rdtompki

I'm getting a new set of wheels built up for my single bike and have decided to go tubeless as just another measure to improve the ride on our miserable roads. Last Saturday's 100K would have been perfect had it not been for the number of miles of alligator'ed road which just pounded my rear. The Volagi does have a very nice ride, but I'm breaking in a new leather saddle, my mileage is down and I was riding with new, untested bibs. Even after 45 miles my rear was just fine on a reasonable section of road, but Sonoma county does have some nasty stretches.

I'll keep you all posted on how the tubeless experiment goes.

mkane77g

Been tubeless for many years. 100psi and the ride is nice.

jyl

Can you convert an existing wheelset to tubeless, or do you have to have a special rim?

Mobile 155

I had a set of tubeless Dura Ace wheels. Yes the ride was nice but a cut tire puts you our of business. The Stan's forms a sticky mess that makes fixing a flat on the road a real pain. Plus the tires were pretty expensive. I know MTBs have been using them for years but the selection for road bikes is pretty limited. But as I said the ride was nice and no pinch flats.

stapfam

My worry about Tubeless is repairing punctures on the road. I know you can always carry a tube for such an occasion but those tyres are tight on the rims. With the number of thorns we have I think I would be phoning the SAG wagon too often.

mkane77g

Have not had a flat since running tubeless. They are a real bear to mount and have learned a few new words while trying to seat the bead. Installing a tube is also a bear. Call me lucky.

jppe

I looked pretty long and hard at tubeless as well but wound up going with a little wider rim and just run a little lower air pressure. Keep us posted on how yours perform. I suspect you're really going to enjoy them.

rdtompki

Did my first ride on the 28mm tubeless tires. I'm running 90/95 psi front/rear at my current 200 lbs. Notice an immediate difference in the ride quality and (very subjectively) the tires felt better cornering. We'll see how it goes, but so far very impressed.

mkane77g

Lower air lets the tire stay in contact (no bounce) with the road, better handling. Think I'm headed for 90psi on the next ride. Roads around here are really bad.

Velo Dog

This was my experience, too: Tubeless was an answer to a question nobody asked, at least not very loudly. Fatter conventional tires improve the ride with fewer drawbacks.

Old_Roadie

I have almost 9,000 miles on tubeless tires.
I have the Dura Ace 7900 C24 TL wheels
7,500 miles on Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless
1,500 miles on Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tubeless

So far I like the Schwalbe tires a bit better than the Fusion 3s, easier to install and they do seem to spin up a bit easier. The Fusions are good wearing tires; I averaged a bit over 3,000 miles on then. And they are definitely harder to mount on the C24s. Time will tell how durable the Schwalbe tires are. If I get 2,500 miles on the rear Schwalbe I will be satisfied.

I did have had one flat on the road with the Fusion tires. Yes, it was harder to install the tube than a regular clincher but I got it done. A good sized cut in the sidewall. I did use Gorilla Glue and it sealed so well I had a very hard time seeing where the cut has been. So I was able to save the tire.
And I had one good size cut in a Schwalbe but the Caffe Latex did seal the tire, so no real flat, jsu a slow leak. I did have to stop twice and add some air using my Road morph, but by the time I was home, around 12 miles, the tire was 100 % sealed.

The reason I went tubeless is that unfortunately I cannot run larger than 23c tires, so tubeless is a great option for me. I am 180 lbs and I am running 80 front, 90 in the rear and the ride is very very nice.

Yes, there is more overhead with tubeless, the sealant does dry out, so check it every 4 to 6 weeks. Cleaning the dried sealant out the rims when changing tires is a pain and time consuming.
The Dura Ace 7900 C24s are susceptible to ‘pitting’ from sealant, but so far it appears to only be cosmetic.

And yes, I do ask myself why I continue to ride tubeless, it is more work, but one flat in 9,000 miles, and the ride quality keeps me ridding on tubeless.