[PGKelly]

i know they are heavier than tubed tires. i wasn't sure about other things though....i have heard they are pinchflat-proof, that because of the way air distributes through them it will keep the rim from hitting the ground, i have also heard they are really really hard to patch. explain them to me! a pair might be in my near future, along with some strong disc-specific wheels.

 

[oldfart]

Most of the tubeless tires are heavier than a comparable tubed version but you have no tube so the total weight is similar. In some cases the tubeless will be heavier some lighter. They don't pinch flat simply because there is no tube. It has nothing to do with any "air distribution" In theory it is possoble to pinch flat, but the casings are heavier and youd likely ding the rim at the same time. A pinch flat is caused when the tire and tube are pinched between the rim and a rock. Tubless tires are still more expensive but the prices are coming down. Thing to remember is that they don't make low end steel bead tubeless yet. They only come in race versions which price wise, should be compared with race tube tires. Like Hutchinson Python airlight vs Python UST. About a $20 premium in Canada to get tubeless tires.

 

[RideMonkey]

I have been using Tubeless tires for a couple of years now. I really like them. I have bottomed the tire out on the rim many times and never pinch flatted. The tires have never let me down when I really needed them, during races etc.

There are drawbacks.

If you get a puncture its a pain to fix on the trail. You can put a tube in the tire but without some sort of lubricant you will bever get the tire to seat correctly so you will have to finish the ride with low spots in the tire.

I have patched the tires with some success. I can't really comment on the long term success of the patches as I go through tires fairly frequently so the patched ones got replaced after just a few months.

I definately prefer the tubeless tires over standard.

 

[Bicycle019]

What are you using to patch them? I've got a Conti Vertical Pro 2.3 that I flatted riding w/Kitchenware the other day. It's a small hole in the sidewall.

 

[RideMonkey]

Originally posted by Bicycle019
What are you using to patch them? I've got a Conti Vertical Pro 2.3 that I flatted riding w/Kitchenware the other day. It's a small hole in the sidewall.

Rema patches. The trick is that you really gotta sand the crap outta the area that has the hole. I had mistakenly assumed that since the surface was already rough sanding was not important - not the case.

 

[Bicycle019]

Thanks. I've got some of those in the garage... I'll go try that. Search also turned up the use of superglue...this hole is tiny to that might work as well.