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DH tubeless

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,999
716
As of about 5 years ago I saw racers going off the cabin drop at Creek and land it fine. But after the smoove landing there's a tabletop of roots. No exaggeration, every 4th or 5th rider had a tire blow off the rim there.

While using tubes my entire DH life, I've gotten 4 flats with DH tubes. Weight isn't an issue to me.

How reliable is tubeless nowadays with DH tires and rimzzz? Referring to the technology as of today's latest-and-greatest components/technology?

I'm very hesitant about it as I ride more tech stuff. The last thing I want is to be riding an off camber rock slab and have the tire roll off the rim.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,716
13,063
Cackalacka du Nord
i've run ex471s and just doubledown (no inserts either) for years and had zero issues; i can't imagine that if you ran dh casings and proper pressures that you'd have any problems. why not try, and just bring some tubes in case you don't like it?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,082
24,609
media blackout
it's fine now. even I've switched. the motivation for me was to run cush core, which probably helps prevent blowouts too.

also, I suspect a lot of the people that have those kinds of blow outs are running stupid low pressure.
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Been tubeless for YEARS...Run procore now and I ripped tire tread in center. Only blow outs I had were way too low of pressure ..Maxxis deform when you blow one off but I run schwalbe primarily...

When I have a failure it would have destroyed a tube too...

I don't ride anything but DH and freeride urban etc...I've run nasty tech lines at Schweitzer and tamarack as well as tunnels trail in Santa Barbara...got several other nasty rock landings and total chaos chutes....

Tubeless works great and with a insert even better....
 
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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,024
9,683
AK
I've never rolled a tire off a rim. IMO, if you aren't running enough pressure, this will happen, regardless of if you have a tube or not. That would be a classic "sure, you aren't banging the rim off of rocks, because maybe there are none or you just got lucky, but you still need enough pressure to keep the tire rigid enough to resist centripetal/g forces". The harder you ride, the higher this goes. I regularly get squirm as I adjust pressure fat-biking on snow, but the goal there is to eliminate it and I never want to feel that on dirt.
 

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,999
716
Are these half assed inserts necessary? I always run DH casing anyway. I just don't see any point in ditching a tube to "save rotational weight" and then fill it up with cores and sealant.
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Are these half assed inserts necessary? I always run DH casing anyway. I just don't see any point in ditching a tube to "save rotational weight" and then fill it up with cores and sealant.
No not if your running dh tires, they hold sidewall pretty good....the procore is light and binds tire against rim bead....locks it in so it can't roll off low pressure..a tube won't do that so there's that.

The procore isn't like the pool noodles...totally different...

I can run a trail star schwalbe or exo+ and have great results with them aside of sidewall...they lock on and don't snake bite.

I run procore I bought 30 kits when they closed out...so I have the future covered as well...
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Cause I don't want the front tire to blow off when I'm on this stuff. It will probably cost me an injury. Not just a tube.

You can easily ride that, Schweitzer is nasty jagged so is tamarack...socal has a lot of total shit trails that are jagged as hell...

I hammer down and don't question my set up, front tires don't get me usually rear is usually a destroyed wheel...tires good rim and wheel not so much.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
16,017
13,268
I used to have Deemax running UST tyres at Creek 10 years ago with no issues. I've been tubeless on DT 1950's for the last 6+ years, I think last year was the first time I'd used a pool noodle in the rear despite not puncturing that I can recall in forever on the DH bike.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,591
19,618
Canaderp
The only time I've seen a tire blow off the rim recently was either due to too low of pressure or they were trying to blow it off in a berm.
 

MrBaker87

Monkey
Mar 30, 2014
161
113
neverlandranch
Dh casing front and rear on a good rims. You’ll have no issues. If you’re really scared, run a tire insert in the rear so you can do sick schralpies still without worrying about deforming or blowing off your rear tire.

keep your sealant topped off every twomonths and don’t be stingy with it.
 

sunringlerider

Turbo Monkey
Oct 30, 2006
3,659
6,466
Corn Fields of Indiana
I haven’t had a tube is a MTB tire in many years. (Actually tubeless in my gravel and bmx too) No inserts either. Back before proper tubeless stuff was around I would run ghetto set up in my dh and xc/trail bike.
As long as you run a sensible tire psi you should zero issues burping or flats.
 

schwaaa31

Turbo Monkey
Jul 30, 2002
1,439
1,032
Clinton Massachusetts
Tubeless in general - $50+

Cush/pro core $150 plus sealant = $180

Dh tubes $15 each.
Does anyone make DH tubes anymore? I haven’t been able to find the Maxxis ones in years. Just the Freeride tubes. Or are those what they’re marketing as DH tubes now? I’ve had pretty good luck with them. I have a Cushcore for the rear tire on my DH bike, but the thought of wrestling a DH tire and an insert keeps me from installing it.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,692
5,620
UK
Not sure where you're (not) looking but maxxis DH tubes are still readily available. Albeit with a crazy RRP of £18 each.
Plenty other less pricy DH tubes are still available too. Lifeline/kenda etc.
OEM Emtb tubes often tend to be heavy duty and many Emtb owners want tubeless (and often inserts) fitted from day 1 so try and blag them off your lbs or any Ebiker friends. Shhhhhhhhhh... I won't tell anyone here if you don't.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,591
19,618
Canaderp
The other benefit of tubeless is the added grip; no from lower pressures, but from not having 10mm of rubber trying to conform to the trail, especially when it's cold.

Without the tube in there, the tire can do its work, easier.
 

schwaaa31

Turbo Monkey
Jul 30, 2002
1,439
1,032
Clinton Massachusetts
Not sure where you're (not) looking but maxxis DH tubes are still readily available. Albeit with a crazy RRP of £18 each.
Plenty other less pricy DH tubes are still available too. Lifeline/kenda etc.
OEM Emtb tubes often tend to be heavy duty and many Emtb owners want tubeless (and often inserts) fitted from day 1 so try and blag them off your lbs or any Ebiker friends. Shhhhhhhhhh... I won't tell anyone here if you don't.
Gary Claus. Thank you.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,082
24,609
media blackout
Tubeless in general - $50+

Cush/pro core $150 plus sealant = $180

Dh tubes $15 each.
you know why I like cush core? because I can go full master blaster into the rocks without hearing my rims pinging. my local mountain is very rocky so for my terrain they really do make a difference.