Tubeless Convert! | Why Alex Will Never Use Inner Tubes On His Road Bike Again

[@gcntech]

Do you ride tubeless tyres? Let us know in the comments!

[@Bendersnatchling]

I did, won't try again. Maybe in 10 years when there are no narrow rims available. Just cleaned out a tubeless tire. What a mess. A TPU inner tube weighs 25g. A traditional tire+25g is lighter than a tubeless tire without any sealent. And I like the feeling of 7.5-8 bars. I love it actually. Riding with 6 bar in the tires feels muted to me. And I don't care about 1-2 watts. At least not if it isn't aero-watts XD

[@dodge3048]

The ability to run lower pressures with less risk of puncturing is a big plus in Scottish roads. On the one occasion I punctured a tubeless tyre I simply installed a tube in the same way I would have had I been using a tube from the start. A wee bit of mess but nothing to worry about. The performance vs weight vs comfort thing will differ for everyone though.

[@philipcooper8297]

#AskGCNTech How often do I have to replace the sealant inside the tyre?

[@JayLato]

I ran Schwalbe Pro One and I got too many punctures, made a mess, wouldn’t seal, and getting the tire off the hook was brutal/impossible on road I kept having to pump them up every few miles to get home. Went back to supersonic tubes and GP5000’s maybe one day I’ll try out GP5000 TL.

[@Bendersnatchling]

@@JayLato Don't. 5000 TL is so hard to get off. Took me 20 min at home with all the tools I wanted. (Mavic cosmic carbon sl for tubeless). I used Schwalbe sealant and it didn't work. Had a MASSIVE clot in my tube though. About the size of my thumb. If you ask me tubeless simply isn't the right solution for road bike application. The demand for high pressure prevents the sealant from working properly. It seals it, yes, when spinning the tire in the air. Put it back on the road and the hole is back. At least that's my experience.

[@davidparks8099]

A blind test would be cool to see, don't let the tester know which is set up on the bike.

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

And multiple runs at a specific wattage to avoid effects of fatigue.

[@joelyons886]

big problem there is the pressure, tubeless way less pressure so would be easy to see and feel, M2CW I run tubolito inner tubes and they are just as fast as tubeless I also have the benefit of not getting gunk all over myself and wheels in case of a sidewall or major puncture downside minor nicks and punctures are way easier when running tubeless. So in summary for me it's all down to personal preference and what works for you...

[@roberteltze4850]

Do the tests by coasting down a descent to take the human factor out of the test.

[@truetierra]

Agree. There is way too much confirmation bias.

[@GCNalex]

Hi David, unfortunately I cannot ride my bike blindfolded haha.

[@nigelcrane5309]

Maybe it's an age thing. As the 'older' cyclist, I really couldn't be bothered with all the sealant, tape and crap and having to clean it out every 6 months etc. etc. etc. Run inner tubes for as long as I can remember and haven't had a puncture for over a year. It takes all of 5 minutes to replace an inner tube!!

[@jellybeans786]

And that’s 5 mins that tubeless riders don’t have to waste! Can just enjoy the ride

[@DiscoParachute]

True but with tubes I couldn't run 25c on my city streets without getting flats, now I'm running everything over. Glass, staples, crushed cans, absolutely steam rolls over everything

[@nigelcrane5309]

@@jellybeans786 I’m willing to bet when you do clean out the old sealant and replace the tape it takes more than 5 minutes!! Time we spend on the road 😉

[@ChrisP978]

@@nigelcrane5309 You don't have to change the tape unless you see it peeling up when you replace a tire. You also don't have to thoroughly clean out old sealant routinely, you can suck a little old sealant out through the valve stem twice a year, only takes a minute.

[@zerocooljpn]

Strongly agree. Tubeless are nice, but too much maintenance. I'm totally ok with getting a puncture from time to time, as I just need to replace the tube in like 10m if I take it easy. And I don't mind being a couple of seconds slower if that needs having to pay less and easier maintenance

[@aarong1012]

I tried tubeless and loved it UNTIL I had a catastrophic failure which really should have been fixable with a plug but no, it just simply would not seal (it wasn't even a big puncture). I ended up having to call for a ride home with sealant absolutely all over me and all over my bike. Ride ruined, brand new Rapha kit destroyed (sealant won't wash out), sealant all over my bike - in every nook and cranny. - inside the rear derailleur, brakes, absolutely everywhere. I had to totally dismantle the entire bike to clean it all out properly. What a HUGE pain in the arse. I'm sticking with tubes thanks. At least if I have a major puncture I can just swap a tube without any fuss but in my experience you simply cannot do that with tubeless without getting absolutely covered in crap. So no, I do not ride tubeless, in fact I HATE tubeless tires - mine went straight in the bin.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

I use a relatively small amount of sealant in my tyres to prevent such mess. When the puncture doesn't seal you can either put in an innertube or add some sealant from a little bottle through the valve stem while you're on the go. Which sealant did you use? Because No Tubes sealant is quite easy to get rid off in comparison to Cafélattex.

[@nwimpney]

@@greabo9544 Or maybe tubeless is just crap. I've given it plenty of chances, and it's always let me down. It didn't ruin my gear, but did leave some nasty stains on my blue jeans, and a bit of a mess to clean off my bike. Has ruined a couple rides for me, though. Maybe you don't ride enough? I've tried tubeless on several bikes, and found it's garbage for anything high pressure/low volume (road). It's arguable on mountain bike/low pressure fat tire stuff, but still definitely a hassle without much payoff IMO, but I wouldn't blame someone for using it there. On high pressure road tires, it's just crap. I've blown rim tape, I've had flats that won't hold air, I've had early tubeless stuff that's impossible to take off the rim (And no, I'm not an idiot.. You try mounting/unmounting an early fusion 3 tubeless with normal tire levers. good luck) Not all are catastrophic ride enders, but the 3-4 minutes to change a tube has never ended a ride for me, so IMO, the odd flat tire that it might actually save me from once or twice a year (if it actually works) will never outweigh the hassle, and occasional gong-show when it doesn't work like it should.

[@danielhall3895]

@@greabo9544 Yeah he really sounds like he's shilling for "Big Tube"... A lot of people have these problems with tubeless road tires, they seem to be less prone to these problems on thicker tires used on mountain and gravel bikes, which seems to be why mountain bike and gravel riders are mostly happy with them. Roadies find them, as a group, to be a mixed bag mostly not worth the hassle. I can see the benefits for off-road use, where they function better, but if you want lower pressure on a road bike, I really don't see the superiority to using tubeless over upgrading to tubs. Tubulars seem to be the upgrade that has withstood the test of time and just works for roadies that want something lighter, and lower pressure than a clincher. Oh and to put your conspiracy to rest, why is it that almost every pro that listened to a sponsor and tried out tubeless in a race situation, wound up with similar failure described by op, ruining their day, and they stick to tubs or clinchers?

[@M.Cossie]

After experiencing exactly the same problems with tubeless, I couldn't agree more.

[@user-nu5fx6en9h]

That’s sad, for me is the opposite my sealant always get the job even with deep or big hole 😁, unlike my tube tyres always get puncture and need to change on the spot which is really annoying.

[@deraldu5190]

Title is misleading. Should be “A cycling video on confirmation bias”

[@kairb]

Have to agree with you on this. A lot of gcns content follows this pattern

[@AllanPhillips]

Why? Are you suggesting that tubeless tyres aren't faster, aren't more comfortable and don't result in having to fix fewer punctures? If so then it's you that's demonstrating confirmation bias.

[@jeffr119]

@@AllanPhillips No, in order to have results of real value, the test of tubes versus tubeless would have to be a double blind test where the rider has no idea what tire setup they are using.

[@AllanPhillips]

@@jeffr119 There have been plenty of tests that have proved the benefits of tubeless tyres without involving riders at all. So I agree the testing in this video wasn't very scientific (I'm surprised he didn't even ride to a set power), but the results were still in line with what we know to be true.

[@markusnanderod5934]

You could hear in the cyclist's voice when he was starting the ride on tubeless that now he is going to put the hammer down.

