Great thread guys. I'm on the verge of switching to tubeless, but for some reason, I just can't give up the good ol'reliable tubes.
Running 28fr 32rear and very little flats this year. (26' DHF EXOs 2.5 )
Same for me. I kind of want to try so I can experience any potential benefits for myself but I'm slow to give up tubes. I will likely give it a shot when it's time to put on fresh tires. I can always switch back.
There's nothing better than an Orangina after cheating death with Digger.
Great thread guys. I'm on the verge of switching to tubeless, but for some reason, I just can't give up the good ol'reliable tubes.
Running 28fr 32rear and very little flats this year. (26' DHF EXOs 2.5 )
Tubes are not really reliable, especially compared to a proper tubeless set up.
If hesitant to switch, start with just the rear tire.
When I first went tubeless I tried out just the rear for a few months, then when the front tire needed replacing I decided to do the same on it, as I was impressed with the rear.
Side note on setup…
I inflate the new tire on the rim without sealant, get it to pop onto the bead. Then use the Stans injector syringe to get the sealant into the tire through the valve stem. I found the scoop method a little more awkward to get the tire back on the rim with the goop sloshing around in the tire.
Plus the syringe injector works great if you need to top up the sealant when the tire has been on for a while.
823's with UST Minions have been trouble free for me and I'm 260lbs on a good day, but may not ride nearly as aggressive.
This is probably a factor. I'm pushing 200 lbs, 6'4", and neither slow nor shy on my DH bike. I honestly. Hated. Every. Minute. Of riding tubeless when I rode 823s on the big bike.
As I said though, my positive experiences thus far on the trail bike have me wondering if the difference is use or rim related.
I think a lot of new to tubeless riders make the mistake of judging softness of the tire by psi only. They figure that if 30 psi in a dh tire with a dh tube was good then tubeless with tubeless ready or UST they can get away with 20. No. One should judge by the degree of squish you see when your on the bike. And by how often you bottom out. Bottom out hard and you will burp. But if that rider was on a tubed set up and bottomed that hard they would flat. The point is you cannot compare inflation psi directly between the two for a similar feel. I pretty much run single wall and lightly armoured tires like snakeskin Schwalbe or Control casing Specialized. I would run 35 or more when I used tubes and raced XC although that was with pinner 2.0 ish tires. Tubeless I can run 22/25 front rear on 2.3 ish tires. I weigh around 145 and I feel less air than that and the tires get swishy in corners. I recently got some wider 23mm internal rims and I can run a little less but not that much less.
Tubeless with sealant is messier than a tube but once installed and running well, way way more reliable. I rarely flat and when I do, it is more than likely that tubed setup would have flatted too. i.e. large punctures or pinch flatted tires. And once I cracked the rim bed dead centre. Before tubeless I would flat about once a month. After I went tubeless about once every three years.
Debate? Bikes are made for riding not pushing.
I had zero luck running tubeless on 823 rims on my DH bike.
now that u mention it, my crossmax sx rear wheel was the only place i couldnt get a minion exo tr to work tubeless. Youd think it would be the easiest. Lots of fluid, fully seated bead… flat the next morning. Checked everything and tried a couple more times and ended up with a tube in there. Wierd cuz i've used all kinds of odd combos successfully.
Tubeless with sealant is messier than a tube but once installed and running well, way way more reliable. I rarely flat and when I do, it is more than likely that tubed setup would have flatted too. i.e. large punctures or pinch flatted tires. And once I cracked the rim bed dead centre. Before tubeless I would flat about once a month. After I went tubeless about once every three years.
+1
Also don't forget to top off your sealant if you're running your treads into the ground! The only time I've had a puncture (other than a fully torn sidewall) is when I've been running tires for months on end and punctured them with no sealant left.
With the right set-up, tubeless is crazy reliable vs. tubes.
If you are going tubeless for better traction @ higher pressures, the ability to run lower pressures, less chance of flatting, and/or because everyone else is doing it (i.e. weight savings is not your #1, #2, #3, or etc concern) my secret is Gorilla Tape
D
Plus 1 one on Gorilla tape. I built new wheels this year, wtb frequency i23 team (ust compatible) rims on hope pro 2 evos.
I came across a thread about gorilla tape with a lot of positive review so I tried it as my first tubuless setup. I am running maxxis dhr2 TR 2.3 rear and maxxis dhf2 tr 2.3. Both tires went on very nice and tight on the bead at50psi to snap them in place. They held air with out sealant in them . They have been working out great.
Wish I had done tubeless earlier
Great thread guys. I'm on the verge of switching to tubeless, but for some reason, I just can't give up the good ol'reliable tubes.
IME with 2 brands of UST tire on a UST rim I had zero issues any other combo is more likely to need tweaking in which case you can just put tubes in the tire if you like
DHR2 2.3 3C TR w/ gorilla tape mounted up to LB 30mm hookless rims dry and held air with a floor pump.
I always do the same routine when mounting tubeless. Dry inflation allows me to see how easy or stubborn the tire is going to mount.
Why slag free swag?:rolleyes:
ummm, as your doctor i recommend against riding with a scaphoid fracture.
Despite vigorous pumping I couldn't get my to hans damph to set up on my mavic 819 UST rim.
Trip to the gas station required. Tubeless can be a pain in the ass
TR maxxis tires hold air without sealant??
Compared to the non-TR, they take much less to make it air up. The walls need virtually nothing to seal up, just a bit to seal potential punctures and seal the bead. I find it easier to run slightly lower pressure too, as the tire doesn't squirm around as much with the stronger sidewall. This is from comparing same tires (Crossmarks) version to version.
TR maxxis tires hold air without sealant??
Not for long. I ran a pair of Specialized tubeless ready (or whatever they called it then) about 5 years ago mistakenly thinking that were UST. I had to pump them up several times in a hour to get me home. Some tubeless ready have pretty thick ribber casings and will hold for a while but they do require some sealant to stay inflated for any length of time.
UST stamped tires have a butyl layer inside so they don't require any sealant. I had an issue getting a Hans Dampf seated too but that was on a non UST, non tubeless ready converted rim. Other tires were hard to inflate on those rims too. Usually Schwalbe tires do air up fine.
Sometimes the valves clog up so that air can't get in fast enough to inflate the tire. Try removing the valve core, airing up and then putting the care back in. I learned from someone here to drop some tri flow onto the valve core to help keep it from clogging with Stan's.
Debate? Bikes are made for riding not pushing.
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