Source
r/MTB•
stuffname

Considering going tubeless

Well today I popped 3 tubes. No kidding. I bought cheap ones and they held out this morning but I went back to the same spot later in the day and popped two after like a half hour and I put new tubes in and my rear tire went flat after like another half hour.

My question is, will going tubeless really stop these issues Ive been having. Frankly it hasn't been happening all that much. Last time I popped a tire was probably like a month ago. And if it matters Im doing riding thats like what you see in enduro races. Some drops up to 5' high (the only ones I hit that are that high are into transition). Lots and lots and lots of rocks, some jumps.

Am I going to experience less flats, us tubeless more suited for my style of riding, and what are there benefits and any drawbacks?

Thanks, sorry being all over the place, Im tired and its late

Posted Aug 22, 2015, 6:42 AM UTC

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illmasterj•

How do you mean "popped"? As in too much pressure with an audible "bang" noise?

Tubeless isn't the end of flats, but it will help you with pinch flats, which I suspect you may be getting. You can run lower pressures and avoid pinch flats with tubeless. It will also help to seal small punctures.

A gouge in a sidewall of a tubeless tire will still leak, there are obviously limits of the size of holes that the sealant can seal.

There's nothing wrong with drops, rocks and rough trails on tubeless. I hit around a 4 foot drop on my tubeless setup Transition Bandit yesterday and it couldn't care less.

If you want some light reading, this tubeless guide may help.

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stuffnameOPNew Mexico•

No, sorry I may have been unclear. Like it was just leaking very slowly. I finished a few runs on a trail and was resting at the top, then I noticed my back tire was a little low and felt it and it was super soft, thats how it was each time. The pressure was the same as Ive always had it.

Is there anything wrong with converting to tubeless with already used tires (pretty new, like a week old), sorry if thats a stupid question, Im fairly ignorant to the whole tubeless thing

Thanks for the help man

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illmasterj•

It's an imperfect science. Some people claim running a tube for a week or so helps the bead to straighten out and therefore seal against the rim better. Others claim that the more you take them on/off the rim the worse the bead stretches and it doesn't seal as easily.

In reality I have done both and have never had a problem.

You may have a slow leak in your tube. It's probably the valve.

Tubeless seems tricky at first but once you convert a set or two they are fairly simple. My tire/rim combo (Spank BeadBite and Minion/HR2) are very hard to get on/off of the rim and even them I can setup in about 10 mins per wheel now.

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nordic_pain•

If you are getting that many flats and tour tire pressure is good, have you checked the wheel for any burrs or snags in the metal of the wheel. I suspect that could be your issue.

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ConvertsToMetric•

[^(Mouseover to view the metric conversion for this comment)](#4 feet = 1.2 m "4 feet = 1.2 m Post feedback in r/ToMetric")

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molested_seahorse2012 Cannondale Flash 3 29er•

Just out if curiosity, did you inspect your tire, tube, and wheel after each flat to try and find what caused the flats? Getting two flat in a row on one wheel makes me think you had something in your tire or wheel that kept on causing new punctures.

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stuffnameOPNew Mexico•

Yeah I did. I checked the rim for any nicks that might be causing a rupture (I figured this may have been the cause because they were new rims). I checked out each tube and they all had the same issue, a small leak on the outside (where the tread would be on the tire). My best guess now at the cause of the ruptures was these thorns on the trail. Two other guys actually had the same issue. I can confirm at least one of the flats was caused by the thorns, I was walking my bike to my car after and must have rolled it over a thorn and when I was taking the front tire off I pulled it out and there was an audible leak.

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molested_seahorse2012 Cannondale Flash 3 29er•

Cool just wanted to make sure. Tubeless is definitely a godsend imo.

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ADB315TN - SC Superlight 29•

I converted and I love it. It's nice to be able to run a low PSI and piece of mind know I can be heel and gone from the car and and not have to worry about blowing a tube is pretty nice. I say go for it.

