Help, going tubeless for the first time

[ishaw]

While I have tubeless wheels on a bike, it came with them and I've not had to worry about them yet.

My next build I'm using new wheels and tyres so looking for advice on getting them set up right.

I've watched a few videos and know what I need to do, my main question is how much sealant is needed per wheel?

I bought sealant a few years ago, I can't recall the brand but it allegedly never goes off. If it came with details on volume of sealant to use, I've long lost that so is there a rule of thumb on how much I need to use per wheel?

While on the subject, is a tubeless set up that much better? Tyres seem heavier and filled with sealant, is it much lighter than a tyre and tube?

I'm doing it either way, just curious.

 

[legrandefromage]

My strictly limited personal experience is that they're a big faff.

The mess

Getting them to seal properly which requires the right pump: https://www.tredz.co.uk/tubeless-inflators

The mess

Punctures - I got a slow, rode a bit, stopped, repaired it, went on my way. Mate next to me got a rip. Dead tire, sealant squirted everywhere , long walk back

The mess.

Others will swear by them of course but not for me, as a casual observer

 

[93hero]

Volume of sealant depends on size of tyre. Don’t be too anal about hitting a specific amount. Somewhere more or less than 100ml?

I inflate mine with a standard floor pump.

Since going tubeless, I have never had to stop a ride due to a puncture. The ability to run lower pressures has also improved ride comfort and grip perceptibly. At the very beginning, there was a bit of fiddling to find the sweet spot for tyre pressure.

I don’t (never have) run it on road bikes.

YMMV

 

[richardmichael]

I’ve used tubeless for years in my enduro mtb and road bike with great success, you can buy repair kits that plug holes too large for the sealant to fix and more of them than not repair on the side of the trail/road.
You will need tubeless compatible tyres and rims for it to work, as the interface at the bead is very tight - it’s not worth trying without a compatible tyre (trust me).

I’ve found the mess can be avoided by using a syringe to fill through the valve. I do this by installing the tyre, using a standard track pump to inflate and seat the tyre bead correctly, it will make popping sound much like a car tyre does. I then deflate and remove the valve core and fill through the open valve, I generally use 60-100ml dependant upon tyre size (road/mtb). Put the core back in and pump back up to desired pressure.

In regard to whether or not they’re better, I guess that’s down to preference, the performance benefit in mtb is a no-brainer in my opinion, my road bike I’d probably go for tpu inner tubes next time around.

They are however, a massive faff and mess when removing or changing the tyres..

 

[ishaw]

Thanks. I'm going to give it a go, but the mess and faff is certainly off-putting.

I've got the right wheels, tyres and tools so it's just a case of biting the bullet.

Out of interest, while I'm not going to use them this time, I have some Mavic tubeless tyres but are they any different to other tubeless tyres as I believe mavics system is slightly different?

 

[richardmichael]

Certainly go for it, you may find the worry about mess isn’t as bad once you’re through with it.

I can’t speak to UST as I’ve never used Mavic products with any of my tubeless setups before. It’s likely that there’s slight differences to ensure you use the full Mavic setup rather than mixing products from other manufacturers, something common place these days I guess!

 

[clubby]

Mavic tyres are butyl coated inside so they are airtight. They were designed to be used with Mavic’s UST rims with no internal spoke holes and to be used with no sealant. Kind of pointless as there was no way to way to seal punctures and never took off.
You can still use them with any other tubeless rim, but will need sealant and can be a very tight fit.

Punctures - I got a slow, rode a bit, stopped, repaired it, went on my way. Mate next to me got a rip. Dead tire, sealant squirted everywhere , long walk back

Not exactly comparable. If he’d got the same slow puncture the sealant would have fixed it without him even noticing.
If you’d ripped a tyre, without the proper spares you’d have had to walk gone as well. It’s your mates fault for not carrying stuff to fix it.

Shorter rides, I carry a Dynaplug tool but for longer ones I also carry a spare tube and toothpaste tube tyre boot just in case. This is more out of superstition as I’ve never had a mtb puncture that the sealant didn’t work on in 13 years. However, I just know the day I take the spares out of my pack I’ll rip a tyre.

 

[legrandefromage]

Mavic tyres are butyl coated inside so they are airtight. They were designed to be used with Mavic’s UST rims with no internal spoke holes and to be used with no sealant. Kind of pointless as there was no way to way to seal punctures and never took off.
You can still use them with any other tubeless rim, but will need sealant and can be a very tight fit.



Not exactly comparable. If he’d got the same slow puncture the sealant would have fixed it without him even noticing.
If you’d ripped a tyre, without the proper spares you’d have had to walk gone as well. It’s your mates fault for not carrying stuff to fix it.

Shorter rides, I carry a Dynaplug tool but for longer ones I also carry a spare tube and toothpaste tube tyre boot just in case. This is more out of superstition as I’ve never had a mtb puncture that the sealant didn’t work on in 13 years. However, I just know the day I take the spares out of my pack I’ll rip a tyre.

I do sometimes wonder why you are on this site as you always seem to sneer at anything over five minutes old.

I, however, sneer at anything new because it is powered by voodoo and black magic