Tubes vs Tubeless

Do you use tubes or tubeless on your main MTB?


  • Total voters
    48

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
they fixed that problem with boost presta rotors, also changed the spacing 3mm outbound, heat dissipates faster AND, you can get them in PURPLE
Innovation plus. They must have released boost compatible t25 presta rotor bolts already.
Finally something carefully engineered to match the sintered boost brake pads that just didn't have the rigidity of non boost brake pads.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
I changed over a few months ago, and it was a bit of a holy shit moment. Can't rule out that the tyres themselves are just better or the very low pressure just improved the bike feel, but the grip and comfort was a different world. One chuck-in-a-tube flat in the last 3 months and otherwise it's incredible and I am never going back. Best bike upgrade I've done in years.

That said, road tubeless is a bit of a scam - from what I've heard, a flat will leak down to a barely rideable level and you can't use a CO2 cartridge if you're in a hurry to get to work or something, and that's about the only circumstance you'll really care about pinch flat resistance. The maintenance hassles of clearing out your tyres with old sealant are significant, and apart from weekly lube and tyre inflation my roadie doesn't get that much love. Similar hassles apply for mountain bikes, so I can see why people who like their bikes to just be ready to ride on a weekend without too much futzing around are not converting.
Road tubeless is as awesome as mtb. I’d never use tubes in anything except a wheelbarrow.
Roadies jsut tend to be mechanically inept I think, and seem to fear things they don’t understand. Let them have their silly tubes...

I’ve got about 6000kms of commuting on Schwobble Pro One and only ever had to put a tube in once when I opened up a sidewall. And once had to stop every couple of kms to pump it up because I’d let the sealant dry up... Dozens of punctures where I heard the sealant go hiss and stop, punctured repaired without even stopping, and some needed a brief stop to shake the tyre with the puncture at the bottom.

One trick is to not be a Co2 cartridge using wimp and carry a proper pump for the slow leak scenarios ;)
 
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rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
Maybe it's just a me or a Maxxis thing but the one thing that shits me about tubeless is I find that once I've worn down Maxxis tyres to around 50% tread they don't want to seal up properly anymore around the beads, and also tend to weep through the sidewalls a lot. Gets to be an expensive and wasteful game having to bin tyres only halfway through their life.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Maybe it's just a me or a Maxxis thing but the one thing that shits me about tubeless is I find that once I've worn down Maxxis tyres to around 50% tread they don't want to seal up properly anymore around the beads, and also tend to weep through the sidewalls a lot. Gets to be an expensive and wasteful game having to bin tyres only halfway through their life.
Weeping through the sidewalls is almost normal I think... All my maxxis have done it to varying degrees from new, and the Michelin wild enduro sweat massively.

Never come across anything not sealing at the bead though - pull it off and make sure you’ve not got any old sealant goobers on the bead messing up the seal?
 

rangersac

Medically diagnosed OMS
Weeping through the sidewalls is almost normal I think... All my maxxis have done it to varying degrees from new, and the Michelin wild enduro sweat massively.

Never come across anything not sealing at the bead though - pull it off and make sure you’ve not got any old sealant goobers on the bead messing up the seal?
Checked beads, tape etc, re-seated, 40+ psi overnight etc, all good, then a week or two later no go on holding air.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Checked beads, tape etc, re-seated, 40+ psi overnight etc, all good, then a week or two later no go on holding air.
Curious... Maybe you just have a tyre and rim combination that don’t play nice. Sounds like an excuse to buy some Michelins ;)
 
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