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Tubeless, sometimes a Vittoria xc insert, dynaplug.
Been quite a while, but a tube is carried though just in case.
Assorted Stans tubeless, some on tubeless rims or ZTR, some on conversion strips. Some with tubeless tyres, some tubeless ready, some not tubeless at all.
Haven't used an inner tube mid ride on a tubeless set up in 15+ years. It's either fixed itself, or the tyre is a write off.
On the (few) tubed bikes, i haven't had a puncture in a decade, at least.
I had to use one in June at Dyfi, on my sons bike, and I needed one a few months ago when I cased a jump and whacked my back wheel on a rock at Grenoside. We both are set up tubeless with no inserts. Haven't needed to use on for a few years prior to those though.
After coming back from riding in Samoens last month I've noticed a good few spots on my tyres where sealent is doing its job though.
XC/gravel bike I haven't needed the tube I carry for years.
All bikes set up tubeless. Mostly tubeless-ready tyres and rims with some non-tubeless-ready tyres (kids bikes and Mrs a11y's hardtail). No inserts.
I rely on the sealant or a plug doing it's job. Only time I've used a tube midride was a ripped sidewall about 3 years ago - also needed a tyre boot due to size of the tear. Tyre was a writeoff but at least I got the ride finished. I still carry a tube on all rides.
I burped my front tyre off in an innocuous little dip on the trail half way up Cadair. No way to get it to seat again with a pump so had to put a tube in. I think it might still be in there!
I carry a tube on local rides and took 2 up over The Gap the other day as I hate walking down big hills for stupid problems like punctures. I also carry a tenner and a bit of toothpaste tube to use as boots if a sidewall gets damaged.
Rimpact and Stans sealant with enduro casing tyres. Haven't had an actual puncture in years. If I ever have to fit a tube trailside I think I'll just quit riding and walk home.
I did have to borrow a couple of tyre plugs in France this year and that's because I'd built the bike in a hurry and left the Rimpact out. I split the tyre in 2 places on a chunky fire road in the Lindarets area. Still riding it with the plugs in and it's fine.
Tubeless for years on MTB. 26" was gorilla tape on non-tubeless rims with tubeless tires. My 29er is tubeless rims. Stans sealant.
I carry a tubeless repair kit / plugs. That has been used on more than one occasion. I carry a spare tube but regularly think what is the point. If things got so bad I had to resort to a tube I suspect it wouldn't stay up long. As I guess it would puncture on the numerous prickly bits / thorns etc in the tyre that the tubeless had repaired without me even knowing...
Rimpact, tubeless on all bikes, sticky string from Ebay.
Slashed sidewall at Ciclo Montana in 2018.
Don't habitually carry one, because the tyre is usually riddled with unnoticed thorns that repuncture them anyway.
No inserts, tubeless with Stans and 90% Conti tyres. Not had a puncture in about a decade now. I don't even carry a tube, when i go out i have a phone and a bank card... that's it.
Gravel bike, Vittoria Terreno tyres, Vittoria inserts.
I've 'pinched' a tubeless tyre against the rim before and that never seals, I think it's happened 4 times in the last 4-5 years, and has required a tube every time.
Hasn't happened since I installed the inserts though, touch wood!
Tubeless on MTB & Gravel bike, no inserts, Stans. Have had to use a tube once in about the last 5 years when I dented the rim so badly it wouldn’t keep a seal.
If I stop carrying a tube I’ll be guaranteed to need it the next ride.
Tubeless on all bikes, no inserts, EXO tyres. Think I've had a couple of thorns that punctured in the past few years, and one proper flat where I could have thrown my spare tube in, but as I was close to home I just rang for a lift.
Take a tube on all 'big' rides, and just a stabby tool and some plugs when just riding for an hour or so.
Havent actually resorted to fitting a tube in at least 10 years.
On my full sus tubeless with Stans and Cushcore.
On my hardtail and gravel/commuter tubeless.
In the past year I’ve had to use an inner tube twice, both for rim tape problems.
