Hopefully the beads will stay seated and then you can attempt to plug the hole with a Dynaplug or similar tubeless repair kit. If that fails, then just fit a tube to get you home. IME flats are very rare with a good tubeless tyre and sealant.
5 Likes
That’s a good point about the tyre staying seated. I had a sidewall blowout in my rear wheel at 50kph and was able to easily roll to a stop almost as well as a tubular.
For people worried about tubeless I would recommend putting a tube in a tubeless tyre at home just to give yourself some confidence that you aren’t going to get stuck on the side of the road simply because you can’t fix a puncture.
While the manufacturers probably don’t recommend it, and the constant up and down from an uneven tyre is annoying, I have ridden quite a long way with a tyre not properly seated simply because I wasn’t able to pump up the tube with enough pressure to get it to seat.
Making sure the sealant is also kept fresh is important although it does last a few months.
3 Likes
I dropped my bike off at my LBS to have them setup the tubeless tires. Well worth the $40 service fee! Chalk that initial setup to a “don’t try this at home” learning moment. I just never considered it could be such a hassle to get air in the tire.
The good news was that it was easy to swap in a tube, especially since I was home with access to my shower to wash the sealant out of the tire first. I’m sure I’d be a tar baby if I had to put a tube in on the side of the road. But that’s what the dynaplugs are for.
1 Like
@emacdoug can’t believe you didn’t go with “deflating”.
3 Likes
They both kind of work. lol. But I think you win. 
1 Like
I tried that with the tire I could not seat. I took it to a car tire outlet that had a high pressure compressor, but it would not set the bead correctly. I was advised to use washing up liquid. this did not work either, I was told by LBS that the washing up liquid needs to be very weak, while I used it neat.Why a. tire fitted and worked well for thousands of miles, yet a replacement like for like tire would not fit without extra rim tape will stay a mystery
1 Like
With motorcycle tires, you rub a bit of tire lube on the inside of the rim between the beads to help the tire slip over the bead while you blast it with air. Seems like the same thing would work for a bicycle.
2 Likes
Maybe a bit of encouragement is that I had no trouble getting the gp5000 tl on my wheel, and putting a tube in was no different than doing so with a regular tire, except for removing the tubeless valve stem. It would be a bit gooey on the roadside. I’m considering packing some wet wipes in my saddle bag just in case.
3 Likes
I struggled to seat tubeless to start with but now do it fine with a normal track pump. My method is that once the tyre is on the rim, push the beads toward the edge of the rim. Do this around the valve and for 1/3 of the wheel. The pump hard and keep going and it will seat. Failing that put a little sealant in the rim (do it through the valve core) and while it might be a bit messy it will seat and then you can wash any excess off.
2 Likes
Unfortunately some tyres simply just do not seat with a normal track pump, whatever tricks you try. I was finally defeated by my Pirelli tyres and had to use a boost pump. Even that was a struggle. But some seat quite easily with a normal track pump. It’s still a bit of a lottery, but sounds like you’ve found a combination that works well.
1 Like
I have run tubless on my road bike for years without any issues on multiple tubeless ready rims. I’ve had less trouble than those of my rolling party with tubes.
I have yet to get a flat, I carry a tube and air cartridge just in case.
I have used Bontrager and Vittoria tires, my other friends that use tubeless use the Continental 5000.
When filling/beading your tires, you need a compressor or a pump that will fill it quickly (fills chamber and has release valve).
To help bead the tire, put some rubbing alcohol around the both edges of the tire for them to slip and bead up easily.
Then you can add the sealant after it has beaded, and refill with air.
I run my pressures low - 75-80 psi - good for chip seal roads.
1 Like
What tire width?
1 Like
I have run tubeless tires on my road bike (25 mm, currently Continental GP5000, but have also liked Hutchinson Fusion Galactik) for about 15k miles now and haven’t had any catastrophes. I’ve had spectacular flats that would have done in any tire, and in those cases, I have just put in a boot and tube to finish the ride and get home, then patched the tire and refilled with sealant at home. I carry a tube, boot, valve stem remover tool, as well as plugs, and have been fine every time. I find that I usually need to use the high pressure and flow from a CO2 cartridge to get a tire to seat. I must need to do more SUF strength work, as I cannot do it with a floor pump for the life of me. Even though I made a tremendous mess the first time I changed tires and dealt with sealant (recommend doing that outdoors!), it was a short learning curve. I made sure I practiced and made sure I felt comfortable making repairs before going on longer rides. I like the ride, handling, and grip of the tubeless setup a lot and think these were totally worth the learning curve. I’m a lady, though not terribly lightweight. I think the setup time and maintenance time aren’t much more than with tubes once you get the hang of things.
2 Likes
Serious question, from someone w no skin in the game: what is the draw of tubeless for a road bike? I’ve been following this thread, and it just sounds like a pain in the @#$, with no clear benefit? I’ve punctured a few times in my life, and have been able to pull my wheel, patch the tube, bring it back to pressure, and be back on the road in 10-15 minutes. Good 23mm Conti tubes cost me about $6 each. What’s the lure?
Guess I could understand re: an MTB, running over rough terrain, and larger, low pressure tires, but everything you guys are describing sounds awful.
2 Likes
I just went for my first decent ride on tubeless, not counting the commute home from my lbs. That said, I’ve not got much experience with it. But I know why I’m giving it a try:
- I have TLR rims
- I was curious to see if it is worthwhile
- The idea of a self-sealing tire is appealing to me
- I hear they have less rolling resistance (makes me faster?)
- FOMO
1 Like
-
Much less chance of a flat with sealant. No pinch flats.
-
Most punctures (that don’t self-seal can be plugged from the outside with a Dynaplug or similar tool, which is much quicker than changing a tube.
-
You can run lower pressures for better ride comfort. Most benefit here comes when you run wider tyres eg 28c or more.
Once you get used to dealing with tubeless tyres they are not really much hassle at all. When I ran tubed tyres I would typically get half a dozen flats per year. With road tubeless I haven’t had a single flat in the last 2 years.
2 Likes
@Sir_Brian_M , I typically run 25mm. If I run 28, then my pressure will drop even more.
1 Like
Here is a good link that uses your entire weight - body+bike+gear. You select your riding conditions, your tire width and road type.
It makes suggestions. These numbers are not exact, but will get you close and you can then play with the pressure for your best riding conditions and results.
Enjoy!
2 Likes
I struggled with tubeless, but now it comes more easily. I found three methods to fix a tubeless bike tire, and I think they’re useful for you. First, you should use a rubber tire plug or a tubeless tire patch. With the last method, you have to choose whether to use a sealant, but this specific method is only applicable if your rim tape is still intact. If it’s not, you’ll have to get a rim tape replacement first.
1 Like
I’ve run tubeless on mtbs for 7+ years. I run low pressure and the greater resistance to pinch flats and thorns is good. ~5 years ago I ran tubeless on my road bike for a while. I found it more trouble than it’s worth, especially now as I don’t often ride the road bike. Tubes are easy and fine for my road-bike purposes.
2 Likes