Should you consider Road Tubeless for you next wheelset? The short answer: Yes
The Tubular vs. Clincher debate has been raging for years, but in my garage road tubeless won by a landslide. I am sold, road tubeless is smoother, faster, safer and more reliable.
The only drawback I see is the limited selection of tubeless wheels and tires but this will change as it has in MTB, motorcycle and motorcar.
What is Road Tubeless?
Like a motorcar tire, there is no inner tube. Tire and rim form a seal and hold air. For this to work a tubeless specific tire and rim are required but there are a number of ways to go tubeless depending on your current set up.
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| Road Tubeless looks like a clincher but for the valve |
Can I run tubeless on my existing non-tubeless wheels?
Almost all non-tubeless clincher wheels can be converted with Stan's help. The Stan's tubeless kits work best on wider rims like the Hed C2 or Rolf Alpha but you can modify the 21mm tape by cutting it down to 19mm.
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| Hed C2 Rim Tubeless with Stan's Kit and Hutchinson Fusion 3 - this is a killer combo. |
Can I convert standard clincher tires to be tubeless?
Although possible I do not recommend this. I experimented with this and the ride quality was great however, it's dangerous. Using a Vittoria open corsa cx with stans no tubes on my American Classic Hurricanes, the rear tire came off while I was descending a small hill. Like my father said "I've done it all, now you don't have to try it".
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| Campagnolo Shamal 2Way Fit Tubeless Rim - note the square groove at the bead hook |
What's the difference between a tubeless specific and regular clincher wheel?
Not much other than tubeless specific wheels come with valves already installed and either tubeless rim tape or they are air tight because they have a solid rim bed. The rim bead hook of a tubeless rim has a tubeless specific shape which is more square than round.Installing Road Tubeless on a regular clincher rim video.
Is Road Tubeless safe?
My experience with road tubeless is that it's equally safe and maybe safer than regular clincher because it has a beefier bead and there is no chance to make a dangerous mistake by installing the tire with the tube peeking out. Also using sealant the tire is less likely to deflate instantly and even pretty large cuts deflate pretty slow going the rider ample time to stop.
Is Road Tubeless puncture resistant?
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| American Classic Tubeless valve and rim strip |
The tires have the same puncture resistance as other road tires, but the ability to use a puncture proofing sealant reduces the chances of a flat from small penetrations. Moreover, the absence of a tube eliminates the possibility of a flat from a defective tube or a pinch flat. Also, the Hutchinson fix-a-flat is a fantastic first line of defense when on a group or century ride. You could be back up and riding without removing the wheel from the bike. In 7 months of testing the 3 Hutchinson models Fusion, Atom and Intense, I have not had a single flat. Coincidence?
How do they feel on the road?
Very smooth and fast, it's noticeable and the rougher the road the more noticeable it is. Tubeless rolls with a different sound, similar to a carbon tubular wheel, they resonate and sound hollow. Without a tube you can run them at 10-20 pounds less. This makes them feel even more supple and improves cornering and grip in the wet and on the dirt. This is a upgrade that you will notice and be able to quantify.
What do you have to carry for flats on the road?
Hutchinson has a product called Fast Air Repair which works like a "fix a flat" and is a huge convenience as it's good for most flats. In a group ride or centuary you might find yourself back on the road in 30 seconds. if it's a large cut you are in the same situation as a regular clincher, You will need a tube a tire patch and a pump or C02. Remove the valve without the need of any tools and install the tube like you normally do.
Can a tire be repaired after a flat?
Yes most smaller cuts can be repaired using Hutchinson Rep'Air Kit
What wheels are Road Tubeless compatible?
- American Classic has 2 tubeless sets
- Dt Swiss has a good few pair
- Campagnolo Shamal, Eurus, Scirocco 2 way fit
- Fulcrum Racing Zero, Racing One and Racing Three
- Shimano Dura Ace and Ultegra
- Hutchinson Carbon + Tubeless - Made by Corima
- Stan's has a good selection of tubeless wheels
- More are sure to come.
What Tires are Road Tubeless capable?
- Hutchinson Fusion 3, Atom and Intense
- Maxxis Padrone
- Schwalbe Ultremo Road tubeless
What to do with the existing wheels once I get hooked on Road Tubeless?
You know it, eBay.
Posts
10 comments:
The reviewer failed to mention Mavic Ksyrium wheelsets as being tubeless ready. I have been using the fusions on my Ksyriums for over a year now. Love them!
Thank you for the review. You mention that you have tested the Fusion, Atom and Intense. Can you comment on the differences between these tires? Other than weight, the Fusion and Atom look very similar on paper. Are the any discernable differences in ride, durability, etc.? Also, I have heard that the Atom is smaller than the listed 23mm wide. Is it in fact a smaller tire than the Fusion?
Again, thank you for the review.
All 3 have been great to ride and were pretty much as I expected them to be.
The Atom was the lightest and fastest but I was not very happy about the thinner than published width. If you held the Fusion 2 23mm next to the Atom 23mm you could easily see the Atom was narrower.
The fusion 2 is in many ways like a Pro 3 Race, gives about the same life and has about the same grip. This was my favorite of the 3
The Intense is great as well but the weight detracted from the performance. It was possibly the most comfortable tire I have ridden. Great for training, bad roads and rain.
I've used Shamal wheels w/ Fusion 2 tires for over a year. I kept my old Nucleon wheels thinking I'd use them as spares, but I haven't touched them and they're heading for eBay. I suffered one catastrophic flat which sprayed latex down my back and seat tube. I used a Tyvek patch and tube to make it home. Last month I took the tires off and cleaned out old latex (see L. Zinn @ VeloNews), finding a couple of blobs indicating small penetrations filled. It can be tough mounting tires; a compressor helps a lot. The ride reminds me of sewups. Highly recommended. Also, Specialized claims to be coming out with tubeless tires (probably Hutchinson rebranded) this year.
I'd like to correct an error in the writer's information:
On the Stan's Notubes site there are numerous warnings and disclaimers which state that only a tubeless rated tire, which up until recently was just the Hutchinson, can be used for the conversion. Any other tire will not stay on the rim. The writer did not appear to heed these warnings and tried using a conventional tire anyway. I have ridden tubeless for a full season on a set of converterd Neuvation wheels and the Fusuion 2 Tubeless tires, without any incidents.
what an exciting experience!/hilarious! Delightful! True!
Wheels and Tires
The first post I noticed on this page from 10 December 2009 states that Mavic Ksyrium's are tubless ready...THAT IS FALSE! The Mav Ksyriums are NOT tubeless ready and does not have the appropriate rim cut for tubeless.
Actually, Mavic Ksyrium wheels ARE tubeless ready and all you have to do is install a STAN's NoTubes valve stem, install a tubeless tire, add a little NoTubes sealant, or any other brand of sealant, and pump it up! The the Kysrium rims do not have spoke holes in them like most other clinchers which is why they are tubeless ready on their own. You can also convert any other clincher rim tubeless by installing STAN's NoTubes rim tape, valve stem, and sealant. I've personally just converted a pair of Easton EC90 SL carbon clinchers tubeless with the previous method and it works great:)
I've been running road tubeless for the past 2 years. I have a pair of Fulcrum Racing Zero wheels with Hutchinson Fusion tubeless tires. The handling is fantastic, I almost never get a flat and when I do it's easy to fix while on the road. I will never go back to tube tires.
I have read that sealant can cause oxidization or degradation to the aluminum rims, like the Dura-Ace c24. Do you have any experience with this or have a particular brand of sealant you recommend?
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