Had to put a tube in the gravel bike recently. Tubeless, no insert. Hit a pointy stone which actually managed to dent the rim right in the middle (part on a spoke hole) and cut the rim tape.
I now have inserts.
MTB all running tubeless, with inserts since this spring. Not had a puncture that couldn't be fixed with an anchovie in years.
On local rides where I'm no more than a 30 minute rescue drive away, I don't bother taking a spare tube. In fact all I take is a multi-tool and a water bottle.
Bigger rides out where I'm further away from home I'll take a tube, pump and assorted spares, as I need to be able to get myself off the hills. That being said pulling a tyre off and popping in a tube when it's all lubricated with Stans is a last ditch option.
Haven't needed a tube since going tubeless. Last time I had to change one when out was about 10 yeasr ago on the top of a hill, in the pissing rain and temperature of about 2 degrees celcius and it getting dark, barely managed it as my hands were so numb.
reading this i know i'll just need 2x spare inner tube and a chainbreaker for my summit of helvelyn on Friday :0(
Been tubeless on mtb since 2017. I must be riding harder the last few years as holed one tyre and slashed the sidewall of another.
An anchovy fixed the holed tyre and finished the ride like that fine.
There was no coming back from the ripped sidewall - ended up throwing a tube in to get back to the car.
For short local rides I just have anchovies in a bag - don’t always take a tube historically. Although both bikes actually now have a spare tube strapped to the underneath of the top tube so I’m prepared.
Tubeless with Muc-Off sealant on MTB and Stans on gravel bike, although I suspect that's all dried up now.
No inserts on either bike and I always carry a spare tube.
I've had to use the spare tube on the gravel bike a few times, and once had a long walk home on the MTB when I wasn't carrying a spare. Dented rims were the cause in all incidents, so I should probably look into inserts.
I also keep meaning to buy some plugs, and a couple of the Muc-Off 80ml packs for longer rides.
Tubes on all my bikes and always carry a spare.
Had a pinch flat the other week for the first time in years.
Whilst I applaud all the tubeless guys that have zero issues, on group (2/3/4 riders) rides over the past couple of years there must have been half a dozen tubeless mishaps, either burping or needing plugs
As for other stuff, always have a pump or CO2, tyre levers, multitool. Sometimes a leatherman, sometimes a folding saw
I'm a luddite and still use tubes, although I have just switched to lightweight TPU tubes on one of my bikes. I honestly don't see the benefit of tubeless over the faff of all the dried sealant on the tyre that needs cleaning off, topping up sealant, etc.
I might do my own thread asking what are the actual benefits of tubeless, cos I don't get it.
Tubeless no inserts, had 3 punctures in the last 6 or 7 years. Carry anchovies and a spare tube, when they've gone it's been easier to just wang a tube in as I find once I've punctures the tyre pulls off the rim anyway.
Has any one used the cheap inserts off aliexpress or amazon?
I’m a luddite and still use tubes, although I have just switched to lightweight TPU tubes on one of my bikes. I honestly don’t see the benefit of tubeless over the faff of all the dried sealant on the tyre that needs cleaning off, topping up sealant, etc.
I might do my own thread asking what are the actual benefits of tubeless, cos I don’t get it.
Most punctures seal themselves, and you can run lower pressures for more grip/comfort.
Tubeless and use Dynaplugs. Always have a tube in the bottom of my pack and one in the SWAT box. Last time I used one was in Les Arcs this year when we dropped on a guy halfway down Black 8 who needed one. Managed to get the tyre inflated but he couldn't get his pump head back off the valve. In the end we improvised and gave him some zip ties so he could lash the pump to his rear spokes to get him to the end of his ride
Tubeless, carry Dynaplugs, not carried a tube in years. I think there might be one in my commuter's saddle bag, but I'd forget it was there if I did get a puncture and use the Dynaplug.
Tubes on everything. Only once in 30 odd years have I had an issue that couldn't be fixed on the trail. That was due to a tubeless ready tyre and rim setup that I couldn't get off. Destroyed the tyre in the process.
My son is an absolute thorn magnet, so I have slime filled ones on his bike. They don't stop him getting flats but they do make finding the hole easier.
