Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
Regarding the tubeless vs. tube discussion, I might point out that I ride on roads which have sufficient debris that I've never worn a tire out. I ride clinchers. They always get changed out because they get cut, usually a sidewall cut, not because the tread wears out. Sometimes the sidewall cut flats the tire, sometimes not. The usual clincher wisdom is to carry boot material to get you home. Boot material is very light, but I can't see that working with a tubeless. As I mentioned above, I carry a spare tire now anyway to speed flat changes, but it also serves as a spare if the mounted tire gets ruined by a cut. I still carry boot material, because the spare can also get cut.
So what's the plan with tubeless? Does everyone carry a spare and sealant? What's the get home plan? Please, don't say cell phone. The Call of Shame over a flat?
One could certainly boot a sidewall cut on a tubeless tire if a tube is used. It's possible to patch a sidewall cut, but aside from being time consuming, you'd face the burden of reseating the bead.
Many tubeless tires are "overbuilt" in a sense; compared to clincher race tires, they have more material on sidewalls and tread to give an extra measure of security. Superlight race tubeless tires are coming, but they're not really here yet (IRC formula Light excepted).