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Been running tubeless for about 5 years now and all was well until this week.
On Monday went for my first ride in a month, wife away, nipper at Nursery, 30 minutes later, bang - pssssst, rumble. Oh well I thought, old Fire XC was pushing my luck still using it. Trip to bike shop new proper UST Nobby Nic fitted and back out today.
Stopped for lunch after an hour's ride and found a 1cm long rip in the sidewall of the new tyre. It was only the outerskin but the airtight layer was squeezing out like an inner tube through a conventional tyre. I'm guessing this could be a write off but am going to look at patching it.
Was running 40psi (with sealant) both times on 819s, on a 456 hardtail and not going particularly hard as I've only just built it up and am getting used to it (funny how much rougher it is without 5" rear wheel travel!).
Have I done something wrong? / Have I been horribly unlucky? / Is this going to happen all the time because I'm now riding a hardtail?
(If someone could slot a helpful answer amongst the abuse somewhere that'd be great).
was it tight to get on, you might have nipped it if you used levers
don't run nn's myself but i think they have skinny sidewalls as well
I cut a NN on my first ride too - they have fairly frail carcasses to keep weight down.
I've switched to Intense CC's on my two hardtails now - they do seem more robust (although I did hole one on Sunday but the sealant held it for another 30+ miles)
I gave up with UST Nobby Nics after similar sidewall issues after only a few rides, very fragile - Maxxis & Michelin on all bikes now with zero problems since.
Unlucky?
This has been happening to me a lot in the last 6 months or so, co-incidentally after making a series of smug comments here and elsewhere about how trouble and puncture free tubeless was 😳
Have done the same with 2 x NNs in 2 weeks. But not in 3 years with Fat Alberts. Came to the conclusion that it's the NNs.
Two ripped tyres in five years isn't bad 😉
thats the trouble with tubeless, rip/cut your tires and they are a write off, anything other than a neat hole wont seal and you have to cary tubes anyway.
Thanks folks, was pretty careful fitting them, did use levers but damage not consistent with that to my mind, even though it is near where I used the lever (it's outside of carcass not inside).
Sounds like I've been unlucky and perhaps made a bad tyre choice from a strength point of view. Will try patching it on the inside later tonight and then go for a ride Friday somewhere I can push back to the car easily and see how it holds up. If it's no good, sounds like I'll be ordering something by Maxxis for at least the rear wheel.
I went through a couple of back tyres earlier in the year; also 456 tubeless on 819's. I put it down to the flint around here ripping the tyre. So went with a Larsen 2.35, running tubeless.
The way the tread works means it doesn't 'grab' the ground so much, but still grips uphill. No problems since, except for letting it run dry and getting a big hole... but that sealed up by putting a patch on the inside of the tyre, and refilling with latex.
That's NNics in my experience.
Prefer tubeless RRalfs.
wot they said - UST nobby nicks are too soft
and 40psi is a bit hard for tubeless as the tyre carnt conform to the shape of the ground putting all the pressure on one point making the tyre ping off everything
Schwalbe snakeskin tyres are tougher, cheaper and lighter than the proper UST ones. I have destroyed many RRs & NNs in discovering this.
sailor74 - Memberthats the trouble with tubeless, rip/cut your tires and they are a write off, anything other than a neat hole wont seal and you have to cary tubes anyway.
Sorry to hi jack but could someone explain to me why ripping or cutting your tyres whilst using tubes doesn't write them off or require the use of a tube to used to get you moving again?
Happens sometimes. My mates been running NN UST for years and tore two brand new ones in a week (Chiltern flint) Luckily his trade. None torn before or since.
Didn't think 40psi would be too hard for 15stone bloke on a 2.1 but maybe that's it. Have to admit I was trying not to have it too soft as I'm still relearning the art of riding a hardtail and was keen not to mash a wheel. 🙄
Min pressure of 35psi so might try it a little softer once / if I can get it properly patched.
on a hard tail for your weight i recon the 2.25 or even the 2.4 if it'll fit in your frame would be far better and prob faster in every way
New NN on the rear of my 456 (tubeless) - 2 light cuts at the weekend across the tread. Both went "Pssssttttt...pssst...pssst...." and sealed up OK. But they do suffer with the flints. I was running about 36psi - I may try dropping a bit.