I think you are digging deep into the semantics. They will both puncture, but you may not experience a flat because the sealant fills the void.
Mounting Tubeless... Tricks??
- Thread starter Mtl_Biker
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I think you are digging deep into the semantics. They will both puncture, but you may not experience a flat because the sealant fills the void.
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
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Two reasons: the first is that the sealant in the tire will seal most punctures (sometimes even quite amazingly large ones), and the other one is that you can run at lower tire pressures and not get a snakebite. (A "snakebite" is a flat caused when your rim squeezes on the tube on each side and punctures it, it looks like a snakebite so that is what it is called). For a lot of rough-road and off-road riding low tire pressure is a good thing.
Mtl_Biker
Active Member
It's because the practice is to fill the inside of the tubeless tire with some kind of sealant. That acts quickly to seal up any small punctures and will eliminate the most common types of flat tires. Of course it won't eliminate all of them, but a significant number of them by all reports. The problem is that there are all kinds of different sealants and even more opinions about which one works best. Yes, by all reports it would seal a hole from a thorn, and maybe piece of glass, depending.
But I look at it this way: My rims and tires are "Tubeless Ready", and when I had my first flat tire last week, I was absolutely shocked at how difficult it was to get the tire off the rim in order to change the tube. And in my lifetime I've probably changed 50 flats on bicycles so I'm not new to this. But I am new to tubeless on a bicycle. I almost broke my tire irons before I gave up. With the proper tool (which I now have) it's much much easier, but still more work than older tube tires would be. If there is anything I can do to reduce the chance of a flat tire when on my commute, I'll do it, which is why I changed over to fully tubeless now. And the bike is heavy... so unless you've got a shop stand, it's harder to remove the wheel in the first place.
Feliz
Well-Known Member
I use sealant in my tubes and I don't believe running just tires and sealant is any better! I've been riding for years and I've never had a flat using Slime in my tubes and I see no reason to change. I also rode motorcycles and used Slime in my tubes with success. I competed in mountain biking back in the early days and I had never heard of sealants and of course I had mega flats and dealt with them in an expedient manner, that's besides the point though and I see no reason to change what I'm doing now. May you be flat free whatever you're doing
Tars Tarkas
Well-Known Member
Like Feliz, I use Slime in my tubes. So I have to reject the idea that there's an advantage of tubeless tires due to them being filled with sealant. I'm surprised so many people seem to think people don't or can't use sealant in tubed tires.
As for pinch or snakebite flats, well, okay. I air down to about 7 pounds, but it's on sand mostly, so there's not a lot of impact on the rims. I don't have any trouble. I'd have to guess the advantage to tubeless tires in this regard is probably more theoretical than real, except for some pretty serious downhill single-track riding. Am I wrong?
TT
As for pinch or snakebite flats, well, okay. I air down to about 7 pounds, but it's on sand mostly, so there's not a lot of impact on the rims. I don't have any trouble. I'd have to guess the advantage to tubeless tires in this regard is probably more theoretical than real, except for some pretty serious downhill single-track riding. Am I wrong?
TT
Mtl_Biker
Active Member
You personally don't do what? Air down? Or use sealant in tubeless tires?
As you know, I'm completely new to tubeless, but the Giant dealer told me the sealant he used won't dry out. Is that even possible? And when/if it does dry out, can you just add some more sealant, or do you have to clean the inside of the tire and rim well before you do that?
I currently don't use sealant.
It dries out. You can top it off without cleaning previous sealant out. They say to clear big chunks out.
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