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I was wondering if going tubeless is worth it, I’m really not that big on weight and don’t pop tubes that often and the quote is from my LBS is 60 dollars for the conversion supplies and labor plus the cost of the tires, so it would come out to around 150-200$.
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Well, you state that you don’t care about the weight savings and that you don’t mind the patching you have to do. It seems you’re not looking for any of the benefits that going tubeless provides.
Anyone with the slightest amount of mechanical inclination can convert a wheelset to tubeless. All it takes is a little bit of patience for the initial sealing and then you can forget about them for about a year, when you need to add an ounce of sealant. You can save the shop cost if you desire and if you wait until you’re in need of tires, you can’t really count that cost either.
I’ve ridden my current setup for the third year and have never had a flat. Just add a couple pounds of air every week or so and go ride.
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What are the benefits of the tubeless
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Lower pressure with out pinch flats.. I personally have not converted yet as I have not had any flats on my new bike yet. I would think for desert areas where you can get more needle type puncture flats it would be almost necessary.
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The primary benefits are what you’ve already stated you don’t care about. As Alvin states, you can run a lower pressure but that’s not always a benefit. Too low, and you begin burping the tire in corners and ending up with flats and you can also end up with snakebite flats from bottoming the rim out on the tire over an obstacle.
Seriously, if you don’t care about the primary benefits of the system, save your money.Purchase something that appeals to you.
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Ok thanks for the help
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Thought I would comment since I am a fairly recent convert to tubeless. My 26 inch bike is still tubed, but I went tubeless on my 29 inch hardtail. For me better traction and a softer ride were the main benefits from lowering air pressure. Thorn flats are common in my area and tubeless has pretty much eliminated that. Seems they are a little more maintenance but I don’t see me going back to tubes.
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How does/would tubless help with thorn flats? I’ve been reading up on tubless since I heard about it, but one of my main hesitations is that I can repair a flat on the trail if I have a tube in the tire. I was thinking that if I went tubless, cactus thorns could have me walking back.
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I’m intrigued as to the thorn flats as well. I get them every time I ride one of my favorite trails within a 2 hour drive. They puncture right through my Kenda Nevegal Lites and the tubes. Is a specific tubeless tire that much stronger?
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With tubeless you have sealant in the tires that will help to seal the leak from the thorn.
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Like Brian87 said, the sealant saves you from thorns. Stans is the most common, but there are other brands too. There is some maintenance as the sealant will dry out over time. I carry a tube (or two) also just in case the tire gets unseated from the rim.
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I have tubeless on my setup. I have fished some big thorns out of my tires and the stanns keeps me on the trail. I still will throw a tube in my bag just in case I completely blow something out. If you do go tubeless I would stick with stanns. I personally love the fact I can go down to 18 psi and still keep riding.
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Good points, thanks much. may have to try the set-up when I get back and get real tires.
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I know the original comment said you’re not concerned about weight, but remember, this is removing weight from your wheels, which is one of the best performance upgrades you can make to a bike. After I switched to tubeless, I noticed an immediate improvement on climbs (on my heavy Kona FS). IMO something like this is great because you can ride longer/harder, which is what we’re all looking for.
As Schwim said, you really don’t need a shop to do this for you, it is easy to do. Having a compressor to initially seat the bead does help, but there are some CO2 options that are made to help with this if you don’t have one.
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If you don’t have a compressor or Co2, try wrapping a couple belts or tie down around the tire and cinching it. I’ve successfully aired up a tubeless tire by wrapping one around the tire, tightening it down onto the rim and getting enough air into it to make a seal before taking if off.
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That’s a different solution, never thought of trying that (then again, I do have a compressor)!
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