MTB, Tubeless, no inserts, Stans sealant. Carry a spare tube and anchovies but never used one on the trail
Never had a puncture that wouldn't seal in 15years.
Road, standard butyl tubes, 28mm Continental Ultrasport tyres.
2 rear snakebite punctures in a year from hitting potholes at speed
Once this year on my gravel bike. The puncture was massive and perhaps someone with more skill could have plugged it
I was cold and tired and had a long way to go so just shoved a tube in and rode the last 90km with a tube in the tyre
I run 18psi on my ebike (with tubes). Not sure I’d want it much lower on that thing with assist, never mind trying to haul a normal bike round with flat tyres
If that works for you then great, but I'd be constantly worried about snake bites.
Tubeless on all bikes (road/mountain/gravel) since 2017 due to a sense of humour failure on a thorny ride, had to resort to tubes twice since, both on gravel bikes, one a huge hole from a lump of glass and the other a dented rim. That's it. I can add that there has been some swearing when fitting tyres over that time I still won't go back to tubes.
Double Down rear with 27-28psi, no insert with Stans. Don't tend to carry a tube unless it's a big out in the wilds ride but always have a repair kit, pump and CO2.
Last two punctures that needed a tube, one a gashed side wall and the other burped the tyre along with a pinch. Both with Exo+ and Rimpact. Having to carry the sodding insert a decent way is why I've ditched it!
I had a spoke snap and it managed to puncture a hole in the tape. I had to wrap my ard insert around the bars and pop a tube in.
I might do my own thread asking what are the actual benefits of tubeless, cos I don’t get it.
I once cleaned my tyre with a brush and found 21 thorns in it. That should have been 21 stops to fix a tube. That justifies the hassle
MTB is tubeless, carrying a tyre plug kit, spare tube and C02 cannsiter just incase, no punctures in 3 years
Nice road bike is running tubes, tried tubeless for 2 years, got fed up of the mess it made of the bike, my kit and me when it didnt do its job and then i had to fit a tube to get me home creating more mess which when i got home i had to go through again to repair the tyre with a boot, my good road bike now runs TPU tubes and a tube type tyre, works out around 160 grams per wheel lighter than running the equivalent tubeless tyre, valve and sealant compared to the TPU tube and tube type tyre, no punctures so far, carry a spare TPU tube just in case
Work bike still running normal tubes, reason being is it runs Scwalbe Durano Plus tyres as my commute is very debris ridden (most puncture proof road bike tyre there is) and they dont like being run tubeless (i tried & kept ending up with the tread bubbling up!) no punctures in the last 2 years and the last one was becuse the tyre had worn down to the blue protection strip!
Gravel bike is running tubeless, at 50 psi any puncture should seal ok, TPU tube as a spare, tyre plug kit and Co2 cannister
Tubeless on everything, Stan's sealant, no inserts. My MTB rims are Lightbicycle with sealed rum bed which sounds like a faff and a bit of a luxury.
However, the last time I needed a tube was 30 minutes into the first ride on my new gravel bike. I picked up a horse shoe nail that managed to go through the crown and sidewall of the tyre. After dynaplugging those, it still wouldn't inflate. That was when I found out the nail had also pierced the rim tape. So a tube when it. I carry one on every ride, the trick is remembering to get the right pack with the right tube for the right bike.
I now want sealed rum beds on the gravel bike as well.
The tyres on my fat bike are much too difficult to get off the rim for an in field repair, so I gave up carrying a tube for it about 4years ago.
Ive always managed to fix leaks with a worm, except for the unfortunate time I found out that it’s impossible to remove the tyre, and called out Mrs R.
MTB and gravel
Tubeless on everything. Inserts on rear. Appropriate tyre casing for the type of ride.
I get the occasional puncture (usually being sliced by glass or something like that - maybe 2 or 3 times a year) plug almost always sorts it
Not had a puncture which required a tube in ages until last week. Snapped a spoke which fired up through the rim tape. Needed a tube.
Road
On butyl inner tubes still. I do get the occasional puncture.
