Definitive Beginner's Guide to Going Tubeless on Road?

[Gx3]

Hi All - after a lifetime of riding on tubed tires, I think I've finally made the decision to go tubeless. I've been doing some research online for all things tubeless, but see a mix of potentially dated info, MTB info, etc. It appears that there has bene a number of developments of late in tires, sealant, valves, tools, etc. Can anyone recommend a recent/current "definitive" guide on all things tubeless (or perhaps a great video) for a beginner such as myself?

Also, I'm stricly a road cyclist and plan on going with the Syncos Capital SL Aero 60 wheels (yes, I know a splurge). In addition to a definitive guide, I also had a couple of initial questions with respect to going with these wheels:

1. Synrcos seem to have a decent recommended tire list, but obviously a bit limited. I know with internal widths of 23mm front and 25mm rear, I'll need to go with at least 28 on the front and probably 29 or 30 on the rear. Any recommendations for the fastest tire set up for these? I've been running S-Works Turbo Cotton tires for years now, so I've been spoiled buy comfortable and fast tires.

2. Valves - have no clue what the latest and greatest options are here. I'm looking for something that's going to be really low maintenance and easy to service.

Thanks for any advice!

[TobinHatesYou]

Hi All - after a lifetime of riding on tubed tires, I think I've finally made the decision to go tubeless. I've been doing some research online for all things tubeless, but see a mix of potentially dated info, MTB info, etc. It appears that there has bene a number of developments of late in tires, sealant, valves, tools, etc. Can anyone recommend a recent/current "definitive" guide on all things tubeless (or perhaps a great video) for a beginner such as myself?

Also, I'm stricly a road cyclist and plan on going with the Syncos Capital SL Aero 60 wheels (yes, I know a splurge). In addition to a definitive guide, I also had a couple of initial questions with respect to going with these wheels:

1. Synrcos seem to have a decent recommended tire list, but obviously a bit limited. I know with internal widths of 23mm front and 25mm rear, I'll need to go with at least 28 on the front and probably 29 or 30 on the rear. Any recommendations for the fastest tire set up for these? I've been running S-Works Turbo Cotton tires for years now, so I've been spoiled buy comfortable and fast tires.

2. Valves - have no clue what the latest and greatest options are here. I'm looking for something that's going to be really low maintenance and easy to service.

Thanks for any advice!

Wheels: I'm sure the Syncros Capital SLs are very nice
Tires: Best all-around tires = Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR, Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR, Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS, Continental Aero 111 (front-only)
Valves: Reserve Fillmores if not running inserts, regular Presta valves w/conical bungs are fine too as long as you put a drop of oil in the valve core to prevent clogs
Sealant: Orange Seal Regular unless you live somewhere hot and arid, then Orange Seal Endurance. After shaking, measure your sealant by weight, not by volume.
Tape: Green powder coat masking tape, also known as 3M 8992. Otherwise "2mil" or "3mil" polyimide tape, also known as Kapton tape. Buy tape that is 5mm wider than the internal width of your rim.
Inserts: I would probably forego these until you are proficient at everything else tubeless, but I use Vittoria Air Liner Road.
Plugs: DynaPlugs...I use both the Racer Pro and the Micro Pro depending on the length of my ride. Clever Standard Bacon Anchors are good too.
Accessories: If you don't own a compressor, then get an AirShot canister or Bontrager TLR Flash Charger floor pump or a Lezyne Pressure Overdrive. The other tubeless boosters on the market have a lower flow rate than these three options. You might want a sealant injector, but I just use a 4oz Orange Seal bottle and the provided tubing. Tire levers = Pedro's as always.

[Gx3]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

[TobinHatesYou]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

Oh yeah, if the Capital SLs don't have drilled out access holes for the nipples then there's no need for tape.

[jlok]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

Oh yeah, if the Capital SLs don't have drilled out access holes for the nipples then there's no need for tape.

Shouldn't have any nipple / access holes as the rim/spokes/hub are moulded one-piece.

[Jaisen]

TBH gave a lot of good tips. My personal favorite tire levers are the blue Schwalbe ones. Also, in addition to putting a little oil in the valves to prevent clogging, it is good practice to get in the habit of letting the vavles rest in the 4 or 8 o'clock position a few minutes before inflating. Then right as you are about to inflate, move the valves up to near 12 o'clock then inflate. The idea here is to let the sealant drain out of the valve core before inflation and to keep the sealant as far away as possible from the valve cores during inflation.

[Gx3]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

Oh yeah, if the Capital SLs don't have drilled out access holes for the nipples then there's no need for tape.

