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Thinking of fitting a bigger tyre and would like to offset the weight by switching from a tube to Stans No Tubes. My question is, will I really save any weight? Or is there more to it?
Many thanks
I went tubeless to avoid flat tyres. It worked.
Saves a bit of weight, changes the feel of the grip (I though my back tyre was flat- it wasnt)and helps reduce punctures- apparently.
Whats not to like?
It can be a faff, but once its done its usually fine after that.
If you're in it to save weight forget it, its minimal.
No punctures, better rolling and lower psi for more grip YES
Less punctures, more grip.
A bit less weight and more comfort are lesser benefits.
Only downside is the faff (it varies as you will tell from later posts :o)of swapping over tyres. Is well worth it IMO.
You don't go tubeless to save weight, you do it to stop punctures. You still have to carry spare tube(s) pump etc. If you want to save weight then lose some water out your camelbak.
I fitted tubeless as a bit of an experiment to see over the course of a year riding the same routes, terrain etc if Ireduced the amount of punctures I was getting. I will let you know in October if it works or not 🙂
Used to get pinch flats all the time.
Went tubeless.
Haven't had a (p-word) 18 months.
Thanks guys for the replies.
How do tubeless 'feel' different to tubed tyres?
[i]How do tubeless 'feel' different to tubed tyres? [/i]
You don't have a tube and tyre working against each other, for one. Plus lower pressures mean a different feel.
Simples: I've had 2 punctures in 6 years of tubeless (both times the sidewall was cut by sharp lake district rocks).
More grip, more consistent feel from the front, no pinch flats, better rolling, but you'll end up gaining weight.
I'd recommend it.
Probably get flamed for this, but I'm not convinced they make a real difference to feel (with like for like tyres tubed / tubeless I doubt I'd really know in a blind test). For me the big benefit is no flats since I've been running tubeless over the last few years - plenty of cuts and small thorns that have always sealed with sealant.
I went tubeless on my HT due to constant pinch punctures. To be honest it feels no different to me, I maybe saved 100g total too.
I've been tubeless for a year now, won't swop back. Yeah it can be a bit fiddly, just takes that bit longer to set up than a tube but worth it. I'd much rather sort my tyres out at home with a coffee than having to replace a tube out in the dark winter. Just watch the notubes video on how to fit a tyre and seal. Also sometimes its hard to get the initial inflation to pop bead onto the rim, but CO2 canisters do it every time for me.
As many say, its not due to the weight saving. But added grip and less chance of a puncture. I followed no tubes guidline on how much psi. Basically riding weight in lbs/7. +1 psi for rear -1 psi for front. Been running 24/26psi and love the extra grip.
My mate wasn't so convinced though, thinks it feels like I'm running with a flat, but he does ride with 40+ psi to avoid snakebites with tubes.
Less weight, thorns and such seal themselves, can run lower pressures for better traction.
I agree with all the above , just two more points :
Regularly check there is plenty of sealant in the tyre , don't just assume as I did in the early days , especially with non TR tyres , as they're actually quite porous !
Remember that while tubeless might be more puncture resistant , they are certainly not puncture proof , so still carry a spare tube ect.
No punctures is a good reason. But I find my bike accelerates better and rolls better tubeless - that's the main reason I'm totally tubeless.
Weight saving can be quite big if you use Stan's rims as you can mount regular tyres tubless with this system. Been running Crest rims for about 2 years now and I'm never going back to tubes, not having to grub around in the mud and wet with tyre levers is the biggest bonus. Tyre do feel different at first, I thought that mine were flat for a time but soon got used to it. Make sure you have a track pump or compressor for fitting. It's also worth buying spare sealant and rim tape as these are the parts that get used up in the faff of fitting.
to get pissed off when it fails numerous times?