All my MTB's are tubeless with Schwalbe tyres, Muc Off sealant and a Rimpact in the rear. Last two issues in need of tubes were in 2018 at Chatel when a rock sliced open a new Magic Mary and in 2022 at BPW where the rim tape failed. On the second one I had to go buy a tube from the shop as the one that was in my pack from the Chatel puncture has rotted! Worked out it was 9 years old and had come fitted to my old computer bike so very much doubt it was decent quality.
The commuter bike is tubed with tough tyres (Kenda currently) and a small amount of sealant in each tube, never punctured it although it hasn't had much outdoor use in the last few years as it's my current Zwift bike and I don't cycle to work as I don't have a permanent one currently.
MTB - FS & HT + EMTB FS
Me=75kg
Tyres=Schwalbe Super Trail (No inserts) 17/18psi front & 19/21psi rear
All set-up tubeless with Stans sealant (110-120ml in each tyre) check/refresh sealant twice a year when the clocks change. Have had a total of 2 hawthorn punctures in last 5 years & both plugged no issue.
Have the OneUp EDC stabber/plug, but also always carry a tubolito tube & a tyre boot but not used either in 7+ years
Mtb.... A long time. Fortunately always been able to plug a hole, but still carry one tube strapped to the bike just in case.
On the gravel bike I had to fit a tube due to a pinch flat on the front a month or so ago when riding some rough tracks near Perugia.
Although it was probably more than a month back as I looked at the spare strapped to the downtube in the weekend and it was rotten and cracked due to being in the sun for so long.
Used to take a spare tube if planning to do a 40+ mile road ride, but only barely managed one of those since having long covid for almost two years now, so I don't bother these days.
Even when I was typically doing ~3 rides of 30+ miles a week, punctures were so rare, maybe one a year.
Qualifying Megavalanche 2019 🙁
Have now added inserts to the set up.
Road bike, not for a few months whilst commuting, therefore I'll need three this evening...
Always have bacon strips, spare tube, pump & C02, (EXO+ tyres & Cushcore XC inserts) and after 1200 or 1300 odd miles, I finally had to use the spare tube last Thursday night, as an impromptu sling for one of the crew who'd (subsequently spent 8hrs in A&E to be told he'd) broken his collar bone. We had a wee walk to get to a point where he could be picked by a vehicle. So it finally came in useful!
Off road my last tube was in 2018 on my gravel bike. Hole was too big for the sealant and I didn't have any anchovies so a tube and boot got me home. The second round of The Beast from the East was starting to roll in so it was absolutely freezing and we were in a big hurry to get home before the snow.
I'm still tubed on the summer road bike after a few bad experiences as an early tubeless adopter. Get one or two punctures a year. My next bike will have clearance for bigger tyres so hopefully the lower pressures will mean I can de-tube again.
I still carry tubes with me on and off road although am considering carrying TPU tubes as spares.
I had an annoying puncture that wouldn't seal last year. Tubeless had been totally reliable for ages, to the point that I had to cut my seat pack open with a key as the zip had corroded. On trying to fit the tube it turned out to have perished and split. For those carrying tubes that never get used, check them at the same time you carry out the annual seatpost grease.
me: 60kg, all my bikes = basic mtb tubeless, even the commuter is on old mtb rims and some schwalbe ones.
I think I've fitted a tube once in the last year, which was because I broke a valve off at fort william! In fairness I'd had a random air loss problem for a while so I think it'd cracked before and was just resealing, and then when I went to pump it the entire thing just fell off.
Before that goes back a long time, I had to do one on an uplift trip IIRC for a little slice that just wouldn't stay sealed for some reason and was needing pumped up every couple of hours, but that was only cos I was away from home- normally I'd have patched it properly but I didn't have any of the stuff for that.
A few times over the last few years. Somewhere near Reeth I couldn't get a cut to seal on the mtb. On Great Dunn Fell I managed to damage a sidewall on those stone slabs. An unlucky landing some where near Slaley dented the rim so the tyre wouldn't seal. Lightish XC setup - racing ralphs/ mezcals/barzos.
