Tubes or tubeless - what to choose?

[floriansantana]

Hi all!

I’m currently riding carbon disc wheels with tubes and before that I was riding tubulars on my carbon wheels on my rim brake bike.

Since I need new tires I was wondering if I should make the transition to tubeless or just keep riding my clinchers with tubes. Basically I have no problems at all, I’m riding around 10.000 kilometers a year and have more or less no punctures at all - maybe 2-3 per year. Still I always carry a saddle bag with a spare tube and tire levers and have a mini pump in my jersey pocket.

The main (and right now the only) reason I’m thinking about switching to tubeless is that I might be able to get away with riding without a saddle bag and stuff. Since I’ve never ridden tubeless on any bike (not even on a mountain bike) I have virtually no idea how puncture proof tubeless tires are. I used sealant in my tubulars back in the day and had no punctures whatsoever because it seemed that all minor damages where sealed immediately. Is it safe to ride tubeless tires without any spare tube or other stuff? I can handle having to call someone for a ride home when the tire is damaged so badly that even a new tube could not fix it. But does it work like this? Do all holes that would cause a flat on a clincher tire seal normally?

Please help me out, I’m kind of lost.
Thanks a lot!

[bobones]

You will inevitably get punctures that won't seal so you need to be prepared for that and carry some kind of tubeless plug kit. I use Dynaplugs for this, but also carry a spare tube and use it as a last resort when all other options have failed, If phoning for a lift isn't too much of a concern, you can probably get away with carrying just a couple of CO2 carts and a Dynaplug kit more that 99% of the time.

If you don't get many punctures and don't care about other benefits of tubeless like riding at lower pressures, or being able to ride fragile, fast tyres, then just stick to tubes as there is a learning process with tubeless that many don't have the patience for, and it's undeniable that they can be a faff a times. However, as long as you're equipped and prepared, most of the hassles are at home in the garage rather than out on the road.

If you are going to go tubeless, don't waste your time with any sealant other than Orange Seal and carry a Dynaplug kit at the bare minimum. Anything else is a recipe for disappointment.

[Mocs123]

Tubeless tires have their advantages and disadvantages. If you're on disc brakes (and therefore can safely run latex tubes) and don't flat often, I'm not sure the hastle of tubeless would be worth it as a GP5000 with a latex tube is as fast as their tubelss versions. As for being able to ride without a saddle bag, that depends too. Some small punctures will seal without you ever knowing. Others will seal but only after some time and you will need to add air (either pump or CO2), and yet others will require a plug or even a tube. Your chance of getting a flat with just sealant is less than on a tubed setup, your chance of needing a plug or tube is even less, so it depends on how much risk you are willing to take.

[warthog101]

The gravelly came tubeless and has stayed tubeless.
I have gone tubeless on the roadie.
No regrets.
GP5K TL.
Prob about 15-20k km on them.
The wheels came with Hutchinson fusion5. I bought more also. Rubbish.
Blistered tread on multiple tyres.
The Contis no probs.
Haven't had a flat that didn't seal yet.
(Prob jinxed myself by saying that)
Have pulled out tyre wire x3.
We have knuckleheads here who do burnouts in their cars until the tyres disintegrate leaving rubber and bits of wire on the road.
Using Hutchinson protect air max latex sealant. It has been good.
Got some Orange Seal Endurance to use, when the Hutchinson runs out, based on advice on here.

As per Bobones, there is a learning process as you swap over. Not that hard though.
I have an industrial compressor to seat tyres.

[MasterBean]

Keep it simple. Stick to tubes. You are enjoying your riding at the moment so why change for the sake of changing.

Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk

[DaveS]

One of the reasons I switched to tubeless last year was the lower tire pressure and better ride possible with 28mm tubeless tires with my Fulcrum racing 3 wheels that require no rim tape. I got a better ride and no punctures in 10,000 km with michelin tubeless tires and orange seal endurance sealant.

I just now switched to hookless zipp 303s wheels with a 23mm internal width. With 30mm Pirelli p zero tubeless tires. Zipp recommends 51/54 psi. I've ridden this setup 70 miles so far and descended at 50 mph with no issues and ride is great.

[hannawald]

It is like 50:50 for and against tubeless among my friends. Everybody tried it, some stayed with tubeless, some returned to tubes. I am on tubes now after trying tubeless couple of times, maybe I have tried too thin tires but had not much luck with sealing. Some holes didn't seal and some after a longer time which meant pumping anyway. Add the sealant spraying your bike when you puncture, difficulties mounting some tires, cleaning inside of tires after a while... tubes are so clean:) On mtb tubeless is great but for road I am still not persuaded.

[warthog101]

I am using Hutchinson protect air max sealant.
Still haven't had a puncture that has caused me to stop.
Pulled out a few bits of tyre wire after the tyre has lost pressure overnight.
On inspection wire buried in the carcass.
Still able to ride.
Not happening with tubes.

Got Orange Seal Endurance to replace the Hutchinson protect air max as I've used it all.

Edit; on my roadie no flats. The gravelly I have holed the sidewall on a pinch flat. That needed a tube.

[TobinHatesYou]

Find out which tubeless combos work best and you will never go back... I really enjoy pretty much never being stuck on the side of the road or getting left behind in no-wait rides, but I also rode 15000km outside between May and December last year, so tubeless made a lot of sense. The less often you ride, the less pragmatic tubeless might be as sealant has a limited lifespan in your tire regardless of distance traveled.

For long rides I keep S-Tubo tubes in my saddle bag for emergencies. Those are the only situations where I see myself ever using tubes again.