Tubeless Road Wheels

[waveshello]

I started riding tubeless this summer and have put 750 miles on a pair of 28c Conti GP5k TR on Boyd Podium wheels--very easy to mount and seat on those wheels with just a floor pump, no punctures yet. They're fast, have tons of grip, and smooth out rough asphalt well--to a point. I don't know that they're faster than tubes as far as rolling resistance, but I am feeling more confident in corners + more comfortable in the saddle, and that translates to speed.

[Dee Hubbs]

I've been on road tubeless since 2014.
Simple and easy, no downsides.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Does the sealant stay wet, as in sticky or gummy or does it dry up over time? I assume a regular maintenance schedule will develop for tubeless. Any tips for maintenance and for products? Im all in with what the bike is coming with and always willing to try new stuff even if the new stuff is a few years old. New to me.

Sealant is much more like liquid than ‘gummy’. It does dry up over time, so needs to be topped up periodically. Depends on environment and use, but probably every 1-2 months.

You can remove the valve core and inject sealant thru the valve stem. You can get injectors for this, or use a 2 oz. Stan’s bottle:

https://youtube.com/shorts/K1w_qEoSJ...bomt-5HdlCgISv

[J. Barron DeJong]

One other consideration for tire width on aero rims:

If the tire is wider than optimal for the rim then airflow will ‘detach’ at a lower yaw angle. This increases aerodynamic drag, but also, I believe, will increase the steering torque caused by crosswinds, so it may make for a bit trickier handling.

[plugboots]

Early adopter for mtn., (I talked to Stan early on), around 2008? for road. I use IRC RBCC. https://ircbike.com/collections/road...ubeless-rbcc-1
Pricey, but so what. Tried Conti whatever’s, and Schwalbe Ones, and something else I just threw out. All were a pain to put in the first time except maybe the IRC’s. Nothing beats the stickiness of the RBCC though. Getting rid of the tube makes the ride smoother and in 2006 I moved to chip seal roads, and didn’t want to buy new wheels for tubular.
I switched my wife’s bike back to tubes since she doesn’t ride enough, and the tires need to be ridden to keep sealing.

[halliday]

Great feedback from everybody. I ride 3-4000 miles a year and once I become more familiar with how the system works (maintenance, etc) I'll be good to go. the biggest hurdle is pulling my head out of my ass and accepting something new like tubeless. I guess I need to trust the process.

[beaterdit]

Another data point, got a new road bike in 2017(?) came with tubeless, no issues except getting the bead to seat is kind of a pain. I'm sure newer stuff is easier. I'm around 150lbs, 80psi on 25mm tires, and that's lot compared to many. Way more comfortable. The narrow-ish rims only support up to a 28mm tire but gonna do that when I get around around to it. Don't ride much road honestly.

[plugboots]

Also, I have rim brakes, so kinda 25 mm max. I ride around 85/90 psi, I weigh 165/170

[ddocky]

I've had a problem with 30mm road tubeless tires and cuts. When I inflate to 60psi, the cut will suddenly burst and start spewing sealant. But as the pressure drops, the hole closes.

Is this an issue with old sealant? I mean, it should plug the leak but isn't. Or is there some practical limit to how much pressure you can put in a tire before the sealant plug bursts?

[timackie]

I've had a problem with 30mm road tubeless tires and cuts. When I inflate to 60psi, the cut will suddenly burst and start spewing sealant. But as the pressure drops, the hole closes.

Is this an issue with old sealant? I mean, it should plug the leak but isn't. Or is there some practical limit to how much pressure you can put in a tire before the sealant plug bursts?

I had this problem with my 28mm tubeless tires. In general, these have been great. Nicer ride and fewer flats than with tubes. After some miles, my rear tire took a larger cut that seals to 60 psi, but would spew sealant above this and would be at 30 psi every morning before I filled them again. I asked my LBS if I could plug them like the mtb tire or maybe put a patch on the inside. He says no. Won't work. Buy a new tire,

The replacement tire has been just fine.

