I have 6 gatorskins, 4 in 28 and 2 in 25. I've never had a puncture flat from any of them.

There are rimstrips available to convert normal rims to tubless but strip + non-tubless tire = huge pita to seal.

I'm rocking gatorhardshells with maxxis welterweight tubes, not a single issue.

I kill what I fear, and I fear what I don't understand, so... no I'm not ready for tubeless.

Tubeless tires have not gained much popularity, especially for the road. Both the wheels and tires are extremely expensive and choices are very limited. Finding road tubeless tires over 25mm wide is virtually impossible.

With tubeless, while you get reduced rolling resistance and less pinch flatting as a positive.

The negatives:
One puncture and you are done unless you have sealant in the tires.
$$$$$$
Selection is not there.
Tire size is limited.
A tubeless system is heavier than a clincher/tubular setup.

I got a flat the very dirst ride. They are tough but I think they their ride feel is harsh compared to other rather durable tires

i run tubeless on my mtb...the point is that they don't flat (easily), the sealant prevents it. been using for over 2 years of some pretty aggressive singletrack & only failed once, while i cannot count the number of flats i had in the previous similar time frame.

it is entirely possible to set up a tubeless system on just about any wheels, even without rims & tires that are specially built for it. in fact, stan's does make a "tubeless conversion kit" that i have seriously considered for my "road" bike.

the biggest downside (beside xtra weight & it's not cheap) that i can see is that tubeless does make it a real hassle to change tires & since i like to switch the tires on my fg bike pretty often, i passed on converting it to tubeless.

I decided to try the Panaracer Ribmos in 28 mm width. When I bounced the idea off my LBS guy, he had a favorable impression of them and recommended them, so I went head and ordered them.

Damn it, this thread has made my decision harder for me. I think I'll go with the ribmo's or the durano's. I just don't like the sidewall look of Gatorskins.

Wire bead Fyxation Session 700 28s here.

Looks like the Durano is a little pricier.

I have no direct experience, but the "ghetto tubeless" option is there as well. It involves slicing up a tube and using that as the rim liner, then using Stan's sealant inside the tire itself. You get to use pretty much whatever tire and rim you want, and can switch back to a tube if the worst happens while out on your ride. Offroad guys like it.

Back on-topic, hope the RibMos do the trick!

- Scott

You may want to try something I've been using for clinchers for cyclocross. Find some tubes that have removable valve cores and inject a little of the Stan's sealant. I have ran 32mm CX clinchers down to 30lbs without pinchflats and pulled out goatheads without flats. It could be a cheap fix for what you need.

I have had my front gatorskin on for 4 years and have only had 1 flat. That was from a HUGE piece of glass.

knock on wodd

It's a good thing Conti Gatorskins are excellent at reducing tube punctures. Like most Contis, they're tirelever-killers. I've invented new swears while mounting and dismounting Continentals. I especially love the Conti+Trek Matrix rim combo. Get the Sawzall!

regular Gatorskins actually have a relatively weak sidewall and that's why it's important to go with Gatorskin Hardshells, they're only about 10$ more and a lot better

Well let's see how the Ribmos do.

This.

One ride in the books, so far so good. They even had good traction in the (unexpected) rain.

sorry if this is hijacking your thread but I'm looking for a similar but totally different. I want a lightweight tire with good puncture resistance . I wanted something really light and tried out a set of veloflex master 22s but the TPI on them is 320 and the sidewalls are suspect so I feel like I'm rolling the dice. They're also a ***** and a half to mount, because they don't keep their shape.

conti grand prix 4 seasons?

I have a pair of these in 700x23c that are 10+ years old and have worn like iron with no flats, tread cuts or sidewall cuts. They are wire bead style and are rated for 120 max inflation pressure. IDK is the design is the same today, but the old ones worked well.

Still the same, but folding.

The only thing going against a road tubeless setup is this: If it's a tubeless-ready tyre and rim combo, it'll be a very tight fit (I know I won't be able to change it easily in a race, and it'll take one hell of an effort). If it's a converted setup, it'll be hard to get the rim to seal in the first place.

Wait, what?

My road bike has a Shimano WH6700 Ultegra wheelset - tubeless-ready out the box.

A) The valve weighs about the same as a regular tube's valve, while the sealant, which isn't strictly necessary, weighs less than the tube, and
B) If you flat, you just remove the special valve, and install a regular tube just like you would with any other wheelset.

In short - it weighs slightly less than a regular clincher, and once you flat, it's a regular clincher! A tubular is lighter, though.

I'm not running mine tubeless - yet: My current (older than the wheelset) tyres still have plenty of thread on them.

The tires have to be more built up over compared for a tube type tire. It's not much of a weight difference but it's there.