[@1777DK]

Tubelss is great when it works. However, it doesn’t take much of a hole, for the sealant to give up. Meaning you will have to plug the whole, by the time you realise that a plug is needed, and get it sorted, the tire may already have unseated due to loss of air, and you have no chance of seating it again, by the road side. Then, you find yourself covered in sealant, trying to empty out as much as possible, from the tire, before putting in the tube you bring anyway, just in case. Besides this it’s recommended that you replace your tire ASAP, once it has been plugged, as the plug compromises the integrity of your tires. Now you can find yourself replacing a month old tire, because of one single puncture (or switching back to inner tubes) ... Then you can spend the next 3-4 washes cleaning out sealant, from all nooks and crannies, of your frame and your drivetrain. So again, as long as the sealant does its job, then Bob is your uncle, happy days, and if not, you have yourself a potential road side sh:t-show.

[@cleggycyclist]

I have ridden over 2,000 miles after plugging a tubeless road tyre, no issues at all. MTB'ers likewise.

[@benjaminw4385]

My new Pirelli P zero race TLRs lasted a whopping 3 rides before this happened to me. Funny enough, seating the tires was never an issue but they did eject my tire plug twice.

[@mrziplineds5257]

@@greabo9544 sounds like he forget to refill/maintain his tires with new sealant... then got mad at the system he failed to maintain

[@paddyotoole2058]

@@greabo9544 Stop being so emotional, immature and triggered ffs. 🙄. The OP is allowed to have his opinion. It’s based on his real world experience. If yours differs then that is fine, but his is no less valid than yours.

[@johnseabrook1703]

@@paddyotoole2058 I thought his argument was good, it sounds like you may be emotional.

[@rikkiola]

Not a completely balanced video, IMO. Didn't really address some of the counter-arguments. I've gone tubeless on winter bike and probably will continue. On the summer bike I have Vittoria Corsas with latex and can't see a change occurring soon. Here's the shoot-out: Weight - the Corsas with latex are lighter than a GP5000 TL with sealant ✅ Latex 1 - 0 Tubeless ❌ Feel - honestly, the Corsas with latex, even at 90psi, are so plush I can't tell the difference over tubeless. Also, read discussion online that tubeless tyres are less supple than their clincher counterparts = Latex 1 - 1 Tubeless (call it a draw, though could be a narrow win with latex) Speed - the rolling resistance of the Corsas with latex is as good as nearly any tubeless set-up = Latex 1-1 Tubeless (call it a draw) Puncture resistance - I've had one puncture on the Corsas+Latex in two years. I've had more than that on my tubeless including a complete tyre slash. For me, in summer at least, it's just not an issue. = Latex 1-1 Tubeless Faff - once you're experienced with tubeless I'm sure it becomes easier. Though trying to get a GP5000 tubeless tyre on was ridiculously hard. Add in the mess, upkeep, checking of sealant, it's surely more faff? And it's not 'set and forget'. The only real faff with the latex is that they deflate quickly, though I pump tyres before every ride (even tubeless), so not an issue ✅ Latex 1 - 0 Tubeless ❌ Ride Gear - most people probably still take a tube out with you on tubeless set up and possible extra gear (sealant, bacon strips) to try to possibly repair tyre damage. So potentially there is added faff and weight with gear and repair of a tubeless set up ✅ Latex 1 - 0 Tubeless ❌ Results, just in... 🏆 Latex 6 - 3 Tubeless 🤷🏽‍♂️ Victory for Clincher with latex 🎉🎊🚴🏾‍♂️💨

[@CerveloS5rider]

Checking the sealant faff? Once every 6months I change it. Really quick job. Deflate tyre, remove valve core, suck out old, add new, add valve and pump up. I don’t carry tubes as in my opinion it’s pointless, any hole big enough not to seal the tube is gonna breach the hole. I’ll just Uber (or wife) it home if needed. Although in 10,000 miles I’ve never not finished, had to top up with co2 a hand full of times. If you choose mavic wheels the tubeless setup is easier than tubed. Not with other brands to be fair. WHEN you get a puncture tubeless seals, tubed you need to find the thing that caused the puncture or you puncture again straight away. No experience yet with fitting my TLR Vittoria yet because on bike from new and they are pretty much fit and forget.

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

I run latex too. Love them.

[@Sprocketboy1956]

Never used latex tubes but the Corsas are just so sweet!

[@glennoc8585]

100% analysis totally agree.

[@jamesp.1784]

I got sick and tired of having to pump my tyres up every ride with the latex. My first foray into tubeless was a disaster with ultra flimsy super light tyres that were fast but just not durable enough for road use. Since converting to Vittoria Corsa and Corsa Control for my two main bikes and I love them and the confidence of normal punctures self-sealing is fantastic.

[@hondasaurusrex6998]

And now a video on how fast it takes to fix a tubeless flat vs a tire with a tube flat. Love to see that one.

[@der_Passfahrer]

As a huge fan of tubeless tires, I must admit, if the sealant doesnt get the job done, it’s pretty much game over. The tire is so stuck on the wheel, I can‘t remove it without tools… But since I run tubeless I never had an issue.

[@cookeecutkk]

Not trying to be pedantic, but to quote Alex’s own words: “installation is - fairly - simple”. And that is still a very significant factor for many people who don’t live close to a bike shop or are not technically inclined. There’s no argument as to the advantages of tubeless but for non-pros or many weekend riders, ease of installation is paramount. On a personal note, I’m a regular rider using tubes, in a rural area with mid to low quality and roads, and my Conti gatorskins have yet to experience a puncture in over a decade. So, I’d be hard pushed to be sold on additional puncture resistance.

[@willek1335]

Conti gatorskins?

[@SuperDeinVadda]

@@willek1335 continental gatorskin It's a popular roadbike Tyre

[@CerveloS5rider]

Mavic tubeless are easier than tubed. GCN did a video on them and I’ve setup some too.

[@stephenang499]

Same here almost a decade on Gatorskins and no punctures, only one minor puncture but was a slow leak and only discovered it when I took the bike out again for a ride but I had no issues of reaching home when I had the minor puncture.

[@johnandrews3568]

The advantages of tubeless still don't outweigh the advantages of tires/tubes. No thanks... ever.

[@matthewbaynham6286]

What I want is the absolutely minimum maintenance and when they do require any work then I don't want anything complicated at all. So when you're squirting that sealant liquid stuff and messing around with that, that is one complication I don't have, I have the most simple inner tube and clincher. Simple is better.

[@dpstrial]

I agree. I tried tubeless and frustratingly spent a lot of time trying to seat tyres. I questioned why I was doing it, when I could have my normal tyres on the rims in a few minutes. It is the same with disc brakes: centring or truing rotors and freeing pistons is a real faff at times.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Did you see the mess he made seating that tire?

[@biglegcatluvr]

on the same page here

[@michaelmechex]

It's better for You. Tubes are clean and tire pressure pretty much doesn't matter. Hovewer, the feel that Alex describes is truly amazing. Also the chance of having to stop in a very unpleasant weather to change a tube with frozen hands is much lower. (Yep, happened to me before) It's not for people who see maintenance of their bike as necessary evil, tubeless is for people who like to tinker with their bike and benefit from it on the ride.

[@TheAdwills]

@@michaelmechex up to a point. I ride around 1,200km a month, so will replace a set of tyres every 3 months or so. So no need to clean out old sealant and replace, etc. Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR SLs are pretty easy to fit to my Hunt 44UD wheels, and I have a flash pump so seating is easy. And I have 6 small nicks in the front tyre after nearly 4,000km that the sealant has fixed, so that's around an hour standing at the roadside saved... I've had big cuts in the middle of nowhere on the MTB and the gravel bike that wouldn't seal - a plug (I use Dynaplug) fixed each one in about 30 seconds 👍 So I'd say I probably spend less time fixing / tinkering with tubeless vs clinchers. Which is a bit of a shame as I love tinkering!