[buttahflake]

I've been on road tubeless since 2014.
Simple and easy, no downsides.

Yeah, I’ve been running tubeless road since ‘19, never had an issue. GP 5000 28’s with 56/58psi at 145 lbs, it’s so comfortable and the grip is endless.

[altacoup]

There was only 1 team not running tubeless in the TDF this year and they were rocking latex tubes. Also the silica brand sealant worries way better for the higher pressures on road bikes.

[singlesline]

I had this problem with my 28mm tubeless tires. In general, these have been great. Nicer ride and fewer flats than with tubes. After some miles, my rear tire took a larger cut that seals to 60 psi, but would spew sealant above this and would be at 30 psi every morning before I filled them again. I asked my LBS if I could plug them like the mtb tire or maybe put a patch on the inside. He says no. Won't work. Buy a new tire,

The replacement tire has been just fine.

FWIW, you could almost certainly patch it. You could also try the plug...but they are much less reliable on road tires/pressures (dynaplug/stans dart might work better).

Use a radial tire patch from an auto parts store (heavier duty version of the inner tube patches). You might have to trim the patch down a little bit, but it should work.

Or sometimes you can find slightly smaller ones meant for lawn/atv repair: https://www.menards.com/main/p-14540...ampaign=Victor

This one is in a 37c gravel tire where plugs wouldn't hold...it happened on one of the first rides on the new tire and lasted for the life of the tire:

[XXX-er]

Thats what i would think^^ I've patched tires with a big hole on the inside and the patch held, I didnt run it tubeless, but a well done patch should hold

[J. Barron DeJong]

One other consideration for tire width on aero rims:

If the tire is wider than optimal for the rim then airflow will ‘detach’ at a lower yaw angle. This increases aerodynamic drag, but also, I believe, will increase the steering torque caused by crosswinds, so it may make for a bit trickier handling.

Timely:

“Meanwhile, the Aero 111 – a collaboration between Continental, SwissSide and DT Swiss that launched at Eurobike but was conspicuously absent from some pro team partners’ bikes at high-profile time trials this summer – shows essentially no stall angle, with progressively decreasing drag. Continental made similar claims, but Parcours’ data largely confirms it. If Continental’s data are accurate, it’s also much more-stable in handling in those crosswind conditions.



https://escapecollective.com/parcour...stest-and-why/

[J. Barron DeJong]

Rema makes a specific kit to repair tubeless bike tires:

https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...s.php?id=77573

Used it on MTB tires successfully. Don’t see why it wouldn’t work on road.

[halliday]

Im going to circle back to this thread.......what is the preferred sealant? Im sure there will be a few different answers so let me have it. Also, tools that I need to stock. Gotta have tools.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Im going to circle back to this thread.......what is the preferred sealant? Im sure there will be a few different answers so let me have it. Also, tools that I need to stock. Gotta have tools.

I went with Orange Seal because when I googled it I found that there was a bit of a consensus on the Slow Twitch forums that it worked better in road than Stan’s.

No issues so far, but as I said earlier, I don’t really get flats on the road anyway.

[XXX-er]

IME Stans or Orange worked about the same, my LBS has Stans so I buy the large can

the smaller Orange bottles came with a piece of tube that fits nicely over the presta valve so i keep one around to use as the fluid injector but otherwise I can't think of any extra tools you need for mounting a tubless tire

[The Iron Horse]

I always used Orange Seal. Worked as advertised, so never considered another brand.

I found having a big plastic syringe was helpful, but not necessary. And a wrench/tool for removing valve cores.

[waveshello]

I went with Orange Seal because when I googled it I found that there was a bit of a consensus on the Slow Twitch forums that it worked better in road than Stan’s.

No issues so far, but as I said earlier, I don’t really get flats on the road anyway.

That place is full of divas. I still check in every once in a while to catch whatever hot new drama is going on.

[McShortyShorts]

I recently tried out Kapton tape since I was out of real tubeless tape. It seems like it will work fine but I guess time will tell. At least I can now rest comfy knowing that my bike is super ESD safe