Thanks again for your help. If it's not too much trouble, a couple of quick follow-up questions:

1. Injecting sealant - you mentioned going by weight, rather than volume, and you just use the 4oz Orange Seal bottle and provided tubing. How do you weigh the amount of sealant you need before injecting? It looks like maybe the tube just connects to the bottle, so not sure what your process is for accurately weighing what you're injecting.
2. Amount of sealant - so the Syncros wheels have a 23mm internal width on the front and 25mm on the rear. For tires, I'm thinking I'll go with the Aero 111 in 29mm on the front and the 5000 S TR or the Pirelli Race TLR RS in 30mm on the rear. Given those dimensions, how much sealant should be added to each wheel? By my research, looks like about 1.8oz?
3. Tire pressure - As mentioned above, I've been using Turbo Cotton tires and latex tubes for years. I usually go with about 75 psi f/r with my set up. WIth the set up mentioned in #2 above, what would be a recommended psi with which to start? For what it's worth, I"m about 6'1 and weigh between 165 and 170lbs based on time of year. It looks like recommendations are all over the place, but maybe around 58 to 60 psi is a good starting point?

Thanks again for any advice - this has been super helpful!

[TobinHatesYou]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

Oh yeah, if the Capital SLs don't have drilled out access holes for the nipples then there's no need for tape.

Thanks again for your help. If it's not too much trouble, a couple of quick follow-up questions:

1. Injecting sealant - you mentioned going by weight, rather than volume, and you just use the 4oz Orange Seal bottle and provided tubing. How do you weigh the amount of sealant you need before injecting? It looks like maybe the tube just connects to the bottle, so not sure what your process is for accurately weighing what you're injecting.
2. Amount of sealant - so the Syncros wheels have a 23mm internal width on the front and 25mm on the rear. For tires, I'm thinking I'll go with the Aero 111 in 29mm on the front and the 5000 S TR or the Pirelli Race TLR RS in 30mm on the rear. Given those dimensions, how much sealant should be added to each wheel? By my research, looks like about 1.8oz?
3. Tire pressure - As mentioned above, I've been using Turbo Cotton tires and latex tubes for years. I usually go with about 75 psi f/r with my set up. WIth the set up mentioned in #2 above, what would be a recommended psi with which to start? For what it's worth, I"m about 6'1 and weigh between 165 and 170lbs based on time of year. It looks like recommendations are all over the place, but maybe around 58 to 60 psi is a good starting point?

Thanks again for any advice - this has been super helpful!

1) I use a gram scale to weigh my sealant. I zero out the bottle + cap/tubing on the scale and then pour 50 grams of sealant into the bottle. The specific gravity of Orange Seal is almost 1:1 with plain water, so 50 grams ~ 50mL.

2) 1.8oz or 50mL is about right for the initial fill on a labeled 30mm tire. You could do 40mL, but some sealant gets used up right away filling crevices around the bead and such. After 3 months, I'll shake the tire. If I don't hear any faint sloshing, I add 30mL. If I puncture and it takes more than a few seconds to seal, I'll top up with 30mL of sealant.

3) At 170lbs with nominal 30mm tires measuring more like 32mm, I'd say broadly 55-65psi for dry conditions. Wet conditions ~50psi, perhaps even lower.

[Lakal]

Other nice valves are 76Projects and Contec Fastair TL Road. They are cheaper than Reserve Fillmore and it is still possible to do a refill without removing the valve core.

[Tpduke112]

Thank you - this is extremely helpful information. Regarding rim tape, the description for these wheels says "tubeless ever ready/no need for rim tape." Does that sound right? And even if they claim rim tape is not needed, any reason not to add a layer for added security?

Oh yeah, if the Capital SLs don't have drilled out access holes for the nipples then there's no need for tape.

Thanks again for your help. If it's not too much trouble, a couple of quick follow-up questions:

1. Injecting sealant - you mentioned going by weight, rather than volume, and you just use the 4oz Orange Seal bottle and provided tubing. How do you weigh the amount of sealant you need before injecting? It looks like maybe the tube just connects to the bottle, so not sure what your process is for accurately weighing what you're injecting.
2. Amount of sealant - so the Syncros wheels have a 23mm internal width on the front and 25mm on the rear. For tires, I'm thinking I'll go with the Aero 111 in 29mm on the front and the 5000 S TR or the Pirelli Race TLR RS in 30mm on the rear. Given those dimensions, how much sealant should be added to each wheel? By my research, looks like about 1.8oz?
3. Tire pressure - As mentioned above, I've been using Turbo Cotton tires and latex tubes for years. I usually go with about 75 psi f/r with my set up. WIth the set up mentioned in #2 above, what would be a recommended psi with which to start? For what it's worth, I"m about 6'1 and weigh between 165 and 170lbs based on time of year. It looks like recommendations are all over the place, but maybe around 58 to 60 psi is a good starting point?

Thanks again for any advice - this has been super helpful!

Why diff tires?

[TobinHatesYou]

I forgot to mention, 29mm Aero 111s will be at most 30mm WAM on 23mm internal rims. 30mm P Zero Race TLR RS will be probably measure 34mm on a 25mm internal rim. You'd be better off running the 28mm P Zero Race TLR RS.