[@fazlee712]

yeah ever since I went tubeless on my gravel bike a couple of years ago, I converted all my wheelsets to tubeless. The peace of mind and comfort is priceless for long distance riding on and off road

[@fazlee712]

@@stuartchester6899 good for you! I run 32c on my endurance bike at 50 psi, it's still super fast and super comfortable 😁

[@alhook3348]

My new bike came with Tubeless tires and on the 3rd or 4th ride, guess what, I got a flat. I spent 30 minutes trying to get the tubeless tire off and I could not. I had to call my son to come pick me up. We drove to the bike shop. It took them 20 minutes to get the tubeless tire off. They had to get the tire completely wet, then cover it with dishwasher soap to get it off. When you get a flat with clincher tires. It is still much easier to fix by yourself.

[@abduraghmaandaames6751]

Gator skin 622's wired tire is 1 of the best tube tyres period im using mavic aksuim removing them are verry easy

[@888julianman]

“Why I’ll never ride with inner tubes again” : .......Because it keeps the sponsors happy???? 😃

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

Beat me to it.

[@zzhughesd]

Like it

[@metallusmelandril7380]

Yeha BUT I also like tubeless. Less time spend on the side of the road with flat tires Sooooooooo YEHA

[@johnandrews3568]

This is it in a nutshell for tubeless and disk brakes. The bike industry solving problems that don't exist so they can sell more kit. And the cycling media eat up the nonsense with a giant spoon because sponsorship and ad revenue.

[@2wheelsrbest327]

@@johnandrews3568 Agree John . Brought a Gravel bike which has tubeless but I still have tubes in them and discs. Don't like either. Grandson had a puncture in his gravel bike tyre the other day and it was a nightmare to get off. How you do it at the side of the road I don't know. As for discs give me rim brakes every time as as I don't fly down hills anyway. Thinking of building another bike up but rim brake frame sets are getting rarer to get hold of. Ok I am a Luddite but I am happy.

[@PoulHansenDK]

You need to test how to seat a tubeless with a handpump and how get all that hardened rubber spray off your bike and clothing, when you had a big puncture.

[@TheAdwills]

Stick your finger on the hole until you can insert a Dynaplug or similar. At least 10 times faster than swapping out the inner tube. And any sealant that has sprayed onto the frame washes off easily when you clean your bike. You do clean your bike regularly, don't you??

[@thomaswallace3776]

So I recently noticed one of my Mavics had punctured but was able to seal. I use Orange sealant. All I had to do was literally grab it and peel it off like a sticker. C'mon dude.

[@TheAdwills]

@vicinius if you're riding enough kilometres then you'll be replacing your tyres long before the solid gunk forms. If you're riding casually then I agree that tubeless isn't the best option for everyone. Sorry to hear you've ruined your wheel stickers; I've only experienced sealant spray 4 or 5 times (most small punctures seal without the spray) and every time it's washed off easily with washing up liquid in water ,and a sponge 🤷‍♂️

[@magalsis]

Riding tubeless for 4 years now, and will never come back

[@M.Cossie]

Switching (for a short time) to tubeless tires on my road bike was one of the worst and expensive decisions I ever made as a cyclist. I'm riding 20-25 TKM a year on a bike, so to be on the safe side (less punctures, more comfort, less weight and lower rolling resistance) I decided to change for tubeless. I wish I never did it, because: - the worse puncture problems happened to me while riding tubeless... * valve failure caused immediate pressure loss and left me swearing on the roadside 100 km from home, * puncture (yes, they also happen on tubeless) caused all the glue-milk sprayed me and my bike on a longer trip. Have you ever tried to clean it on the next day? Beside much more problems while riding, it was a stupid idea to switch to tubeless also because: - you need a compressor to be able to inflate tubeless tires, which means there's no way you will make it on the road, if the pressure drops for any reason, - you need to buy and keep at home a lot of additional stuff (milk, lubricant, compressor) or waste money and time on bike mechanic every time you want to change a tire or even to add some milk (every few months), - tubeless tires (+ all the stuff you also need to buy) are more expensive and I didn't notice the more comfort or more speed bonus. Maybe when you're racing it makes some difference, - tubeless tires are much harder to mount on the rim, - if you use, on an emergency, a tube to get home somehow, be prepared you will ride on an egg, because tubeless tire has harder and less flexible wals, which causes the tire will not properly sit on the rim, and you'll be literally jumping next 100 km like a grasshopper, - changing a tire is such a messy process, After experiencing many problems with tubeless tires on my road bike, about 40 000 km ago I switched to tubes again (Conti Gatorskin 25mm + 100g Conti Race tubes) and no problems with punctures again. Of course a spare tube, just in case, travels always with me. Tubeless? Never again. I learned it the hard way...

[@MrDienowlivelater]

Odd. I always ride tubeless ready tires with tubes and there is no jumping.

[@M.Cossie]

@@MrDienowlivelater Every tire is different. I'm only telling what I experienced.

[@MrDienowlivelater]

@@M.Cossie fair enough)

[@doriangray2020]

This is about as much rubbish as the video.

[@russellbaker4256]

Fantastic scientific method by GCN! One run each, knows which ride is on his favourite tubeless (placebo effect). Ooh, 7 secs difference; is that a significant difference, or just down to random variation? Who knows? Different PSI's, traffic, weather, power output? Come on GCN, think it thru first, you can do better. If tubeless had turned out to be worst, would you have even posted the video?? Eg. Tubeless Convert! | Why Alex Will Never Use Inner Tubes On His Road Bike Again Even Though They Are (Objectively) Slower Than Latex Inner Tubes

[@robertsutter7588]

I agree! Where is the power data?

[@danielmoorhouse6506]

Their videos are great or utter s**t. This one the latter I'm afraid.

[@aad493]

Another "GREAT" GCN "science" based test, just like the great "science" done in the test of "aero" wheels against "shallow" rim wheels...doing that one over again, eh? You didn't use the lightest "light" tubes, as the tubolito tube is lighter than the ones you use. Further, you don't have to pump tube tires up to 90psi. I run my Contini GP5000s with the tubolito tubes at 65 psi with no problems - so much for the "comfort" idea. I use both tubeless and tubed tires, the latter are much more efficient and lighter!

[@mickgtir]

Yeah, this one has to be one of the worst comparisons they've done. No controls too many variables.

[@GCNalex]

@@robertsutter7588 hi Robert, each run was ridden between 265-270w.

[@trroland1248]

I appreciate how as GCN has become bigger and more corporate, is maintaining its appearance of honesty and impartiality by simply being totally shameless in its shilling for the bike industry and their revolving carousel of passing trends.

[@Sprocketboy1956]

Unfortunately, the "passing trend" of making things more complex and expensive is not a passing one!

[@ThePTChem]

"Setting up your tubeless tires is actually a fairly simple proces" :D :D :D :D

[@Dakiller1243]

It gets easier each time

[@nicholkid]

Can be trivial or nearly goddamn impossible. Depends on the tire. My conti mtb tires took me hours of wrestling and pumping, but I just put vittoria gravel tires on my bike and I did the whole thing in 30 mins and never swore once.

[@portland675]

Super easy

[@ronstewtsaw]

@@nicholkid 30 minutes is unacceptable in many circumstances.

[@jonpoon3896]

Simple doesn’t mean easy... it depends on the tyres

[@MangoJim90]

5 reasons why I never even watch such videos about tube vs tubeless comparisons (Love tubes!;) )

[@portland675]

Said no one ever

[@markbooth6745]

Inner tubes are great and they work. They will be around for years, Alex.

[@williamholmes3467]

As if anyone has ever setup a tubeless wheel as stress free as that....

[@philchevrier]

I'm impressed by the fact that you could reduce pressure by 35lbs and still be faster. My experience doesn't mirror that sadly. My testing wasn't as extensive as yours but to remain similar in speed, my decrease in pressure was closer to 10psi going from tubes to tubeless.

[@troyasee]

Did you hold exactly the same power with the three models? I see a lot of sprints which suggests non constant delivery of power.

[@lexington476]

2:34 I used super-light inner tubes one time in a time trial, flatted it in both wheels. Have never used them again.

