dfioc

Hello,
After having my 3rd pinch flat in 3 weeks I'm thinking of going tubeless. Tires are Hutchinson Pythons around Mavic 317 wheelset. What are the pros and cons of going tubeless? Are my tires and wheels compatible with this or do I have buy new tires and wheels?

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide here. Thanks!

free_pizza

Unless you are going to use a product like (or similar) to stans no-tubes, your rims are not compatible to be running tubeless. You can use tubeless tires with the rims, but you still need a tube

Check your pythons, does it say tubeless anywhere on them?

ive heard stans are a pain in the ass to set up, but thats only what ive heard. read about them yourself here: https://www.notubes.com/

you also might want to check out olivers yes tubes here: https://www.yestubes.com/

santiago

Not necessarily. The additional special rim strip and the guck weighs just as much as a tube. The main benefit is the ability to run lower tire pressures.

dfioc

I was running 40-45 PSI until my first pinch flat. I increased to 50 and have the same problem. My area has a lot of sharp rocks which is causing the flats.

Anyone have any experience with the Stans tubeless system? Good? Bad?

wompwomp

Shoulda used Oliver's YesTubes.

PiratePete

I have the same tires and (i think) same rims. The tire rolls really fast on pavement, grass, etc. Good traction too. Putting the tires on is a HUUUUUGE pain in the ass, worse than any roadbike tire I've ever put on. Recommended pressure for those tires is between 30 and 60 psi. You can run them even lower for awesome traction, but too much sidewall flex during cornering.

santiago

At $50 a set, you got ripped off.

Dan Drew

I think with a stans No-tubes kit you can go tubeless.
Since I went tubelss 2 YEARS ago, have not had 1 flat.
I use to get a flat every 80 miles or so, and tubes started to add up.
I have used a couple of CO2 cartridges to fill tube tires for riding companions, more because I didn't want to wait for them to pump than just being nice
Go tubless you'll never go back!!!!!

wompwomp

rasheed

right click on picture ... properties ... copy & paste url into browser ...

wompwomp

rea1high

found this. thought it might help

https://www.justridingalong.co.uk/content.php?pid=529

https://www.justridingalong.co.uk/excel_reader/page.php

https://www.notubes.com/support_selecting.php

AfterThisNap

I switched to Stan's a few months ago and i think the system rocks pretty hard. I had two pinchflats on one ride earlier in Sept. I did the same trail last week, rode just as crappily (if not worse because of the low light), and didn't flat despite whanging my rear wheel sloppily into some square edged rocks that would definitely have taken out a normal tube.
I don't get normal puncture flats either.
They were, in fact, a total PITA to set up though, and at first I couldn't get the front to hold air for more than a week. After some practice I have it down though.
You may want to go UST and use stan's goop in the inside. Best of both worlds , easier to set up for newbies, near flat-proofness from the goop.

mx_599

so do you or don't you save rotational weight with them? stan's would have you believe you do. i was thinking about trying tubeless, but if the only benefit is allowing you a broader spectrum of pressures than i am not as interested.

i was under the impression you saved a lot of weight.

i guess not?

santiago

Depends on if you're going UST or just using the Stan's system on traditional tires. From what I understand UST tires are heavier than their equivalent standard tires. I did a quick check on the Schwalbe site and found the Nobby Nics I have are listed at 495g for the 26x2.1" in standard and weigh 710g for the same UST tire. I don't know if all tires are that way. I am actually surprised by the weight difference

If you go with the Stan's system on standard rims with standard tires you obviously have the same weight tires but you have to run the strips and add the slime. Not sure what that weighs but I understood it to be comparable to what a tube weighs. This is what my wheel builder explained to me.

mx_599

that weight difference in tire types alone is enough to make me not bother with tubelessness.

i have seen total mixed reviews of slime. so i hesitantly pose the question again. have any of you had what you believe to be any success with Slime in a regular tube?

thanks

born2bahick

Tubeless tire are heavier because of a stiffer sidewall and a sealing layer, My Epic was converted to UST, after it was all done I bet there isn't ten grams difference per wheel. Running standard tires, (Which are lighter) tubeless with a little extra sealant to seal the tire and make it airtight can save some weight over a standard tube or UST setup, but I wouldn't reccomend it for heavy riders, For me the big gains in going tubeless is that I never flat anymore, and I have less rolling resistance, even at lower pressure for some reason.

mx_599

thanks guys. i only weigh 130-140, but it still is not sounding worth it to me.

Funkychicken

my experience with stan's has been positive. lost some weight but mainly due to folding bead tyres instead of wire beaded ones, weight loss was not particularly significant unless you're being a weight weenie? anyways, pinch flats have been a worry of the past, but i have yet to add extra sealant in the tyre which may pose a problem. only real difficulty with initial setup was the availability of a compressor, but once you have that, follow instructions carefully and setup was a breeze first time.

ranger5oh

Literally, the ONLY reason to go tubeless is to be able to run lower pressures. They wont be lighter. I run tubeless now, and I love it. I can run 25 psi and have no problems, which I do on a regular basis.

Hattori

I like tubeless too but haven't done it for weight reasons either.

AfterThisNap

Oh, I forgot. I weighed both my wheels and complete bike before and after, and lost more than 1/2 lb after the Stan's conversion using the same tire/wheel combo (mavic 317s and specialized adrenaline pros). So, yea, booyah.

p.s. I was using normal non DH tubes prior.

born2bahick

Just another reason I like the setup, pulled the hardtail down yesterday for a ride notice the front tire was a little soft, just rode it sunday, anyways aired it up and went riding. when I got home I wanted to make a few adjustments so I put it in the stand and while it was there I looked at that front tire and found a thorn, grabbed some pliers , pulled it out, ssssss rotated the tire so the stan's could do it's thing.
next time around all was quiet, the only eveidence of the hole was a small milky bead of sealant.

AfterThisNap

Yea, I love it when that happens.
When I first installed it at the shop we tested the system out by going at it like serial killers with sharpend spokes and pens. It was awesome.

born2bahick

That's awesome!!!! I have got to go riding with you sometime!