cyber.snow

I just put Schwalbe G1s on my touring bike and went tubeless. Then I thought "what happens if I get a flat?" With tubes, I just carried an extra tube, patch kit, pump device and tire tools. Not sure if tubeless was a smart decision now. Looking for advice on whether to go back to tubes or what to carry for tubeless.

Tourist in MSN

If you have already switched to tubeless, if it was me I would keep using it for a while before I made a final decision.

I have never used tubeless, so I can't suggest what to carry.

fietsbob

touring? Not a choice I'd make. but you already did it .. get another set of regular tube/tire wheels?

Going some where right away, ?? hurry unless you like snow camping by bike..

How about Australia? its spring there..






.....

Happy Feet

Why did you go tubeless without knowing what was involved?

Anyway. Start by googling "how to fix a tubeless bicycle flat". Here's a good start Click on the word youtube

wschruba

Repairing a tubeless tire is not any harder than patching a tube, but it can be messy, if sealant is in use; there are two type of repairs, a patch, or a plug. The patch requires you to clean the affected area of the tire, and place a reinforced piece of rubber (a "radial" tire patch--since anything that sealant didn't fix would likely be large enough that it damaged the casing of the tire) on the inside of the tire, much as you would a tube. A plug, just as an automotive tire, is suited to fixing large punctures. They are installed nearly the exact same way: a pass through the hole with a reamer, and then inserting the plug that has been saturated with adhesive.

I do not carry either of the above. Why? Because either of those cases are such that a tube-type tire would likely need replacing, anyway. Boot the tire, insert a tube, and replace it when convenient/prudent to do so.

cyber.snow

Sounds like I need to chuck the G1s, they are good on gravel but don't have much protection. Then clean up the wheels and go back to tires and tubes.

DeadGrandpa

I don't think you made a mistake going to tubeless. Most flats I've had were pinpricks from auto tire steel belt shards, and the sealant would take care of that. For catastrophic punctures, carry a spare tube and an auto tube patch (to attach to and reinforce the inside of the tire at the puncture site before installing the tube) to get you home. Just like wschruba said above.

Aushiker

I run tubeless on my fat bike which is used for bikepacking in remote country. Not going back to tubes.

As you have sealant (just remember to replace it around every three months) most punctures will get sealed without you knowing. However for more significant issues such as a cut in the sidewall I carry dynaplugs as key part of my tyre repair kit. The balance of my kit is pretty much along the lines suggested at Bikepacking.com.

dim

I've just bought a pair of 2017 IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless tyres .... these will be my first try with tubeless and they will be fitted to HED Belgium Plus rims (tubeless ready)

I've read some good reviews of these and some guys claim to get 4000 miles with no problems .... I will still carry a spare tube though

I will let my LBS fit them later during the week

staehpj1

After running tubeless for a couple years on my MTB, I have been very impressed. The ride is nicer and I went from a flat a week (quite a few thorns here) to zero flats in two years. The downsides of tubeless are way overstated IMO and I'd probably go tubeless on my next touring setup if building up a new bike.

Tubeless setups are easy enough to repair and in a pinch you can install a tube. The sealant isn't very messy. At least with the sealant I have used. It is water based and rinses right off. I have never needed to patch mine so the only time I dismounted a tubeless tire was when I needed to replace a spoke nipple and I didn't even get any sealant on my hands.

I would carry a tube just in case.

My experience was with Stans No Tubes wheels, tires, and sealant, but I expect other brands would be similar.

Rob_E

I've taken a couple of extended trips now on my tubeless tires. I've not had a problem yet, or at least I haven't noticed one. At home I had the sealant dry up, and I had a slow leak at the valve stem until I put fresh sealant in. I could still ride it, but stopping to pump it up every few miles made it ride better.

Another time I came out of work to find my tubeless tire completely flat. I anticipated a messy process where I put a tube in just to get home, but it never came to that. Pumped up the tire, spun it, and it held air just fine. I'm assuming I got a small puncture right before I parked for the day, and I stopped the bike before it had time to seal up.