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stuffnameOPNew Mexico•

I think Im going to get it done tomorrow morning. Curious, did you do it yourself or bring it into a shop and have them do it?

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njfish93•

Not him but I did it myself. You need sealant and a compressor. Surprisingly easy to do.

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illmasterj•

A compressor makes life easier but it all comes down to your tire/rim. I haven't used anything other than a floor pump for the last few years but my combo seals tight!

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njfish93•

I couldn't get the tire to pop against the rim with a floor pump

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jfarielloNorth Carolina•

You also have to make sure your wheels are tubeless compatible!

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Mdsupertokerjr•

Not necessarily true. A lot of rims still work with tubeless even though they sent tubeless compatible. My tubeless set up is MTX 33 wheels (non tubeless) with maxxis DHF (also non tubeless) and they work just fine.

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Sophrosynic•

I use gorilla tape and diy valves cut from old tubes.

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ADB315TN - SC Superlight 29•

I took it in, it was like 50 bucks or so and I hear if you don't really know what you're doing it can turn into a pretty goopy mess what with the sealant and all

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lllamacado2015 Giant Trance 2•

Don't think. Do it. Trust me.

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Sophrosynic•

I've been tubeless for a year and a half, and I've had one flat. I've had my new bike for 9 months, ride 2+ times per week, and never had a flat with it.

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jburmSanta Cruz Superlight, Nickel, Highball C•

I was on the fence about going tubeless. I have a set of stans wheels and TR tires and was running tubes. Switched to tubeless and its been amazing. I dont have an issue with flats where I'm at but the first ride was noticeably improved. Traction, speed, sound, cornering, all great. Do it already!

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schmengi•

Not that many will want to go this route but a couple of years ago I could only find Sealant filled tubes in my town. (no local bike shop) $10 and heavy as hell, but I went for it. Over the next few months I noticed my Kenda Nevegals had slices on the sidewalls. Finally decided to put a non sealant filled tube in and saw that the tires were actually sliced right through 5 times maybe from .5+cm. long. That thick sealant filled tube not only saved me from 5 flat tires but got me through a season of riding. All of the slices were on the same side from the same rock garden. I located the guilty rock and removed it.

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Nickerdos•

I've gone tubeless and I don't think I will ever go back. Unless, that is, I get s flat on the road and I'm forced to put in a tube.

Right now I am rocking Hutchinson Sector 28 on HED Ardennes +. Loving it.

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stuffnameOPNew Mexico•

Thanks for the advice guys. I did it today and just got back from riding. No flats and I feel like Im getting more traction, so a net positive.

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MoreROOST•

Sounds like your rim tape needs to be redone. If your tube expands in to the nipple hole below the tape it will pop your tube. It could also be pinch flats if you're riding with super low tire pressure (less than 28 psi). Regardless, tubeless is awesome not mainly due to flat prevention but due to increase in traction. It allows you to run super low tire pressure without the fear of pinch flats. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. ;)

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stuffnameOPNew Mexico•

I got the tubeless setup done today. Its great, I always thought the increased traction was just talk but it was actually quite noticeable.

I may be wrong but I don't think it was the rim tape, the bike/wheels are brand new, like a week old. Maybe though. Im pretty sure it was just thorns on the trail (I can confirm that at least one flat was caused by thorns, and there were two other guys that had flats caused by thorns).

haha yesterday messed up my head. This afternoon I was checking my tires like every five minutes

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MoreROOST•

Those must be some intense thorns! I guess that's not really on my radar since there aren't any nasty thorns on trails out here. Enjoy the tubeless setup. It makes a huge difference on wet roots and rocks. Make sure you run them around 28 psi or less. :)

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oldehcanyon spectral •

i just set up mine tubeless yesterday. was super easy and seems good so far. the sealant costs the same as 2 tubes so its worth at least giving a try.

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