I still run tubes on my road bike but probably have 2 punctures a year at most.
Can't remember a puncture on my gravel bike that didn't seal - use the tough Panaracer tyres though as I've done a few races like the DR and Gralloch where I really didn't want a puncture.
On those bikes I carry two tubes due to length of ride and remoteness unless it is something like a short circuit where I will pass a tech zone to get a spare tube/repair.
Enduro bike I carry one tube, never used it. If I was in walking distance of the car I'd probably do that. Much more likely to be close to the car on those rides.
I've been tubeless for over 10 years now, probably only needed to use a tube a few times in an those years. I still carry one though.
Pump, multi tool, tube, plugs and a sample tube of lube.
I’ve ‘pinched’ a tubeless tyre against the rim before and that never seals, I think it’s happened 4 times in the last 4-5 years, and has required a tube every time.
Happened to me last week running 30psi.
Happened to me running inserts too.
Normally carry a tube and plugs because I often need them.
Zero punctures since going tubeless across 2 bikes since 2019. Carry a tubeless repair kit, CO2 and a spare tube in the SWAT box. Might carry a mini-pump for longer rides where I'm going to be further from civilization.
EDIT: I've remembered one! Put a dent in a rim at BPW, but the sealant did its job before I noticed. The amount of dust around that day probably helped.
This has made me realise that the only time I take a spare tube is on proper multiday rides on the fatbike. Ironic really because the pump I carry would take a week to inflate a Jumbo Jim!
I think that is partly the kind of riding I do. Most of the time, in the rare event it was a long way back to the van I would phone a taxi.
I would take one if I was off to the Lake District.
Tubeless on MTB and road these days and recent issues have been sorted with plugs but one a few years ago that definitely needed a tube was when MrsP managed to snap a valve off the rim descending Bowderdale off the Calf. Nothing else damaged, but it would've been long walk without a tube.
No inserts and up until recently, nothing heavier than EXO casing tyres with Stans sealant.
Despite carrying one for ~6 years, I haven't actually needed to fit a tube since I converted everything to tubeless.
I did however fit my spare tube into a young lads rear wheel after finding him wandering around Cannock in the rain. The insert was hanging out of his back wheel and he seemed to be having a fairly terrible day trying to find his dad.
I didn't bother replacing the spare tube because I hadn't used it in so long.
The following week I managed to somehow snap the valve off my front wheel after going over the bars which gave me a nice long walk back to the car.
I now have a spare tube again and also a spare valve. I also don't buy alloy valves anymore. Even if they are pretty colours.
I've recently swapped tyres to some Bontrager SE which is a heavier casing. They work better at lower pressure than I'm used to and I've had a few pinch punctures that would almost certainly have been avoided if I had an insert.
The SE5 that I've got on the back now has 3 plugs near the bead but I haven't had to repair the tyre mid ride, Stans has done it job admirably.
The only one that didn't seal was in a Dissector EXO after I managed to land a small jump right into a tree stump. The sealant was old and there wasn't a lot left in the tyre so I reckon if it had been fresh, it would probably have sealed.
I might do my own thread asking what are the actual benefits of tubeless, cos I don’t get it.
I was gravel bikepacking in the Highlands in July and a couple roadies were asking me the same question as they watched me removing a tubeless tyre covered in sealant and putting a tube in (tyre had split at the bead) at the Glen Lyon cafe.
I then proceeded to cut out +10 thorns from the tyre BEFORE I put the tube in.
As I pointed out, if I'd been running tubes that's 10 punctures I'd have had, that with tubeless I didn't (over the past couple of years that the tyre had been on).
Road and MTB still on tubes, winter road and gravel are tubeless. Do 3-4k miles a year, two thirds of that on the tubeless bikes.
I haven't replaced a tube mid ride since before Covid.
MTB & Gravel, both tubeless, can't remember the last time I used the dynaplug let alone an innertube ...... actually come to think of it, it was when I went to Afan with a mate, the weather was terrible and I'd dinged a rim but that was pre-covid so a while ago!
