# what are the advantages/disadvantages of going tubeless



## HCbiker (Aug 19, 2006)

hey everyone in another thread i posted i was told that going tubeless make a difference but what are the advantages and disadvantages of going tubeless and if i were to make the conversation how hard is it to do
any info will be help thanks
-colin-


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## Fastskiguy (Jan 15, 2004)

*I'd like to second this one*



HCbiker said:


> hey everyone in another thread i posted i was told that going tubeless make a difference but what are the advantages and disadvantages of going tubeless and if i were to make the conversation how hard is it to do
> any info will be help thanks
> -colin-


I'd like to second this question, especially the reported 10 watts of rolling resistance savings. Comments please


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## hollerbachMTB (Jul 17, 2005)

pros:
lighter (no tubes)
lower pressure for better traction without pinch flats
no more flats(just pour in some stans)

cons:
pain to install
heavier tires (if you use UST)
more expensive (but this is the WW forum, so what is money anyways =) 
MAJOR pain to install


never heard about the 10watts thing


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## Jwind (Mar 1, 2006)

I love my UST tires... set it and forget it if you know what I mean.

before I had UST tires/rims, I had a pari of speeddisc rims laced to some deore tye hubs and XC type spokes + 2.1 tires with tubes

I recently moved to some mavic 819's, double butted spokes and one hope hub and one king hub and 2 UST tires.

I now run 2.35 UST tires and the weight is about the same... 

I


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## robotkiller (Jan 20, 2004)

I went intermediate and got Bontrager Tubeless ready which has the weight of a regular tire ( reported 550g) and the security of a UST bead. 

Weight savings is significant for me (~240g) and tire rolls a little differently -- hard to explain. 

Downside for me was learning to install. I could not for the life of me get the bead to set. Then I used a ton of soapy water, blasted it with an air compressor and got it to set in about 10 sec. Now it's easy.

It's worth it.


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## chris m (May 27, 2005)

10 watts is supposedly what you save in rolling resistance by not having a tube to deform inside the tyre (and to rub against the tyre) so absorbing energy.


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## chris m (May 27, 2005)

10 watts is supposedly what you save in rolling resistance by not having a tube to deform inside the tyre (and to rub against the tyre) so absorbing energy.


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## CB2 (May 7, 2006)

I've been doing the Stan's tubless system for over 5 years now, and the only disadvantage I can see is the installation learning curve. But once you know how to do it, you just need to add more sealant every 4 to 6 months. The only time I have ever gotten flats was when I let the sealant go too long.
As for advantages it's lighter, and less chance of flats.


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## Fastskiguy (Jan 15, 2004)

*Yeah, the deforming issue*



chris m said:


> 10 watts is supposedly what you save in rolling resistance by not having a tube to deform inside the tyre (and to rub against the tyre) so absorbing energy.


yeah, exactly. Is this true? I mean, do we know this for sure? Because 10 watts is a pretty big deal if you're racing.


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## Some Guy (Mar 27, 2005)

I'd say that while it is quite likely there is a difference there, accurately measuring it would prove rather difficult. I'd be very suprised if it was as significant as 10 watts.


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## chris m (May 27, 2005)

Some Guy said:


> I'd say that while it is quite likely there is a difference there, accurately measuring it would prove rather difficult. I'd be very suprised if it was as significant as 10 watts.


The German magazine test managed to measure it with their rolling resistance machine, and got 5.2W a wheel, so 10.4W total.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=1828308&postcount=7


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## Batas (Jan 16, 2004)

CB2 said:


> I've been doing the Stan's tubless system for over 5 years now, and the only disadvantage I can see is the installation learning curve. But once you know how to do it, you just need to add more sealant every 4 to 6 months. The only time I have ever gotten flats was when I let the sealant go too long.
> As for advantages it's lighter, and less chance of flats.


What tires are you using?


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## 4212darren (Nov 15, 2005)

I burped half the air out of my front tire during the my last race when I failed to negotiate a downhill left hander. It would have been fine if I would have aired it up but NOOOO. I kept going and I lost the rest of the air when I rode over a root a short time later. Had to run back to the start for a tube because I couldn't get the bead to seat. It's still way better than tubes and as usual I learned a painful lesson.


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## stevemtu (Mar 29, 2006)

*Rare, dramatic tire failure*

I have seen and/or heard 2 tubeless tire failures in the last two years at races that resulted in crashes. Hardley a statistically relevant study, but they definitely made an impression. After the second guy cleaned the blood off his leg, I asked him was it tubeless tire on tubeless rim. 'Nope, tube tire mounted on tubeless rim'.

I know, tubes will fail more frequently than tubeless systems, they just don't seem to fail in such an explosive, traumatic manner. In spite of this, I am trying tubeless next year.


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## Some Guy (Mar 27, 2005)

chris m said:


> The German magazine test managed to measure it with their rolling resistance machine, and got 5.2W a wheel, so 10.4W total.


I don't deny their findings, however I do question how well they relate to real usage.


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

I'm just making the switch here...there is a learning curve and I had a bum valve assembly (tubless ready rim, standard tire with Stan's).

Nice thing is that now that I have the tire sealed, the wheels seem to hold air quite well. Between going to my "usual" tire from the stockers and going tubeless, I've probably knocked 300g off each tire.


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## CB2 (May 7, 2006)

Batas said:


> What tires are you using?


Kenda Karma DTC, or Hutchinson Python in back, and a Hutchinson Misquito or Bulldog in front.


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