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To tube or not to tube

What do i do

  • Tubes

    Votes: 14 53.8%

  • Swap rims (to an 819)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Stans convert to tubeless kit

    Votes: 8 30.8%

  • Run a heavier/wider tire thats not "technically" tubeless

    Votes: 4 15.4%
  • Total voters
    26
  • Poll closed .
demo 9

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
47
north jersey
Ill preface this by saying that i like tubeless and run it on all 4 of the DH bikes, i have done this for 2-3 years now. I started this season riding tubeless on my slalom bike as well(first year with a slalom bike) I was riding mavic 819s with tubeless small block 8 tires (2.1) with stans. It worked great, but i had to run a conservative tire pressure, because if i did go as low as i would have considered, i would have burped (this happened-so yes i tried it) Id rip into a berm and pump it, only to burp. *It never happens on my DH bikes, which i tend to ride with the same style.* I got a set of industry 9 wheels for my slalom bike, they came with tubed rims, i wanted to ride them at the next race. I took my 2.35 DJ small block 8s with light weight tubes, and used them for that race. My time was way better, and only .2 off the pro box! So my "dilema" is whether i stay tubed, swap rims with my old wheels (wheel build fee X 4), or run a stans convert to tubeless kit.

Concerns i have are whether it would be worth it to swap the rims (and id have to build up the older set to keep/sell. Whether to convert to tubeless using a stans kit, but do these hold the beads as well, after all the rims were not "supposed" to. I can also run tubes, which seems like the obvious solution(and mayb it will be) but its worth noting, this was the first tube i put on the bike, 4 runs and it popped. I seem to flat the tubes ALOT, the tubeless eliminates that alot better than heavier tubes (which only add weight i dont need)
 
bullcrew

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Dec 8, 2004
9,333
3,063
I'm dude playing dude pretending to b another dude
demo 9 said:
Ill preface this by saying that i like tubeless and run it on all 4 of the DH bikes, i have done this for 2-3 years now. I started this season riding tubeless on my slalom bike as well(first year with a slalom bike) I was riding mavic 819s with tubeless small block 8 tires (2.1) with stans. It worked great, but i had to run a conservative tire pressure, because if i did go as low as i would have considered, i would have burped (this happened-so yes i tried it) Id rip into a berm and pump it, only to burp. *It never happens on my DH bikes, which i tend to ride with the same style.* I got a set of industry 9 wheels for my slalom bike, they came with tubed rims, i wanted to ride them at the next race. I took my 2.35 DJ small block 8s with light weight tubes, and used them for that race. My time was way better, and only .2 off the pro box! So my "dilema" is whether i stay tubed, swap rims with my old wheels (wheel build fee X 4), or run a stans convert to tubeless kit.

Concerns i have are whether it would be worth it to swap the rims (and id have to build up the older set to keep/sell. Whether to convert to tubeless using a stans kit, but do these hold the beads as well, after all the rims were not "supposed" to. I can also run tubes, which seems like the obvious solution(and mayb it will be) but its worth noting, this was the first tube i put on the bike, 4 runs and it popped. I seem to flat the tubes ALOT, the tubeless eliminates that alot better than heavier tubes (which only add weight i dont need)
Click to expand...
Ill prefeace this by saying you have TOO many dh bikes lol... followed by that rocks!!! :thumb:
 
chillindrdude

chillindrdude

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2002
1,852
23
Northern VA, a peckerwood with too many guns
i've never adopted the tubeless thing. i like being able to quickly change out tires when i need to, not necessarily needing an air compressor, or burping during riding.

i haven't used dh or "welterweight" tubes in awhile. i use standard inner tubes and because my tire pressures are reasonable, don't experience too many pinch flats. the trick for me is that i use plenty of baby powder in between the tube and the tire. this makes the inner tube more likely to slide out of a tire/rim pinch and avoid puncturing.
 
FCLinder

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
I have said this in another thread, but with tubeless you do get better grip out of the tire. With tubeless the tire is free to move around to do the job it's mint to do. When running a tube the tire is restrained some by the tube for lateral grip due to the compression it puts on the rim and inner side wall of the tire. I have spent a lot of time on both with tube and tubeless. I ran the same PSI in both setups 28psi. I found that the tire has much better grip and traction running tubeless. For some, ether way may feel the same due to not being fast enough or as aggressive on their bike as I am or others. But for me it was a big difference. I would suggest trying both and compare for yourself. I would also make sure to try a good tubeless tire. I have been running Michelin DH tires for a long long time and never had a problem. There are lighter tubeless DH tires out there, but understand the weight has been reduced from the sidewall in most cases. This is not the route you want to take unless you’re riding XC.

Good luck,

Cecil
 
Last edited:
nybike1971

nybike1971

Chimp
Nov 16, 2006
67
0
Niskayuna, NY
Are the Small Block 8 1-ply? If so, that might be the difference with your DH wheelsets. Before you give up on the tubeless setup (UST rims or converted) try using either a true UST tire or 2-ply on the slalom bike. Maxxis makes the Larsen TT both in a 2-ply and UST version, if the SB8 is not available in that configuration.

And 4 DH bikes? Seriously? :thumb:
 
ZoRo

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
demo 9 said:
Ill preface this by saying that i like tubeless and run it on all 4 of the DH bikes
Click to expand...
:bonk:

That's effing crazy!

Tubes all the way. I don't even know what tubeless is, let alone that it even existed.
 
demo 9

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
47
north jersey
The small block 8 tires that i used were "tubeless" on the box, they worked well, but i am pretty sure they were 1 ply if that, they were in the XC section, they worked well, but it was too easy for me to burp. I havent tried getting a thicker/wider sb8 tubeless, because i was always told the only tires that really work ghetto tubeless is maxxis.

since its tubed or converting at this point, if i were to convert the rims i have (mtx) what tire should i be looking at, i really like the sb8
 
captainspauldin

captainspauldin

intrigued by a pole
May 14, 2007
1,284
190
Jersey Shore
Sidenote.. I've run a 2.35 sb8 and a 2.1 sb8 on the rear of my xc bike(they're both the xc-compound, i forget what they call it), after 1 ride on the 2.1 I switched back to the 2.35.. The 2.1 seemed a lot more "sketchy" in the high speed rocky stuff vs the 2.35(yeah, I expected this when I swapped to a 2.1 but it seemed worse) they also seemed alot more "flimsy" compared to the 2.35. maybe the 2.1 vs 2.35 is making a bigger difference than the tubeless vs tubed?
 
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