[@johnkempler3792]

For a fair comparison, should have included power numbers. Or you should mention up you rode at constant power. I recently switched to tubeless and noticed the increased comfort and smoother slicker ride. No idea whether they are faster. The avoidance of pinch flats is probably a benefit as well as auto-plugging of any holes

[@BurgerTime7441]

This is GCN. Their tests are purely for entertainment. Heck, I could argue that it appears they faked the tests entirely. No charts or Power and speed? Fake test. He didn't even do it.

[@iminc5498]

What was you AVG power on each ride? The devil is in the detail.

[@MaximeTurcotte1983]

It can't be compared without at least this info ....

[@3akpy4uBau]

Ask sponsors)

[@Jeff-bd4gg]

“Inner tubes are rubbish. I hate them and I am going to tell you why.” “Because I get paid for convincing you you need tubeless tires which leads you to want new wheels that are tubeless compatible, which I just so happen to also market for major cycling brands.”

[@GCNalex]

I wish that was the case, haha. 15yrs of being paid to promote tubeless tyres would be amazing. Just trying to give my perspective as someone who has used both tyre types extensively and finds tubeless a lot better all round.

[@matthiasschmitt2311]

@@GCNalex I rode tubeless for about 2 years because we where sponsored by schwalbe. You are right, they feel very smooth, fast and give you a lot savier feel while you corner much more agressive. And it saved a race because I once rode the last 20k with a hole in my tyre. BUT if you puncture the sealant is a big mess on the frame, that is very hard to clean. So after we switched to continental as tyre sponsor I had the choice between tlr and normal tyres and change back to normal tyre with latex inner tubes.

[@brianwillaman1776]

I'll never go back to tubeless again. I tried tubeless for 1 1/2 years and it was a complete disaster of a system. I tried different compounds but I got slimed within every 3 rides. HATED tubeless. Went back to tubes last year and haven't regretted the decision and never looked back.

[@nwimpney]

Same. Tried it several times through the years after being told "It's gotten way better than it used to be" But it's still totally awful on road bikes.

[@flyingMo]

I once punctured my front wheel - the hole was too big for the sealant to seal. With every turn of the tire, the entire sealant was nicely spread all over the bike and myself. Cleaning was horrible. I am totally fine loosing a few seconds and not risk having such mess again. I am sticking with inner tubes.

[@georgelousaysonph5480]

I rode with my friend running tubeless and saw first hand the nightmare when he got a huge puncture on new tyres, the sealant went all over his face and cycling gear and 12k usd bike...you are the amount of sealant thrown was a nightmare and its very visible on his matte black frame

[@RedCommunist]

That's why they make plug kits for tubeless, which will seal a hole that is too large to self seal. The Dynaplug system is so simple, the repair can be completed within five seconds of hearing/seeing the puncture. And the lightest weight plugs are light enough that carrying one as part of your tubeless system still allows the whole system to be lighter than a tube based system.

[@Nostalgiaforinfi]

​@@RedCommunist duhhh plug the hole before it happens.

[@nodyah66]

Tube type tyres with latex tubes feel best of all in my experince without all the mess and time wasting of tubeless. Yes you have to top them up with air before each ride, but you have to do that with tubeless as well. Will never go back to tubeless!

[@brankododig1585]

I'm a recent convert and I shan't be riding tubes again. Although I'm not running low pressures and fat tires, riding 23/25mm Vittoria Corsa Speeds, tubeless makes them practically usable despite the superlight construction and these are so, so fast.

[@johnhayes1641]

Would have been good to see the power numbers.

[@decidrophob]

Exactly, other videos in GCN control the power identical in each setup. This particular video is rubbish in this respect.

[@matthewho26]

I think they're actually almost the same weight between the two tire setup correct me if I'm wrong. Tubeless tires are heavier, sealant + valve makes back the difference.

[@JulianAllen13]

I have been running tubeless on all three of my road and gravel bikes for the last five and a half years. No issues that a tire plug couldn't deal with, no mess from sealant spray, comfortable ride with the lower tire pressure, superior grip for the same reason. Seated all bar one pair with a frack pump and I used a Co2 inflator to set up the "difficult" set. As Alex would say win, win, win.

[@whatwelearned]

I converted to tubeless a couple of months ago and I'm with Alex; never going back. People complaining about ease of use are mad; make sure you get compatible tyres and you're good to go. It took me about 15 minutes to setup initially. Tubeless fo' lyfe!

[@KoenMiseur]

Don't talk bullshit it's not only about fitting it's also about maintaining it, needing to replace the sealant every 3 months, the shit you have to deal with when the sealant doesn't seal the leak and you need to put in an innertube! I don't know how much flats you have but even in Belgium (where we have very bad roads) I only flat max 5 times a year!

[@cleggycyclist]

@@KoenMiseur 3 months? Dunno where you live but I am in the UK and I have ridden over a year without changing sealant and it was still good in that time.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

@@cleggycyclist Which sealant do you use? Cafélatex tends to dry out quite quickly in summertime. No Tubes seems to last longer and is easier to clean off.

[@cleggycyclist]

@@guidospanoghe8896 Stans

[@RoryMacdonald-pfff]

Blah blah ,,,, when it comes to that inevitable time when you have to replace a tyre or sealant, it is *drastically* more PITA running tubeless. You did your best to make a conversion look like a walk in the park, but that is massively disingenuous and simply doesn’t reflect the realities of pain points which can go with getting the tubeless tyre on/off that rim - nor did you cover the price differences in short medium or long term.

[@DaveShishkoff]

Exactly this. If you want to run road tubeless, you should have a second set of tube wheels on the ready. While MTB is definitely more reliable, the high pressure of road tubeless means things are more likely to go wrong, and when you go to ride, there's a good chance a valve will start losing air, or the tape has shifted, and neither will reseal, requiring a full go at setting up again (which means missing your ride, unless you've got that second set of wheels.) If your rim has a solid lining (no spoke holes), that helps a lot, but you still can end up with a fussy valve. I want to love road tubeless, been trying it on and off for the last decade (since they first came out with those awful Hutchinson tires), but so far inevitably I keep going back to tubes because it keeps screwing up (and missing rides with friends). But when it is set up, it does make for a better ride, and has saved my butt a few times sealing punctures. (Including a nail in a tire, which I just left in, and was able to ride 30min home and dealt with it there.)

[@peterwilliamson1825]

Agreed. The term blow out comes from when cars had inner tubes that could, and did, deflate instantly like a kid party balloon, causing crashes. Cars switched to tubeless tyres because they deflated slowly by comparison. The last thing I want is my front inner tube going instantly flat when I'm hurtling along at 40+ mph downhill. I'd rather have latex sealant on my clothes than road rash, or worse.

[@efusco]

Wish you’d shared your average watts for each tire setup

[@Rabarebane]

Should have done a blind test, where he doesn't know which tire system he is riding. Personal bias is hard to avoid, even when trying to stay neutral.

[@dominicbritt]

Can you demonstrate fitting GP5000TL tyres onto Hunt rims please 😂

[@cshigley]

I have to admit getting GP5000TLs on to Hunt wheels is a challenge, nearly snapped a tire lever but the struggle was worth the effort- they have been lights out since!

[@peterdraper1478]

How do you like you Hunt rims? I'm getting some next week (and on the balance of comments here I think I'll stick with tubes).

[@cshigley]

I have the Aero Wide (24 wide 31 deep) rims which replaced the stock Bontragers that came on my 2018 Trek Domane SL5 and love them! I’ve heard concerns about Hunt having loud free hubs but mine are quieter than my old wheels. They sure are a lot lighter, shaved over 700 grams of weight off the set.

[@o0260o]

regular gp5000 were pretty hard on my mavics as well

[@anotheryoutuber_]

do an install with no cuts... most folks will click off before one is ready to ride, let alone a set. tubes are fine.

[@brakesmadly]

Can Alex do a video on how to put on and remove gloves while riding?

[@davidmartin305]

I love tubeless for off road, on road tubeless is a disaster! I've seen more riders trying tubeless return to tubes, than stick with them. I've left riders with tubeless to wait for their partners to pick them up, because they can't plug the hole and can't get the tyres off the rim to get a tube fitted.

