I'm late to the thread, but I just have to weigh in on this discussion as I've thought about this topic a lot. I have a QuickE and a ToughRoad (both 2019) and run them both tubeless from the outset. The QuickE has close to 7500 miles, and I've had a handful of punctures that required the use of plug strips, however, I use them both primarily for food delivery and run on mostly city streets. Pavement, they are, but are full of hazards like gravel, dirt, glass, staples, nails, screws... you name it. As easy as it is to change out a tube under the right conditions, the hassle of laying my thousands of dollars of bike down on the sidewalk and removing a wheel is just not something I'm willing to do. The main benefit I think, for me, is that I can run over the odd nail or staple or glass shard, get a puncture, sealant shoots out of the hole, and in most cases will seal it up without loosing enough air to necessitate immediate inflation. This is a priceless time saver as I make my money out on the road. I do run these at around 40psi for better rolling resistance, which helps. The Schwalbe G-One Allrounds that came on the QuickE had decent puncture resistance and were fast rolling. Those got replaced with the speed version at a 27.5x2.35 that's almost too big for the chain stays, but fit okay. They are super fast and grippy, but do not hold up under the rigors of ebike power and speed. Do not recommend unless you use them casually. My rear tire has many micro cuts in the tread that aren't catastrophic per se, but do allow sealant to weep and I can't run at the pressures I need. Finally settled on a pair of Surly Extra Terrestrial tires that I am eagerly awaiting delivery on. They roll well, have puncture protection, and can survive the mean streets where I work.
I've had many shop techs express their skepticism as to whether or not the rims are tubeless compatible. They are!! Never had a problem seating the bead. I did purchase a Lyzene Overdrive floor pump (w/ canister) so I can properly inflate at home. A bit expensive, but worth the investment if you are going tubeless.
The ToughRoad's gravel cross cut tires have been really reliable tubeless. The extra knobs help grip and dissuade stuff that would puncture. Only about 1500 miles on that bike, but the tires are holding up very well and may just replace with the same when they wear out.
I'm not going to go into how to go tubeless, best go to your lbs if you aren't sure. I will say that it is pretty easy to tape a rim and install valves yourself. I have stan's valves on the QuickE and Muc Off's on the ToughRoad. Impressed with the Muc Off's reliability and they come with a valve core remover as a cap for added bonus in a pinch. I always carry a strip patch kit for the punctures that the sealant won't fix. Once had to put 4 in one hole before it would seal, but once it sealed I have had zero problems. Just remember to slosh the sealant around every couple of months to check the level. I use 3-4 ounces.
Sorry if this was all over the place, but I have a lot of thoughts on this and they don't always come out in order!
Ride fast,
Cheers
and decide to get a charger pump, take a look at the new one from Giant. I forget the make/model that is always suggested, but the Giant one was half the price. And it works REALLY well.