Still carry a tube just in case, but it's been rattling around in my pack for years so it's probably useless anyway.
I have regular tubeless with Stans and very rarely get punctures, nothing since setting up tubeless in the last few years. I carry a Dynaplug but never needed to use it yet, plus a spare tube on longer rides.
I have UST rims that don't need tape and the bead locks in very tightly. Last time I changed tyres I couldn't get the old ones off with regular plastic levers and had to resort to a metal knife (carefully! Blunt cutlery/eating knife, not a sharp one). No idea how I'll manage if I have to use a tube on the trailside, will feel a right idiot with all the stuff ready but too feeble to unseat the tyres!
Tubeless. Last had to use a tube on a ride about 7 years ago
Carry a x2 TPU tubes for road/gravel because I could be 40 miles away and they don't take up much space.
Carry a normal tube on the MTB just in case.
Use tubeless and carry a tube either strapped to the underside of my saddle or in a bag. Hadn't used it for years and then I needed it last winter. Turns out it had been unused for so long that the whole valve was coming away from the rest of the tube (not just the valve but the harder rubber around it too was coming away from the rest of the rubber).
Thing is me and my mate had already put it into the sealant & mud covered tyre. We spent ages wondering why it wouldn't hold air - luckily we weren't that far to roll back to base but oh did we laugh
[edit]: Lighter weight 'normal' tube, bacon strips, tyre boot - either $1 or toothpaste. longer / big distance rides: extra tube in pack, patch kit, 1m of dental floss and a sailmaker's needle for tyre slashes. Can't remember using anything but the bacon strips on my own bike in years. [/edit]
I have lightweight 'normal' tubes as spares on both my MTBs, and haven't used them on my own bike in years. I've used bacon strips far more. I did have a gravel bike for a bit but kept flatting as I was riding stuff like an eejit and pinching the tyres.
I'm considering the superlight tubes as local ride spares, but put off by both the price and the horror stories.
One tube is in the sandwich hatch on my FS bike, so just lives in there with the other bits, and the other is in a wrap under the saddle on my hardtail. I tend not to get punctures or pinches (I've ridden in the Alps, BPW and Lakes so far this summer as well as closer to home). Where I am in the Surrey Hills, one ridge in particular (the North Downs) has lots of loose flint, so I've written off two Ground Controls in a week on sharp flint in the past. In both cases, I patched with a US dollar bill or a bit of toothpaste tube and a spare inner tube and road home gingerly with a big old slash in the sidewall. $1 bills are light and tough and, er, cost 79p at the moment, although mine are from my last work trip to the States about five years ago.
Tubeless on all MTBs but find inserts too much of a PITA, carry a tube in my hip pack just in case.
Punctured on the final descent on tonight's ride, a proper rear wheel wallop with sealant pissing out onto my leg rather than a have-I-punctured. Needed a thick anchovy in the sidewall and a thin one down near the bead. Reckon I was stopped for way less time than fitting a tube would have taken. Tyre was totally flat, decent pump makes a difference and the tyre had plenty sealant, but still much better than the tube option.
Tube's the last resort. Pretty much useless when the tyre's older though, a load of thorns in it by then. Probably still better than walking all the way home though.
I only carry a tube now for multiday rides if I am on a bike with tubeless. Last time I used a tube was for someone else 3 years ago
I previously ran both my bikes tubeless for a few years. But over time, the rims became a bit dinged, and I found it increasingly difficult to get a good seal. On top of that, i had a few instances of trying to reseal a tubeless setup while miles from anywhere - when I eventually had to give up and use a tube. Lastly, I’ve had a few times where I’ve had to give the tube in my pack to either a friend on the trail, or a total stranger, because they just couldn’t get their tubeless tyre resealed.
All of these experiences mean that I moved back to tubes. And honestly, I’m not even slightly tempted to go back to tubeless. I’m happier with tubes, and I don’t notice a difference to be honest.
To answer the OP, it’s probably 1-2 years since I had to use a tube on the trail, but I’d estimate that I’ve had to do so, or lend one to someone else once of twice every 3-5 years.