If I've had any other punctures, I didn't notice. So other than those two incidents, both easily solved without ever taking the tire off the rim, I haven't had a problem. Commute most days and have taken my bike on some overnights and down the GAP twice. I have a little tubeless repair kit that has tire plugs and a spare valve core. Haven't used it yet. I have a little 4 oz. bottle of sealant that I took on my last multi-day trip. Haven't used that either. I pack a tube and a patch kit, figuring that as a last resort, I can put a tube in. Haven't done that yet, either. I'm still in my first year of running tubeless, so I guess there's still time. But so far my experience has been: don't let your sealant dry up, and you'll be fine. Tire plugs and tire patches sound like a good idea, but if you're not riding over any really sketchy terrain, I'm not sure how likely it is that you will need them.

I would say your standard tube and patch kit would be sufficient to get you going again with most issues. Some tire plugs might make it possible to get going without putting a tube in. A little sealant might make sense if you're going to be on the road for an extended time. Otherwise just make sure you have enough sealant in the tires at the start of the trip.

It seems to me like the biggest downside to tubeless is that there are some situations where you might have to put a tube in. That downside is pretty much a certainty if you don't go tubeless.

eaglegamma

I way preferred tubeless until that bike got stolen, and I plan to go tubeless again with my current bike. So much stress relief from not dealing with flats!

Sci-Fi

Just FYI: The latest flat tech:

https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/flat-tire-prevention-and-fixes

Lanceoldstrong

fify

tspoon

For myself the only major reason to hold off on tubeless technology is the effect of the 'tire gunge' on the tire. I have read that the compound used attacks the tire itself, such that the tire will eventually fail. For a touring bike which is used infrequently this could be a problem, for instance if you do a small tour and the tire is partially worn, and then stored until next summer.
Can anyone confirm how much of a problem this is, as I have no direct experience.

eaglegamma

I've never even heard of that. I met a touring who went tubeless, who was the first to describe the tech to me, and I don't recall anything about that. It doesn't seem like a prevalent concern from people I've talked to.

Aushiker

Same here. A Google search hasn't brought up any mention of either and given the wide use of tubeless I would expect it to be a hot button topic if it actually happened.

tspoon

Google term 'bike tire sealant corrosive'. There are plenty of people discussing it.

Aushiker

My search first page brought up a few old (as in up to six years ago) discussions with the most recent being from 2016. I couldn't find anything of substance to support the view that it is an issue. Stans for example does not include ammonia, the apparent chemical of concern.

I am not going to stop using tubeless based on this that is for sure.

wschruba

FYI, as the above poster noted, it dealt with the ammonia in Stans (at the time--it no longer contains it) attacking the aluminum in rims. The problem was notable with Shimano's rims, which were not anodized inside... Once they changed that, the corrosion stopped happening.

cyber.snow

After riding my Schwalbe G1s on a couple of trips, I think I want to go back to a more road friendly tire. The G1s are tubeless, so back to my original question...go to tire and tube or stay tubeless? Either way it will be messy.

elcruxio

But the G-One is a fantastic tire for both tarmac and gravel. I much prefer them in tubeless mode on road to my Vittoria voyager Hypers which while supple still had a tube in and thus did not offer nearly the same ride quality.

staehpj1

It may depend on what sealant is in the tire, but I have found the mess to be pretty much a non issue with my wheels, tires, and sealant (all three are Stans). It cleans up easily with plain water and I got little to none on me to start with.

Is this really a problem with other brands of tubeless sealant or are people making a bigger deal of it than it is?

I do remember slime tube sealant being a big mess in my limited experience with it, but I have not found that to be the case with tubeless sealant.

Aushiker

Not in my experience with Stans. About to try Orange but will be surprised if it is any different.

Rob_E

I'm pretty happy with my Almotion tires running tubeless.