[@Andy-sj2dv]

Later rims are much better , I love mine but when the tyres wear out I'll let the bike shop replace and do the work lol. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5aWnYyGZtVli68

[@portland675]

I raced latex for years, but as a mechanic, tubeless is so much easier.

[@TheAdwills]

Dynaplug for big holes! Takes 30 seconds 😁

[@brijlunine6416]

One can always bring a standard tube to avoid getting stranded.

[@davidmartin305]

@@brijlunine6416 only yesterday a friend of mine had a puncture that wouldn't seal even with a plug, lost a lot of sealant. He or his riding partner, couldn't get the tyre off the rim. Ended up phoning his wife for a ride home. Wouldn't happen to me with my two spare tubes, puncture repair kit and tyre jacks. Never been picked up for a puncture after 90,000km (as recorded on Strava)

[@sparky6612]

Been running schwalbe tubeless for 6 years on three wheel sets now and would never go back to inner tubes. Must have is a tubeless specific track pump to blast the air in fast to seat the tyre. I had punctures but have never noticed until I got home. Only had to repair the large punctures on a few occasions as they could sometimes unseal then seal then unseal as you ride. Repaired with normal puncture kit. Originally tried the park tool instant patch but although they do work they degrade after 6 months. The times i have had to wait for mates during a ride who puncture. Does give me a rest to be honest. There is a technique to getting them on and off but that comes with practice and I can take on and off now with just one park tool tyre lever in seconds. Best bit though is the feel of the ride which is sort of a buttery feel at the lower pressures. 👍👍👍

[@reddieseled]

I tried tubeless on my MTB last year and it made a right mess. I'm by no means daft when it comes to this sort of thing. But despite cleaning the rim with meths, lining the tape up exactly to an OCD level, adding the goop etc. Somehow the sealant still found a small path of least resistance and came out of a spoke hole. The capillary action also meant somehow it crept under the lacquer of the front rim and made a bit of a mess. Once the leak had eventually healed itself after blowing up to about 50psi and turning the rim around slowly, I felt no immediate benefit when riding other than anxiety of it leaking. Added to that was a road cyclist travelling down a bad road near me who burped his 23c tyre and couldn't get it to seal at all as it had grit and mud all over the rim. I offered to lend him my woosher back home but he managed. He said to me never bother with this s*it again and wish he'd left his tubes in. Call it sad, but to me there's nothing more satisfying than mending a puncture at your own leisure in front of the TV at home, finding the thorn in the tyre and wiggling it out. I just carry a spare tube, patches and decent pump. Interesting my partner's MTB tyre had about 3 thorns sticking in that somehow hadn't punctured the tube. I've just bought some marathon for my touring bike.

[@ollieb9875]

*two and three watts?!* Shut the front door! I must go and drop £1000 on some tubeless rims and tyres right now! 😅🐸 Yeah... no.

[@wdadwawdadawdwdwa4133]

it might be 3 watts per tyre, in a racing situation that is easily a deciding factor, also your scenario assumes the wheel isnt tubeless compatible already. also also: how would you arrive @ one grand`?

[@metallusmelandril7380]

My 300€ rims a TL ready Soooo :)

[@ollieb9875]

Yes I pulled £1000 out my bum, but I'm thinking if I upgrade at all it's gotta be carbon and last time I looked they're all very pricey, especially deep section ones. 🤔 Unless.. AliExpress or something no name. 😳

[@blataquad]

@@ollieb9875 hunt wheels are really really good for the money, somewhere around £700 for tubeless ready deep section and tyres+ sealant. This difference is astronomical. I used continental gp5000

[@ollieb9875]

@@blataquad too much money! I wouldn't pay that for a car! 😅🙃

[@alexdj40]

I must admit Alex makes getting the tubeless tires set up on the bike look really easy. I'm not sure how representative that is of most people's experience. I've been using tubeless for a couple of years and I find it's almost always a real hassle. Once they are set up they are great.

[@dpstrial]

My experience is not good. To seat my Schwalbe Ones, I had to buy an Airshot cannister to assist my track pump; and even with that combination I could not seat the replacement Hutchinsons. Just in case I had a major mishap out in the wilds and my tyre(s) became unseated, I had to carry backup inner tubes anyway. Also, the Schwalbes wore very rapidly; and although they felt good off-road, on-road they were far too spongy. I now use standard Continental 4 Seasons and they rarely puncture and don't impact my speed too much.

[@philipcooper8297]

How often do you replace the sealant?

[@dpstrial]

@@philipcooper8297 I used to inject some sealant in about every three months, because it eventually dries and sticks to the tyre wall. Whether this was optimal or not, I can't honestly say. It depends on the ambient temperature and usage, I suppose.

[@philipcooper8297]

@@dpstrial Seems like too much work for me.

[@dpstrial]

@@philipcooper8297 Topping up the sealant is the easy part. I just removed the valve head and used an ear syringe (of all things) to inject it. The problem was that some rim and tyre combinations just did not work, and they could not be seated without a compressor. MTB tyres, being wider, seem to be much easier to seat from what I have seen on YT.

[@fendercornford]

I have a road bike that came with tubeless. I had a thorn in my tyre that I didn’t notice until I got home. So I was happy initially, yes it costs much more, there is much more maintenance and it only saves 0.4 watts over a tube. But not having to fix a puncture on a cold dark rainy night made it worth it. Subsequently I have also had 2 punctures from glass that made a hole too large to plug. So I ended up taking about 30 minutes each time to fit a tube. On my other bikes I can change a tube in be on my way in 10 minutes. On the roads I ride it is usually thorns in hedge trimming season or glass in towns that causes punctures. I think I will keep them on my bike for the time being to get some more experience with them, but I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone who can easily replace a tube on a road bike. I have paid for all the extra equipment now so I have some sunk cost in tubeless. If you are on a budget definitely avoid or if you are not good with maintenance again definitely avoid.

[@M3GRSD]

I was a long-time tube advocate. Was. Out riding with TPU tubes, and I got two flats back to back. Even after washing the tire, inspecting and removing the thorn and carefully reinserting a new tube. I made it another 23 miles and popped my inner tube again; completely ruined my ride. I'm finally giving tubeless a go. I can't keep getting flats.

[@thanh-dungnguyen8078]

I also have issues with tubeless. It can be a big mess

[@poxcr]

I'd guess the time differences shown in this test are well within the variability range should you have done multiple runs with each setup...

[@grahamballard7041]

I tried tubeless for a while last year and though I had no problems with them I did have a few concerns, the main one being tyre levers! It’s not so much that it’s one extra thing to carry it’s I don’t like using them. With the combination I was using, GP5000 TLs on DT Swiss rims they are simply way too tight to fit without levers. That’s fine in the workshop but at the roadside, I don’t think so, added to the almost certainty of pinching the inner tube when using tyre levers. I’ve gone back to standard conti 5000s with latex tubes run at 80/70 psi and I cannot feel any difference. However I do know that if I do need to fit a new tube at the roadside I can guarantee to do it quickly and without pinching . So while tubeless is fine for some, sadly not for me.

[@theguzziman]

5 years tubeless on my mountain bike. No punctures. 2 years ok the road bike ( about 10,000 miles ) no punctures. I’m sticking with it. But carry a tube, just in case !

[@markusnanderod5934]

There is no fucking way you would loose 15 seconds with a butyl tube! This is ridicilous on a whole new level from gcn.

[@cristibaluta]

15sec on an entire tour de france stage maybe.

[@waynesmith4589]

I’ve had more chaos in the last 18 months on group rides because of tubeless tyres than anything else , closely followed by annoying squeaking disk brakes , both totally unnecessary.

