You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I'm relatively new to xc racing and I'm thinking about going tubeless. The problem is i don't know enough about it to make an informed decision.
it sounds like a great system that id love to use as in forever getting pinches, i just have one concern really. I'm told that once a tire is set to the rim it can take a few rides to be race reliable? I'm always changing tires at the last minute and would like to be able to keep doing it so what are peoples opinions and experiences?
all advice/opinion on tubeless welcome, I'm running crest/pro2 29er wheelset.
cheers,
Alex
Stans and Tubeless ready tyres are pretty foolproof. Maxxis and Schwalbe both work well.
UST rims and UST tyres are similarly foolproof but tend to be heavier, I've not came across a UST tyre that has given me any issues once fitted
I have run tubeless for about the last 7 years and have had not had any problems with fitting new tyres. It might be a little bit messy with Stans fluid. I dont6 race, but I haven't ever put them on and had to stop mid ride to pump them up.
Why not just give it a go, you have the rims anyway, if you don't like it just put some tubes in. (I doubt you will)
Andy
Thanks Andy, a good point well made. What's it going to cost me in sealant etc.... When i want to change tire?
You often hear people complain about tyres not holding air when fitted- but what that usually means is they inflated them on thursday and they're flat on saturday. If you're doing it immediately before a race, the tyre would have to be very leaky for it to be a problem before the end.
I suspect a lot of serious racers using tubeless end up with multiple wheels though, just to save the hassle and allow quick changes?
It is all actually straight forward. Depending on which rim strip you have got you may have to change to the tubeless ready rim strip and then put a tyre and inner tube in and inflate it and leave overnight to seat the new rim strip properly. You'll need to get yourself some new valves that plug straight into the rim and when inflating the tubeless tyre for the first time a compressor is always easier. If you are running tubeless ready rather than UST then you have to use sealant for everything to become air tight then you are good to go and enjoy a relatively puncture free year!
I used to think the same until I switched to some UST rims and Hans Dampf's. Really easy to set up and seem to be really reliable too. I managed to get then inflated with just a track pump. I can't comment on the Stans system, but the UST one seems very reliable and easy to use.
On a newly fitted tyre, its v unlikely that you'll lose a noticeable amount of air in the short time of an xc race, so nothing wrong with changing tyres before a race imo.
You will lose some sealant though. Assuming you are putting about 2 cups in per tyre, then you may only recover about 1 cup from the tyre you're taking off. Depends on how long its been on, how many punctures its sealed, how porous the tyre was etc. I do tend to use tubeless ready or normal tyres so you'd probably recover more sealant from a UST tyre.
Brand new tyres can leak, but IMO once you've used them once they'll seal fine, I've changed tyres minutes before a race with no issues.
I always add an extra squirt/scoop of Stans fluid than the recommended amount - mainly as im lazy and this seems to help reduce the need to add anymore fluid for months at a time.
If you are canny, you can save any remaining fluid duiring a tyre change and just top up with fresh stuff.
Costs me about £20-£25 a year in fluid. More expensive than tubes? Probably. breaking the bank? Hardly. Super convenient to have complete lack of punctures? definitely.
A good chunk lighter too assuming you do a straight swap with equivalent tyres. One of the best upgrades going I reckon.
Thanks everybody, decision made, order placed.
Something I recently found out is that the valves out of old inner tubes when cut out the tube & shaped a bit,they work every bit as good as a tubeless specific valve...
emac65
Only if they happen to have removable valve cores, surely? You need to remove the core both for initially seating the beads and for injecting more sealant down the line.
KonaOwner - MemberOnly if they happen to have removable valve cores, surely? You need to remove the core both for initially seating the beads and for injecting more sealant down the line.
I rarely bother with that nowadays
TBh I can't remember the last time I removed a core- less faffy just to pop the bead slightly and add sealant that way ime, and it doesn't seem to make very much difference for inflating.
Only if they happen to have removable valve cores, surely? You need to remove the core both for initially seating the beads and for injecting more sealant down the line.
It is preferable,but not essential,helps make seating the tyre a bit easier sometimes,