Tube vs. Tubeless on ebikes

[RandallS]

When I bought my e-MTB a few years ago, it came with tubes from the shop. As I used to swap summer and winter tires, I didn't want the mess. Soon after, I found a well priced used wheelset and ISPs and stopped doing tire swaps. I bought replacement tires when they were on sale last fall (same as OEM, Maxxis Assegai and Dissector) and yesterday it was time to change tires as the rear was getting pretty worn. As I changed the tires out, I changed to tubeless. Pretty simple, although the kit supplied with bike (Giant) didn't have the instructions attached, I figured it out.

The only concern was the orientation of the new valve stems as the ones supplied were rectangular in shape for inside the tire. I googled about alignment and didn't find a lot, but did find some basic info and went with it.
I didn't pour sealant in - I used the method of removing valve core and squeezed the contents of the 2oz bottles in. I bottle per tire.

Now we'll see what happens, as I've not had a flat in 3+ years.

Queue Mr. Murphy!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What did you use to "shoot" the tyre onto the rim?

 

[RandallS]

What did you use to "shoot" the tyre onto the rim?

Bottles have pointed ends - designed to be used to "shoot" the sealant in with no extra stuff required (other than a valve core removal tool).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Bottles have pointed ends - designed to be used to "shoot" the sealant in with no extra stuff required (other than a valve core removal tool).

It is not what I said. Unlike the tubed tyre (where the tube makes the tyre bead clinch onto the rim), a tubeless tyre bead must be forced to stick to the rim as there initially is a gap between the tyre bead and the rim, making the air escape if you use a regular bike pump.

Therefore, a big quantity of a gas has to be rapidly introduced into the tyre, so its momentum forces the bead cling onto the rim. It is like "shooting" the tyre onto the rim.

Usually, a car compressor with a Presta adapter is used for the "shooting". Or, a bike CO2 cartridge could be used for the purpose.

If you used neither but succeeded Randall then count yourself lucky!

 

[PCeBiker]

,.. a tubeless tyre bead must be forced to stick to the rim as there initially is a gap between the tyre bead and the rim, making the air escape if you use a regular bike pump.

It's easy to set a bead.
You just have to be creative.

 

[RandallS]

It is not what I said. Unlike the tubed tyre (where the tube makes the tyre bead clinch onto the rim), a tubeless tyre bead must be forced to stick to the rim as there initially is a gap between the tyre bead and the rim, making the air escape if you use a regular bike pump.

Therefore, a big quantity of a gas has to be rapidly introduced into the tyre, so its momentum forces the bead cling onto the rim. It is like "shooting" the tyre onto the rim.

Usually, a car compressor with a Presta adapter is used for the "shooting". Or, a bike CO2 cartridge could be used for the purpose.

If you used neither but succeeded Randall then count yourself lucky!

Compressor with presta adaptor plus soapy water to help the bead set. Easy.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Compressor with presta adaptor plus soapy water to help the bead set. Easy.

That's what I asked for!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

TIRE TALK — Our Mother The Mountain

TIRE TALK

www.omtm.cc

Q: HOW MANY CYCLISTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A TIRE?​

A: I DON’T KNOW, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT I WOULD NEVER RIDE THAT (SPECIFIC) TIRE BECAUSE THE SIDEWALL ISN’T SUPPLE ENOUGH, THE TREAD PATTERN IS ALL WRONG, IT IS WAY TOO HEAVY, IT DOESN’T COME IN A 650 X 47, IT IS SLUGGISH ON PAVEMENT AND THEY ARE COMPLETELY OVERPRICED.​

 

[AvalancheRun]

Butter side DOWN! / Tubeless!

 

[spokewrench]

Technology/FAQ | Schwalbe Tires North America – schwalbetires.com

Schwalbe North America: Best driving comfort ✓ Latest technology ✓ Find out now about Schwalbe technology and clarify the most important questions!

www.schwalbetires.com

Schwalbe lists advantages of tubeless tires, then recommends against them for most riders.

They say you need sealants for tubeless tires because bicycle tubeless tires aren't like other tubeless tires. They recommend against sealants in tubes in most cases.

Under Puncture Protection, they describe features that can give you up to Level 7. My Pickups are rated at 6+, but I still got a puncture after 8 months.

Back in the day, anything that punctured a tube was big enough to find easily in the tire, such as a nail. In 2021, I had three punctures from the same whisker of wire, so tiny that I never would have found it in the casing if the third time, I hadn't marked the tube and tire so that when I found the puncture, I could find the exact spot in the casing. I remember three flats since then, and the particles were similarly tiny. They don't make bike tires like they used to! (Maybe it's for lower rolling resistance.)

Back in the day, most punctures were catastrophic, disabling a bike until the tube was fixed. The good news is that all my e-bike punctures have leaked so slowly that I rode home without noticeably low pressure. Modern tube rubber is better at shrinking around punctures, and maybe modern tires are better at stopping things like nails. I paid $12 for a kit with 30 patches, or 40 cents per puncture, and a pump in my tool kit could have kept me going for weeks until patching was convenient.

In my own e-bike experience, tubes have worked fine. I don't know how often e-bike punctures are catastrophic.

 

[Kayakguy]

You don't use a dollar bill to patch or fix a flat tire. You use a dollar bill as a tire boot to fix a rip or huge hole, usually in a tire's sidewall.

Actually, Canadian and Australian 5 dollar bills and 5 Euro bills are a bit better than a US dollar bill, largely because the fabric in the other banknotes has more synthetic fibers in them and they hold up better, especially in a wet or muddy environment.

I typically carry a Park Tool boot.

Surely higher denomination bills would be superior. Don't cheap out with a dollar bill. Go first class with a Benjamin!

 

[DaveMatthews]

Surely higher denomination bills would be superior. Don't cheap out with a dollar bill. Go first class with a Benjamin!

This is why I pack a fiver, cuz us Canuckleheads nuked the 1 and 2 dollar bills...
Plus it's either 5X or 2.5 times better...

 

[Mr. Coffee]

This is why I pack a fiver, cuz us Canuckleheads nuked the 1 and 2 dollar bills...

The Canadian 5 is a superior tire boot, as is the Australian 5 and the 5 Euro note. American currency doesn't have the same materials and doesn't make as good a tire boot, although a dollar bill is still usually good enough. I carry a Canadian 5 in my spare parts bag though.

 

[DaveMatthews]

The Canadian 5 is a superior tire boot, as is the Australian 5 and the 5 Euro note. American currency doesn't have the same materials and doesn't make as good a tire boot, although a dollar bill is still usually good enough. I carry a Canadian 5 in my spare parts bag though.

Yeah, the material seems to be the right stuff.
Haven't needed it, and hope I never do...