[@neildaniel8232]

As a road and MTB rider it always amazes me at some of the comments below a road tubeless video or article. While it may not be for everyone, especially if you value simplicity and very rarely get punctures, it does have definite benefits and should not be dismissed out-of-hand. A few things that people always bring up: If a puncture defeats the sealant then a tube would have been toast too so you'd still have the faff of changing it on the roadside anyway. Where tubeless really wins is when riding rough roads (lower pressures for comfort) or in winter/hedge-cutting season. All those little slow punctures you used to get just don't exist any more. Tubeless basically moves the vast majority of the hassle of punctures from the roadside to your home, much better to have a stress-free ride and no punctures in a layby on a busy road or in the cold and wet and be able to do the setup work in the warmth of home at your leisure. As for the sealant getting everywhere? Just buy one that is water-soluble, like the Muc-Off stuff in the video or CaffeeLatex is another. No harder to remove than wet lube that's got on the chainstay if you use warm, soapy water! The bead/rim interface is designed to be much tighter and stronger than traditional tyres where the act of pumping the tube up actually keeps the tyre on the rim, puncture a normal tube at speed and you will most likely have the tyre come off completely. A tubeless tyre correctly seated has a much better chance of staying on the rim long enough to slow down and stop safely, especially important on the front! Pinch punctures basically no longer exist as there's nothing to pinch! You can still pinch the tyre but if that happens then it would happen regardless of what you're inflating the tyre with (no points for saying a solid tyre can't pinch flat...) If you've had experience of the older systems where you "ghetto'd" the system with all sorts of techniques but gave up then don't write off the new kit, it's massively better than it was. The MTB TLR stuff is now as good or even better than the UST kit that was around 15 years ago and this tech has been used for the road kit now too. Be open-minded and at elast try it before writing it off and declaring tubes superior. In some scenarios they may well be, like touring or bike packing where being able to repair or replace parts anywhere is a good thing, but for most people tubeless should have some big benefits.

[@Graps19]

The majority of road bikes can only run 25 tyres. Pressures needed make tubeless a waste of time and money. How many pinch flats have you had with tubes. I have never had one....

[@richardh7774]

Tubes still have one use in my workshop, to seat the tape after I have retaped a rim, they compress the tape beautifully ;)

[@cleggycyclist]

heck yeah, I do that too

[@SuperTaylor68]

I’ve ridden tubeless extensively, even on Lejog. They are a PITA to set up in my experience and a right PITA when you do get a flat (which you still do) you have to fight to get the tyre off the rim, get covered in sealant and put a tube in. Latex tubes in summer, regular in winter .. sorted 👍 Leave tubeless to the mountain bikers folks.

[@Andy-sj2dv]

Not with latest wheels , you should watch this all the way; kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5aWnYyGZtVli68

[@TheWoogeroo]

Different tubes in winter? what? Latex tubes are more puncture resistant than butyl anyway. You do not ever need to remove a tubeless tyre once installed if you carry the right plugs. Anything that can't be handled that way would end any tyres life

[@graemesadd6971]

Tubeless tyres don't stop you getting punctures, they just seal it and often you're not aware of the puncture! Always check your tyres after every ride, it's too late checking them just before heading out with your mates!

[@richardh7774]

Tubeless will flat less as they wont pinchflat, they will also be more resilient to punctures as with less pressure than tubes they’ll allow more deflection from debris on the road before allowing a cut. Yes, you should always check your tires at the end of every ride , and check the pressures before you start the next one.

[@tobycolin6271]

@@richardh7774 you forget tubeless burp when you hit a square edge pot hole.

[@ps6149]

@@richardh7774 Yes. Having to check the pressure before each an every ride is already anoying with my new tubeless setup. They loose aiir much faster than tubes.

[@TheAdwills]

@@ps6149 you may not have enough sealant in there - I had the same issue with the road bike. Lost 20-30psi in 48 hours. New tyres will absorb sealant as well as some being used up filling minor leaks. Popped another 15ml in each tyre, now I just have to top up the pressure once a week, no different to my bike running clinchers.

[@ps6149]

@@TheAdwills Thanks! I'll give a try!

[@ozseppo]

Made the switch a few months ago. After 2 hip replacements , a pelvic fracture, ribs, shoulders, cracked, smacked, etc,, oh, the thumbs are special, too, the difference in road vibration, by riding at a lower psi, has enabled me to stay on the road , and look forward to the next catastrophe. My thumbs could no longer change tubes. In the first 2 months, I had 2 massive tire apologies, from a pot hole and a nail as big as Ohio. The first time, the tire was obliterated, second time, a tube could be installed, as I had blown the tire off the rim. When I get on the TT bike with 23s at 120, I go cross eyed. I was really convinced when I snagged a 2 all time on the road bike tubeless, low psi, versus the TT at 120, on Strava. Retirement never felt better.

[@PedalerzMN]

I've put hundreds of miles on a couple non tubeless wheels set up tubeless with zero problem no tire unseating it self or anything. I've also done over 1000 miles of riding on tubeless wheelsets with again zero problems. Personally I think it's really easy to set them up once you grasp the concept and there are so many benefits.

[@trepidati0n533]

Probably the biggest problem with tubeless...people going in with a negative attitude.

[@thomascdurham9130]

Alex, I guess you plan on doing a lot of Uber in your future! LOL!

[@neilweir-smith8228]

When I bought my bike it came setup as tubeless and I was really happy about that. After a bunch of punctures and a few different tyres trying to find ones that resisted punctures better I moved back to a tubed setup and have had way fewer punctures since. You can still run tubed tyres at lower pressures than that indicated on the tyre (there is a video on youtube called something like "your tyres are lying to you" that explains it), although maybe not quite as low as tubless (not sure on that one). However, I am not a racer and can put up with some discomfort when required but the puncture issue is a killer for me (hate trying to sort out a puncture on the side of the road when I'm trying to get to work/home).

[@kerrynball2734]

I can't see why you need to run the pressure more just because you put a tube in the same tyre.

[@jdmitchell3077]

I have mostly used Gatorskin tires. Last year I bought a new endurance bike, and have used GP 5000 with a tubeless setup. In the last 2 months I've had more punctures than the previous 40 years, I think. Yesterday I had two punctures in less than 30 miles. Plus, I had sealant all over me and my bike. Today, I ordered a pair of Gatorskins, and tubes.

[@nwimpney]

Low pressures: If you're bottoming the rims hard enough to pinch flat on your road bike, that's bad, whether it causes a flat or not. If you're not bottoming them out, it'll be fine running them that low with tubes, too. Rolling resistance, etc: If the small difference actually matters to you, latex tubes are an option. You need to top up your pressures before every ride, but other than that, there's no real downside, IMO. Punctures: How often do you get flat tires? If it's a frequent occurrence, try a different tire, and don't worry about whether it's sold as puncture resistant (I got tons of flats with gatorskins, btw. They're not a good tire IMO) the few times a season when I do get a flat, It takes me a few minutes to swap out the tube, fill it up, and throw the punctured tube in my saddle bag to repair later (It'll become my new spare). Maybe tubeless saved me a puncture or two that I never noticed, but I've definitely had plenty of problems with tubeless punctures not sealing, or losing most of the air before sealing, but then blowing open again as soon as I've got it pumped back up over 40PSI. Ride over.... Tubeless fanboys will say that you can always bring a tube as a spare, but often tubeless tires are very tight fitting, and much harder to remove, and you still have to deal with pulling out your valves, and putting in the tube on a slimy rim that smells like a dead fish rotting in the sun, and then get that crap off your hands/clothes before you get back on the bike to smear it all over your bar tape. It's just not worth it. I came very close to missing a 100k ride I was doing when I had a rim tape fail (orange seal, but I've also had it happen with stans on another occasion.) It just randomly blew out into the rim while the bike was sitting in my hall at midnight, the night before the ride. Luckily I heard it happen. If I had been in the other room at the time I would have woken up early to leave for the ride, and found that I had a flat to fix, and no time to deal with it. Tubeless is just not good at high pressures. It makes some sense on a fat bike with huge volume tires where you might want to run single digit PSI, and otherwise worry about shearing valves, but otherwise I'll stick with tubes. This isn't a case where "The old way is the best way". I've tried it several times, so it's not like I'm just a hater. It's just let me down too many times, and been far more hassle than the few flats per year that it might save me.

[@leighsmith1627]

Have been using tubeless for a few years now. My biggest complaint is the price and the durability of tubeless tires. I love the feel and prefer it over normal clinchers. However, I find tubeless tires have a shorter lifespan than clinchers.

