why don't you just put the valve in and then put stans in and blow up your current tires as tubeless, stans will seal a non-tubless tire on a tubeless rim. Now you have no new cost and are flat free.

Just wasn't sure if the whole setup is only goathead-proof if you run Stans

In terms of never going back to prior product/service,

sounds like the analogy could be made that
Tubeless is to Broadband as Tubes are to Dial up

 

[bikerx40]

I run tubeless after a frustrating year and a half running tubes (goat head puntures). I think that I've flatted once over the past two years tubeless, and I'll never go back. For the most hassle-free setup, switch to true tubeless tires with a scoop of tubeless Slime. Slime brand doesn't harden over time like the Stan's goop. If you don't check Stan's every three months or so, our warm climate turns Stan's into solid boogers that don't seal. Slime does not.

True tubeless doesn't really need any sealant, because even if you do get a goathead you'll easily be able to finish out the ride before the pressure drops. A friend of mine rode lower Drycreek to Hidden Springs, which was all goatheads. He had over 100 goatheads per wheel! He finished the ride without losing total pressure. He was using Python tubeless tires without sealant.

 

[TwistedCrank]

Tubeless is to Broadband as Tubes are to Dial up

Ummm... Not really. More like tubes are basic cable and tubeless is basic cable with a couple of premium channels

I've never had problems with goatheads on tubeless and it's nice to know Slime doesn't dry out like Stans does.

The only issue I've had with my UST tubeless setup was I gouged a sidewall on some lava rock in Oregon and didn't notice it until a foothills ride a month later when I couldn't keep any pressure at all. I wasn't carrying a tube so I had to hike to a road and have my wife pick me up. Her comment to my daughter was: "Daddy just had to go tubeless didn't he?"

 

[mtnbkrdr98]

Hehe

The only issue I've had with my UST tubeless setup was I gouged a sidewall on some lava rock in Oregon and didn't notice it until a foothills ride a month later when I couldn't keep any pressure at all. I wasn't carrying a tube so I had to hike to a road and have my wife pick me up. Her comment to my daughter was: "Daddy just had to go tubeless didn't he?"

Good to hear about the tubeless slime. I'm going to go for that instead of Stans.

Dirk when are you going to ride again. Are you sure you want to do a night ride
won't it be icy?

 

[bikerx40]

Good to hear about the tubeless slime. I'm going to go for that instead of Stans.

Dirk when are you going to ride again. Are you sure you want to do a night ride
won't it be icy?

By the way, you can't use tubeless slime if you're going to convert non-ust tires to tubeless. Stan's has liquid latex in the mix which helps to seal the bead of a non-UST tire, where as Slime is just meant to fill holes in the tread but won't seal the bead to the rim like Stan's.

 

[mtnbkrdr98]

Okay

By the way, you can't use tubeless slime if you're going to convert non-ust tires to tubeless. Stan's has liquid latex in the mix which helps to seal the bead of a non-UST tire, where as Slime is just meant to fill holes in the tread but won't seal the bead to the rim like Stan's.

No just going to get a set of tubeless tires

 

[TwistedCrank]

No just going to get a set of tubeless tires

What are your rims? Are the UST?

 

[mtnbkrdr98]

Yep

What are your rims? Are the UST?

Mavic CrossMax Enduros
UST

 

[smoking39]

maxxis ust uses what they call silkworm. its like a sealent built into the tires. it works good. the only problem with stans if you are a tire whore. it gets messy if you are always changing them.

 

[Bombin4X]

Slime

Good to hear about the tubeless slime. I'm going to go for that instead of Stans.

Check Harbor Freight Tools...

CP

 

[Earthpig]

the only problem with stans if you are a tire whore. it gets messy if you are always changing them.

Exactly why I went back to tubes from Stans-tubeless. If I ever decided to switch back to tubeless, I'd definitely use dedicated tubeless rims and tires, rather than mess around with rim strips, tape, liquid sealant and an air compressor.

That said, are more companies making true 2.3 and larger tubeless tires these days? Seems like a year ago or so it was hard to find anything larger than a 2.1 in tubeless.

 

[bikerx40]

That said, are more companies making true 2.3 and larger tubeless tires these days? Seems like a year ago or so it was hard to find anything larger than a 2.1 in tubeless.

Not really. Extremely slow in the making. Specialized really seems to be one of the few with a broad UST selection. And, most of their 2.1" UST's are larger than many 2.3's from other manufacturers.

 

[Earthpig]

Not really. Extremely slow in the making. Specialized really seems to be one of the few with a broad UST selection. And, most of their 2.1" UST's are larger than many 2.3's from other manufacturers.

Ah. That's what I thought. I've been toying with building or buying a new set of hoops for the Ventana, but struggling with whether to go with tubeless rims or not. The primary reason I'd want to go with a new wheelset, or at least new rims, is that I want to be able to run bigger tires than I can on the narrow little 717 rims I currently have. I think it would defeat the purpose to switch to tubeless rims if I could only run a 2.1 anyway.

 

[bikerx40]

Ah. That's what I thought. I've been toying with building or buying a new set of hoops for the Ventana, but struggling with whether to go with tubeless rims or not. The primary reason I'd want to go with a new wheelset, or at least new rims, is that I want to be able to run bigger tires than I can on the narrow little 717 rims I currently have. I think it would defeat the purpose to switch to tubeless rims if I could only run a 2.1 anyway.

Check out the new DT 5.1d rims. They're a 500g rim with a 28mm width. They come as a standard rim, but very soon DT will be selling their version of tubeless conversion kit. I have their kit on a set of my rims, and it rocks. The kit is a thin silicone'esque rim strip with ridges (okay, settle down) down the center that trap the tubeless bead, just like a genuine tubeless rim. The valve-stem is not vulcanized to the rimstrip like the Stan's rimstrip, so this too is just like a standard tubeless rim setup.

Larry at Mountain High Cyclery will be able to hook you up with both the rim and the rim strip too. The rims will come in lighter than the Mavic 819's when you figure in Mavic's nipple insert thingies, and they're wider too. I'm on the 819's, but I would have gone this route if they were available at the time.

 

[smilycook]

slime is slimy

I admit I only change tires when they wear out so the mess does not bother me since I just toss the tires with stans and all. I use to run tubless slime a while ago and gave it up because it did not seal sidewall punctures or large holes very well. So Daryl you are welcome to my slime as I will never use it.

Tubeless tire sizes have gotten much better lately, I run a maxis tubless 2.5 and a nokian tubless nbx 2.35 on the super moto so they are definatly out there now. Plus I run kenda tubless 2.2 on the racer-x. These were all 05 tires so I imagine this year there will be even more. A couple years from now kids will look at us funny when we talk about using tubes

Chris