Tubeless Tyre Inserts + Dynaplug - advice + sealants

Equipment
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Any advice on Tubeless inserts and what happens when you Dynaplug?

What size Vittoria Air Liner inserts for my sons Continental GP5000TR 28mm on internal width 22.5 rims (Parcours Ronde). They measure 29 point something mm (my digital calliper is on the blink - probably 29.5mm). Am I best with the size M which is meant for 27/29mm or squeeze in a Large which is meant for 30/32mm?

With him racing I want a bit of extra security in case of a puncture that will not seal with sealant. There is nothing worse than hearing the word “Valpartij” and your son’s name in the same sentence over the tannoy during the race! (funny they call a crash a Fall Party - but not funny!!)

Dynaplugs are fantastic and have solved punctures that cannot seal easily and got me back on the road in less than a minute, BUT what happens to the Vittoria Air Liner if you use them? I presume being foam, it just stick in it and doesn’t cause a huge problem?

Last big question with much divided opinion, what tubeless sealant for road tyres running 60/70psi? I have used Dynamic Barkeeper but I’m not entirely happy with it. It has struggled to seal (even when fresh) especially in the rain therefore necessitating the Dynaplug.

I’ve found tubeless very successful so far but would like to take into account any possible eventualities. Any advice greatly appreciated.

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I’ve been using Silca sealant on my road bikes since last year and have had good luck

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I use Stans on my gravel and MTBs but wont touch tubeless on the road bike with a barge pole.

Admittedly back when road tubeless was new, there was an incident. Normally I can sort a puncture in about 10 minutes or less. This was 90 minutes, 5 broken tyre levers, 1 dislocated thumb, a heap of cursing, 2 pinched tubes and an uber. Never again.

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Yeah I’m not there yet either, @DameLisa. Run exclusively on my CX, but haven’t pulled the trigger on a road bike yet. I’m in the early stages of a new build, though, and am THIS close to switching when I pick up the new wheels for this project…

:thinking:

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It is getting better. I managed to mount and seat two sets of tyres on two different wheels. One thing I learned is to go to the wheel manufacturer Web site and check tyre compatibility BEFORE buying tyres. There are some combinations that not only won’t work, but will invalidate your wheel warranty.

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I, on the other hand, won’t touch tubes again! Not for road, gravel, or MTB. :smile:
That said, I totally understand the frustration level for you, @DameLisa

For me, tubes exist only for an unlikely flat that won’t fix with sealant, or slightly more likely, a flat that sealant would fix but I failed to check and refill sealant so the tire was basically dry.
That’s just MY experience.

Continental GP5000TL, now TR, versions aren’t bad to put on or take off my Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V rims, using tire levers. The same is true for the Tufo Gravel Speederos I use on a 2nd set of wheels for gravel rides.

I weigh under 150 pounds and run about 53psi on the rear, less on the front.
I’ve used nothing but the Conti 5000 tires, size 700x32, on my Domane since I wore out the Bontrager tires that came with the bike, and I was glad to be back on Conti again.

I ALSO don’t have to deal with a lot of glass on roads I ride, though there is some on occasion, and when I’ve ridden through it, I somehow have come through without issues. Never have cut a tire more than minor cuts of just the outer layer of rubber, but nothing that penetrated more than that or caused any flat at all.

I ride chip-seal roads a lot, and we do have winter here, the milder variety, so the roads do get treated with salt/stone/sand/whatever at least a few times, some years many times. The chip-seal surfaces often have plenty of loose stone bits with tire damage potential year-round, but Conti tires generally have little issue with that.

My only flat on these was due to letting sealant dry up and getting a tiny pinhole; that’s once in 29,000 miles in 4-1/2 years. On the other hand, I’ve helped repair flats for others I ride with several times over that period, all for riders using tubed clinchers.

For whatever it’s worth, I use Orange Seal exclusively, and it’s been the Endurance variety for some time now. It does pay to check the level more often than I have, and I’m trying to do better about that to avoid running dry. It can’t work if it’s not there! :roll_eyes:

I think I would still use tubeless even if I went down to 700x30, and MAYBE even 28, but I’d be less comfortable about it, as pressure goes higher, increasing the odds that a tire won’t seal well.

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Interesting no one has tried the Vittoria liners yet? @DameLisa I too was reluctant to go Tubeless.

I was an early adopter for 25mm tyres when 23 were still the rage and adopted early for 28mm and indeed, run 32mm on my Giant TCR. I eventually made the switch and can’t recommend Tubeless enough. Generally the carcass and tread will be slightly thicker unless you go for an ultra fast/light tubeless like the Corsa Speed.

As @DouthatBiker states, you have to keep it refreshed/topped up for it to work. I have only had one problem I could not solve with a big gash that would have necessitated a lift home with a normal tyre. I have special tyre boots as a back up now and I’m looking at the tyre inserts (Vittoria AirLiner) as a get you home as well as keeping the tyre on the rim in the event of a big puncture.

Dynaplugs are awesome and have plugged holes the sealant couldn’t fix. What I would say is that they have been slow to release super hard wearing puncture resistant tubeless. My son has 32mm Conti 5000TR AS on his spare wheels he uses for training which are more puncture resistant but still fast rolling. Vittoria have the NEXT which goes one stop more towards reliability and hard wearing. I’ve just notice Vittoria have launched the Ride Armour tubeless ready as a super hard wearing tubeless tyre. If you are puncturing that, then the roads are seriously bad.

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Were you asking what would happen with a dynaplug if you used liners? I can’t see that being an issue at all. As you know, once the tire is pierced by the plug, the little metal bit just stays in there, all nice and tightly tucked up against the inside of the tire.

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I was just wondering with the loss of air pressure the liner would do its job and expand into the tyre space. Would the metal plug not pierce the liner? And if so, I presume it would still be rideable.

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I would presume the same as you. That it would pierce the liner but that wouldn’t negate the benefit of either. Maybe send a message to the folks at Vittoria?.

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Isnt the liner a non inflatable tube? Kinda like a pool noodle? If so, piercing it wont make a difference because it cant deflate?

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Yep, but I was concerned it may still be damaged by the pointy end of the dynaplug.

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Probably still functions fine tho. Like it might tear evwntually but its nicely encased in tyre so should be fine ?

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I’ve used Dynaplugs with Vittoria road inserts and there were no issues. When you insert the Dynaplug, you can do it slowly and relatively carefully and you won’t puncture the insert. Additionally, the actual plug going in the tire isn’t super firmly attached to the insertion tool so it will move if it encounters the liner when you insert it. Finally, as others have mentioned, if you do puncture the liner, it will still work fine.

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