[@terrywrist6427]

thats where they make thier money

[@TheWoogeroo]

Is it that you're riding more performance tyres since you switched to tubeless, becuase you can get away with it due to the sealant? I can't see how a mid-range tubeless tyres like a Vittoria Rubino would wear faster in tubeless vs tubed versions. I will say that tubeless tyres are presently massively overpriced, and also most of the common durable armoured tyres that people use for utility / commuting are not yet available tubeless.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

To be honest using certain tyres it's almost irrelevant whether you've got tubes or not! I've had Schwalbe Durano Pluses fitted to my bike for a while now and haven't had a puncture in literally years despite riding around the city constantly. They go over shards of glass and crush them into a fine dust!

[@onezweithree]

Sure, but those tires feel like crap and are heavy as hell. The advantage of tubeless is, that you can enjoy light and nimble tires without the increased risk of punctures.

[@philipcooper8297]

@@onezweithree That's always the dilema when choosing tyres. Puncture protection vs efficiency. Now, that being said, I can't go tubeless because I wouldn't be bothered to check/replace the sealant everynow and then. With a tube system, all I have to check is the tyre itself and tyre pressure and off I go. I use 28x700c tyres 6 Bar front, 6.5 Bar back, a plenty of comfort.

[@onezweithree]

@@philipcooper8297 you are totally right. I am somewhat between the fronts here. On the one hand, tubeless saved me last week on my ride across Germany (500+km in one go). I had two punctures in the front, which both got sealed by the sealant without the need to refill air. On the other hand, my rear tire won’t hold air very well. It will lose around 1bar per day.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

@@onezweithree yep fair point if you're using the bike for racing or something like that

[@stevem.3646]

Mounted a set of tubeless Scwalbe's to my Hunt wheels, but they rubbed my brake. Needed a C-Clamp to break the bead and remove them. Put the GP5000's back on with supersonic tubes 50g ea. If I ever had a flat on the Schwalbes, I'd be done for on the side of the road. (However, the gravel bike is tubeless!)

[@johnny20whales]

I've run road tubeless for over 5 years, about 5000 miles a year. My first tyres were Vittoria, pretty poor, used Giant SR0 or SR1 faultlessly since, never had a puncture on the road that didn't seal until I mashed a sidewall and that got me home at least, I average over 3000 miles per tyre at around 75psi, now trying Conti 5000 and these seem also very good. Handling is far better than tubes, yes the slime is messy, yes I have a compressor, yes I resort to plastic levers at times, yes they need more topping up and yes I replace the slime once a year. But with the roads in northern England and the improved handing and reliability, I'll be on tubeless until they invent something better. I carry a spare tube and a cartridge just in case along with a valve extension and a valve extractor, same as I would for a tubed tyre. Good article, thanks!

[@RichardMigneron]

You should do the test at the constant power rating to remove your fatigue from the equation, say one set at 200, then 250, then 300. My only problem with Tubeless is the mess with the sealant an still having to carry a tube in case (which I didn't do for 4500 Kms last summer). Not sure if I will continue the adventure. Furthermore, the constant cost of sealant...

[@matteokalla]

I use Schwalbe Aerothan inner tubes and Pirelli Pzero clincher. I think I won’t switch to tubeless for a while. Cheers guys!

[@marcoshernandez745]

Switching to tubless added nearly half a pound to the weight of my bike. I rode like that for several months. In that time I got sprayed by tubeless sealant twice from punctures. Long story short, I went back to my tpu inner tubes and I have added about 10 to 15 mg of tubeless sealant in each innertube for a little bit of puncture protection

[@shekton]

I converted to tubeless a few years ago but after a couple of complete failures on the roadside, I've gone back to inner tubes. The expensive hassle of setting them up and trying to fix any big holes isn't worth it for me. What would take 5 mins to fix with a new inner tube has taken be up to an hour to fix with tubeless tyres. Both big roadside failures I had, needed to be saved by inner tubes which resulted in me getting sealant everywhere.

[@DoubleWW]

whats the relative power spend between these three? or how about blind testing to remove any pushing harder bias thats inevitable

[@Dr.Schlitz]

LOL, you left out the part where you spent 2 hours setting up the tubeless tires, either because they were too tight and would not go on the rim or too loose and would not seat, even with a compressor. Seriously: I use road tubeless, but it is a huge pain compared to latex tubes.

[@CerveloS5rider]

Not if they are Mavic

[@ElliotFlowers]

@?????? You don't pay a bike shop to pump up your tyre. Or do you go men only disco's on the continent. With your mum.

[@ElliotFlowers]

@?????? I clean up after meself mate. Whether in the shower or the public toilets. Do you think you can own a mechanic just because you have tubeless tyres. Who do you think you are? Richard bloody Branson.!

[@calayanrail]

Only used inner tube once in past 4 years, I built myself a new set of wheel and went out for a test ride with inner tubes. Got a puncture 8km down the road and had to take taxi home. Now rode on tubeless for almost 60k km, had a few punctures but none had made me stopped to fix the tire. Now only my trainer bike has inner tube.

[@sevenrats]

I recently got a new bike and it has Zipp 303s hookless rims with 32mm tubeless tires and quite frankly they're amazing.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Raise your hand if you have been on a ride and someone with tubeless gets a flat that does not seal and they have no idea what to do?

[@nickporter3531]

Oops... stick a tube in 😆

[@rhoelalvarez7208]

My friend Scott stopped using tubeless

[@notreally2406]

@@rhoelalvarez7208 my friend Scott also stopped using tubeless

[@francisling3196]

And been behind them when the rear tire punctures badly at speed.... gunk everywhere

[@PhilWare1]

Good video, but any attempt at at an accurate test is futile. Too many variables to control for.

[@christianmerrett2833]

agreed. way too many variables, also unconscious bias

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

@@christianmerrett2833 need a blind test with a specific wattage, Alex wanted tubeless to win, and so it did.

[@thegrowl2210]

@@christianmerrett2833 Unconscious?

[@christianmerrett2833]

@@thegrowl2210 yep. Unconscious bias. It’s in all of us.

[@thegrowl2210]

I'd say it was fairly conscious bias in this case.

[@grumpynerd]

I run tubeless in the rear and latex up front, and carry a spare latex tube. This is satisfactory for me because the main advantage of road tubeless over latex is puncture resistance, and you get most punctures in the rear. This is a gravel bike so a tubeless rear tire eliminates snake bite punctures. I didn't set out to do it this way, but after the rear tire set up flawlessly, the front setup was leaky and lost pressure overnight, even though the wheel had tubeless tape preapplied at the factory. In my experience when a tubeless setup doesn't go flawlessly with a tire/rim combination right from the get-go, that combination is always going to remain troublesome. I feel it is important to run lower pressures with tubeless, not just because you can, but I think there's a real danger of blow-off if you go higher than 60 PSI. If you think about most tubeless tires -- in cars, or mountain bikes -- pressures are far lower than road bikes. It might not happen to *you*, but I've had road tires blow off the rim at 65 PSI, fortunately while I was inflating the tire and not riding. Most tubeless tires -- on cars, mountain bikes etc -- run at far lower pressures. When you get to typical historical road bike pressures you need a really precise fit between the tire and rim, which isn't always achieved even in tires and rims from the same manufacturer that are rated for road tubeless.

[@glynnbuxton3349]

I am trying tubeless, giving it a good go despite having a puncture that didn't seal in the first 4 weeks of using them. But when I attempted to remove that tyre.. OMG, my soul broke before the seal between tyre & rim did!! Would be nervous to use these in a long Grand Fondo, or train alone in the deep mountains. I think I have this terrible dilemma that "they rarely puncture and I will go faster/be smoother vs ...but if they do my race might be over if I can't break that seal or it's an expensive taxi call". Risk is just too high vs the reward so would feel safer on tubes.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Next week, show us how to replace a broken spoke in a tubeless wheel/tyre.

[@aidanf2610]

How often do you break a spoke… seems like a nonissue.

[@juddwestgate]

Confirmation bias/motivation ("I didn't want to prove myself wrong")

[@fifty311musicproductions8]

Been using Tubes + Stans sealant in the Tubes for about 10 years now. Just have to buy Tubes with Valve stem that can be removed.

