[MTBeing]

Have any of you noticed an improvement in handling after switching to tubeless? I'll be converting soon but keeping my AKA 2.2 (29s) and marrying them to Arch wheels. Wanting to drop the tubed pressures I currently run (26-28 psi) in hopes of a handling benefit, specifically cornering.

 

[Gasp4Air]

Yes. Absent the tube, and with the lower pressure you can run, you gain two ways:

Bigger contact patch for better traction
Easier deformation for lower rolling resistance and more compliant ride

Experiment with the tire pressure to get the most benefit for the tires you run and the trails you ride.

 

[shiggy]

Have any of you noticed an improvement in handling after switching to tubeless? I'll be converting soon but keeping my AKA 2.2 (29s) and marrying them to Arch wheels. Wanting to drop the tubed pressures I currently run (26-28 psi) in hopes of a handling benefit, specifically cornering.

With the same tire? Not really.

In fact, taking the inner tube out of a tire has usually required me to increase the pressure to keep it from squirming in the corners. With most tires squirming limits how low I can go with the pressure, not pinch flats.

 

[One Pivot]

People get a little nuts about the benefits of tubeless. 26psi is pretty low already. For me, lower than that and the tire is too squirmy. A bit more traction doesnt compensate for the wiggly tire.

 

[DTP]

one thing i noticed outright is how much better and easier it is for me to go uphill on a rocky slope (rocks partially buried the size of a baseball cap). for me tubeless is a must when you go on trails. provided you find the right tire pressure for your style. its pointless to go tubeless i you run high pressures (40psi).

i am still trying to figure out how low can i go in terms of pressure. at the moment i am at 30 front 33 rear.

 

[MTBeing]

I definitely push the limits of tubed. At 26 psi there is the occasional 'rim hit' but the pressure feels really good, and I love the tire compliance, especially while climbing. When the tire absorbs the hit, rather than bouncing off, it makes a huge difference in momentum. From the responses, I gather it may not be that noticeable. There's other benefits, I know, but I was wondering if a handling improvement was one of those.

Anyway, thanks all for the input.

 

[shiggy]

I definitely push the limits of tubed. At 26 psi there is the occasional 'rim hit' but the pressure feels really good, and I love the tire compliance, especially while climbing. When the tire absorbs the hit, rather than bouncing off, it makes a huge difference in momentum. From the responses, I gather it may not be that noticeable. There's other benefits, I know, but I was wondering if a handling improvement was one of those.

Anyway, thanks all for the input.

If you are getting rim hits with tubes, you will get rim hits without tubes, even at the same pressure. And you can still pinch flat, but you will be cutting the tire casing rather than the tube.

 

[LMN]

I gotta disagree with Shiggy.

Tubeless allows me to run much lower air pressure and flat less. I usually run 18-22psi is a 2.2 tire. If grip levels are good I will run higher pressure to prevent squirm and if grip levels are low I drop the air pressure for grip.

I wish I could say that I didn't flat at those pressures with tubes, but unfortunately I do. As Shiggy mentioned it is possible to pinch a tubeless tire, but it actually really hard to do. In 8 years of running tubeless tires I actually never have pinched one (I have had flats but not pinches). However, in my riding career the number of tubes I have pinched is in the triple digits.

The big trade off with tubeless is it can be a pain to work with. If you like to change tires a lot then you are not going to like tubeless.

 

[vanamees]

Have someone actually pinched a tubeless tire or its only possibility? J have never managed .

 

[beanbag]

In fact, taking the inner tube out of a tire has usually required me to increase the pressure to keep it from squirming in the corners. With most tires squirming limits how low I can go with the pressure, not pinch flats.

How does a soft and flexible inner tube make a tire firmer?

 

[gvs_nz]

How does a soft and flexible inner tube make a tire firmer?

With that logic going tubeless should make no difference at all?

I'm with shiggy I usually add 1 psi going tubeless.If you run big volume tires there is less chance of snakebite problems. Worst combo for snakebites are low volume tires and wider rims.

 

[mountainbiker24]

If your tires get squirmy without pinch-flatting, I have to ask what types of trails and tires are you using. If my tire is squirmy, I am just about guaranteed to pinch flat on a rock or root. Do you guys have rocky and/or rooty trails?

 

[Stumpjumpy]

A lot of the "squirm talk" is very tire/rim specific. I would also say that there are different levels of squirm and people have different tolerances for it and the tolerance can vary with different types of trails/terrain.

I don't mind a little bit of squirm in exchange for a lot of compliance/grip for slow technical rooty/rocky stuff. But for high speed flowy/DH, I can't tolerate much squirm at all.

Every rider has there own balance that they like to strike.

 

[estabro]

For me, the only downside of running tubeless on rims like Stan's is that they can be harder to set up for some people and some tire combinations.

The flexibility of running tire pressure based on terrain NOT based on pinch flat avoidance is huge.

 

[One Pivot]

If your tires get squirmy without pinch-flatting, I have to ask what types of trails and tires are you using. If my tire is squirmy, I am just about guaranteed to pinch flat on a rock or root. Do you guys have rocky and/or rooty trails?

Yes.. but I dont pinch flat, I bang or dent rims.

Ive heard some people say they ride mild xc trails and have to run 35+ psi or they pinch flat the entire ride. Theres some factor thats missing, I dont get how some people pinch SO often.

 

[Stumpjumpy]

Ive heard some people say they ride mild xc trails and have to run 35+ psi or they pinch flat the entire ride. Theres some factor thats missing, I dont get how some people pinch SO often.

LOTS of variables . . .
Riding style, rider weight, HT vs. FS, incorrect suspension set-up, bad tire gauge, tube type, tire type, tire size, etc., etc.

 

[estabro]

Yes.. but I dont pinch flat, I bang or dent rims.

Ive heard some people say they ride mild xc trails and have to run 35+ psi or they pinch flat the entire ride. Theres some factor thats missing, I dont get how some people pinch SO often.

I would pinch flat "too often", but definitely not every ride at 35 PSI. To keep out of trouble, I ran closer to 37.5-40 PSI. At 30 PSI I was felt guaranteed to flat.

Truth in cycling is I weight 215+ lbs and don't always choose the most graceful lines downhill.

 

[Gasp4Air]

LOTS of variables . . .
Riding style, rider weight, HT vs. FS, incorrect suspension set-up, bad tire gauge, tube type, tire type, tire size, etc., etc.

And type of things you hit.

 

[jeffscott]

Have any of you noticed an improvement in handling after switching to tubeless? I'll be converting soon but keeping my AKA 2.2 (29s) and marrying them to Arch wheels. Wanting to drop the tubed pressures I currently run (26-28 psi) in hopes of a handling benefit, specifically cornering.

I run a lower pressure when tubeless, than with tubes.

24/28 psi...vs 28/30 psi....

I might be able to run the same pressure but I just don't feel comfortable risking pinch flats...


So yeah I notice a difference in handling.

 

[bitewerks]

Does a reinforced sidewall reduce the squirming?

I