[@pep20002425]

Disagree I have tubeless on gist SLR wheels they are good but not as good as my cadex tubs, in my opinion tubs are faster safer lighter and using the tape I can swop one on the roadside faster, both have there place but tubs still king

[@davidashton3396]

Alex you are a great addition to the GCN presenter line up! Made the conversion to tubeless look easy too - but are they hard to get on t9 the rims and properly seated?

[@alexwipe]

Because it is easy 😂

[@chatlow]

Without consistent power or speed data, I'm really struggling with this comparison video. Still thinking about making the switch over though

[@danielwest9188]

Tubeless have saved me multiple times. Last weekend I set out for a super long ride. I was unprepared (gloveless) for the blizzard conditions so when I has a bad puncture only half way around and 40miles from home where nobody could have picked me up from, they held pressure at around 20psi for another 20 miles. I carry a spare inner tube, but it'd have been impossible for me to change them when I had no feeling in my hands. It's good to find a combo that is easy enough in normal conditions to stick a tube into if needed. Some wheel/tyre combos are so tight you'll be there ages trying to get the tyre off and on again. They've also self-healed a few times before and it's just a wonderful thing to be able to keep riding!

[@why3011]

300 feet down the road from my house I heard and felt sealant spraying as soon as I passed this truck. I just let it seal for a moment and then went for my ride.

[@JohnLumapaskeith]

That's a very bold, opening statement there, Mr. Paton 🤣

[@gregorriess5652]

I totally disagree, but just for one reason: The sealant. It`s messy to put it in in the first place and you have to repeat the procedure every 6 months or so. This is especially anoying, when you have several bikes and like to switch between them. To keep them all up to date you mess around with the sealant all the time instead of riding bikes. Fix this problem and I change my mind!

[@romanodsb6967]

Great work guys My question is this, why do some pro riders on the tour use clincher with inner tubes?

[@johnandrews3568]

Most pros still ride tubs. Good reason for that.

[@ytyehyeh]

The claim I've heard is that the ones doing so are generally using the absolute lowest rolling resistance setup for a time trial, and for now, that is still a clincher and latex tube. There might also be some riders whose team wheel sponsor's maximum aerodynamic setup is on clinchers only and they either aren't allowed, or aren't gaining anything, running a competitor's tubular (or I suppose tubeless) aero wheelset.

[@ElliotFlowers]

From over a million subscribers, some gibberish must rise to the top.

[@adrianyuen]

They're using high end clinchers with latex tubes. Latex tubes have a nice ride feel, but they're expensive and don't hold air very well in my experience. And it hurts when they flat. They can be repaired but are way more finicky than regular butyl. And they're not good with heat.

[@ElliotFlowers]

Because they hold it in when you over a bump. Two layers of protection against that cold hard bitch of a road they call 'the race'.

[@jaylumbago559]

I am with Alex on this one. Last April I switched to tubeless and for the first time ever I had zero punctures!!! It made me so confident that I even kept the (light summer racing) tires on during winter riding. Normally I would go to something more robust and slower rolling (and still get flats). I can also agree on having more grip and more comfort but sadly, maybe because I was using latex inner tubes before, I am not faster. Still worth it, though. Not going back.

[@cbmusgrave]

I used to get 2-4 flats a month. Now, maybe once per year. 6 years on tubeless now. Never going back to tubes (so upgraded to Zipp 303 NSW tubeless on my newest bike).

[@peanutbutterjellyicecream]

"it certainly felt nice and comfortable" - you can only feel this when you get paid to feel it.

[@poxcr]

You can definitely feel the comfort of lower pressures, but I'd challenge anyone to accurately tell if they're running tubeless or not in a blind test...

[@peanutbutterjellyicecream]

@@poxcr yep, that would be a good test if the effect are really noticeable..

[@TheAdwills]

I can only say that, at the end of a long ride, I felt beaten up after 4 hours or so running clinchers at 95psi, but much less so with tubeless at 70. However, it's a different bike (Émonda SLR vs Pinarello F8) so obviously more than 1 variable. However after nearly 4,000km on tubeless in 3 months I have had zero punctures, but there are 6 small nicks in the front tyre where sealant has visibly sealed the hole. So that's 6 lots of not having to stand at the roadside for 5-10 minutes.... Agree mostly re ride feel and a blinded trial, though the lower pressures reveal themselves pretty quickly on some of the roads I ride on (again, more than 1 variable)

[@mattshane8409]

It’s nearly a night and day difference. You can easily tell if you’re running tubes or tubeless. If you can’t then you’re not “in tune” enough with your bike. I’ve made the switch and now wonder what took so long since I’ve been running tubeless on my MTBs for at least 5 years.

[@scuckplexity]

@@TheAdwills and yet, I would still prefer the tube

[@glenmillar1398]

I started running tubeless on road bike a few months ago and am very happy, but... when do you know when it's time to add more sealant? My Schwalbe tubeless tires regularly have small beads of sealant permeating through the sidewall - apparently this is normal, but clearly is reducing the amount of sealant in the event of a puncture. #AskGCNTech

[@daveheys2699]

Do you make sure you shake up your sealant like crazy before adding it, and keep the bottle upside down when adding sealant so you're not just pouring liquid in? There might be a few bubbles when you first add the sealant and go for a test ride etc but these should solidify and you shouldn't really see any more (unless you get a puncture). That's my experience anyway

[@LifeInJambles]

@@daveheys2699 Really depends on the tire and how the sidewall is constructed, but if they're intended for tubeless, then yeah it should seal up.

[@cjohnson3836]

Typically I only pump my tires back up on the weekend. If I notice I'm having to add air every 3 or 4 days, I add some more sealant.

[@DCassidy42]

You still have to ride with a back up tube and co2 if your tubeless system can't seal a puncture, so I really don't see the point. Furthermore, tubeless tires sidewalls are too stiff. Ride a continental gp5000 tubeless vs clincher and you can tell which rides smoother.

[@summergmm]

I joined the Tubeless Society for road bike since 2019, never regret. Got big punctures several occasions but never stranded even a big bad nail, it managed to carry me back home.

[@torstenkother3987]

I 'm more into latex innertubes, because I can fix em on the road. Rolingresistance is also low, I guess ! ? Enjoy your show. Hello from Berlin. Torsten

[@SergioGarcian_n]

How do you fix a Latex tube, just use a regular patch for butyl tubes?

[@ytyehyeh]

@@SergioGarcian_n Yes.

[@torstenkother3987]

@@SergioGarcian_n A normal 'Tip-Top-patch' works perfect.

[@jakobm5049]

New bars on the Orbea Orca? They look a bit like Gravel Bars.

[@neelsahay5227]

This style is super popular for fixie crit, been around decades tho

[@JoseSorianoPhotography]

I’ll give it a shot. Never used tubeless on road. What I can say as a bike mechanic is that mucoff sealant is garbage. Tested myself off-road and didn’t seal, tested on road with clients, same story. Stan’s is the way to go. Thank you for the video

[@TheAdwills]

I got into cycling again 20-odd years ago l, I'm now 58 so a bit traditional but willing to try new things cautiously. I bought a gravel bike 2 years ago which came already setup as tubeless (3T Exploro Ltd with Hunt wheels). 1st time I had a puncture that was too big for the sealant to fix convinced me how brilliant they are - used a Dynaplug and fixed it in about 30 seconds, no need for a tube. Bought an MTB a few months ago, same scenario, running about 25psi. Soft sand etc just isn't an issue. So I bought a new road bike recently - Trek Emonda SLR with Hunt 44UD wheels and Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR SL tyres, tubeless of course. 3,700km later they are almost down to the wear limit, there are 6 small holes in the front tyre that have all self sealed (so that's 6 sets of standing at the roadside putting a new tube in that I've avoided) and the increased comfort is astonishing - longest ride was 6 hours and I felt fine whereas the previous bike (OK not just the wheels and tyres that were different) left me feeling beaten up after 3-4 hours. Think I'm running too high pressure though - 25 psi on the MTB, 40psi on the gravel bike but 70 on the road bike 😅