Tubeless Vs Inner Tube - What's All The Fuss About?

Tubeless Vs Inner Tube - What's the best setup for you? Blake Samson and Neil Donoghue compare both options to help you make the right decision, and how you can get the most out of your bike setup while out on the trails.
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Tubes or Tubeless - What tyre setup are you running? Let us know in the comments below!
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[@gmbn]

What tyre setup are you running on your bike? Tubeless or Tubes?

[@sandy_knight]

I'm currently running tubes as my only bike right now is a DJ bike. However, at 60PSI pinch flats are non-existent, I just have to be careful of thorns, glass etc. On my old enduro bike I ran tubeless for ~4 years, including several seasons in the French Alps, and never had a single puncture! I had to top up the air pressure more often but rarely mid-ride. I just find it's way less hassle than having to fix punctures trail-side, which used to be a regular occurrence.

[@lemaamador1374]

Hi. I run with tubes a 29 entry-level Enduro with Hutchinson Toro 2.35 in front and Taipan 2.25 on the rear. Full shread like the video, no punctures. With 26psi in front and 28psi and the back. Don't think to run tubless.. Good video.

[@stevengoodwin3154]

Tubeless! Lightweight tube and those tiny hole plugs with a couple of co2 canisters.

[@Paganiproductions84]

i used to inner tubes whit tubeless sealent in them now tubeless only

[@CoffeeMonster12]

Tubeless on my main 2.8 hardtail, tubes with my e-full squish becouse havent gotten more sealant for it yet

[@adriansmithee88]

I prefer to just ride on the rims with no tires. Not sure why you guys didn’t cover this option in the video..?

[@abuckcat]

Pilgrim has done it already

[@alexbvv]

It really makes your bike so much lighter this way!

[@awesometuscaloosa7203]

Rims don’t get tired?

[@davidkline4372]

@@abuckcat dang! You beat me to it. Sam Pilgrim is light years ahead of curve! 😀

[@WristwatchAddiction]

😂👍

[@michaelphillips3813]

Been running tubes my whole life. I have 29x2.6 tyres and run them between 28-26 psi depending on the trail. I’m old and out of shape anyway so couldn’t care less about the weight. I’ve found when you put in a new tube to put baby powder inside the tyre. I’ve never had a pinch flat in my life as the baby powder stops the tube from gripping the inside of the tyres then Suddenly letting go.

[@LivingGhost85]

Hell yea, that talcum powder works...

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

Cool story bro for real.

[@dirk8816]

I like the idea of tubeless and used to run them. Then, 3 years ago, I came down heavy on the front which tore the front tire off. Had to put a tube in to get home. Since then I ride tube in front and tubeless in rear. Why? In 3 years I've had to do nothing but add air to the front. On the rear (tubeless) I've had to add sealant several times, re-seat the tire, and have had nothing but expense, mess, and work. I'm considering tubes on the back now too.

[@sebastianjost]

I definitely recommend tubes. I tried tubeless and had similar issues. Then I tried the then new Aerothan tubes, which lastet about 400km where all regular tubes I had lastet thousands of kilometers without any puncture. So I will definitely stick to the good, old and cheap inner tubes.

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

welcome to tube life son.

[@FrankieWilde2021]

Watched this to understand why people rave about tubeless it just seems expensive. Tape, valve, sealent that has to be replaced after a few punctures a new tyre that needs replacing after a few punctures. And the ways you repair them just seems temporary. Still don't get it.

[@recuperacion420]

Exacto, thats what I have always done. Rear Tubeless, front tubed.

[@GCho733]

Tubeless is nice… Until you need the tube.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

With those huge slashes, you'd be doing the same repair whether you run tubes or not.

[@pipolchamp8205]

huge slashes like that only happens like 1 out of 20 rides atleast for me. tubeless is definitely worth it. saved me atleast 3-4 hours worth of trail side maintenance/repair on small punctures.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

@@pipolchamp8205 oh yeah, I'm saying it's still worth it

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

@@pipolchamp8205 reinforced tires exist son.

[@Celeon999A]

I remember that GMBN video a few years back that basically had "Everybody is running tubeless nowadays, tubes are a thing of the past" as its main message. Then they did a short survey with people at the bikepark where the video was filmed just to find out that virtually 9 out of 10 people were running tubes :-D When asked why they all said that the terrible mess with the sealant plus extra effort to constantly renew it every few weeks, is not really worth it.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

Everyone is doing it wrong, then. I never make a mess when setting up tubeless, put the sealant in through the valve. And I get all summer out of an install, not a couple of weeks.

[@Saml3227]

@@SnootchieBootchies27 I've even pinch flatted some maxis dhf exos. I just used regular tube patch kit trailside. Popped half of one bead and wiped area clean. Patched. Co2. Back at it. I guess I have messed up enough tubeless to figure it out.

[@SimonBauer7]

@@SnootchieBootchies27 you get all summer out of your install? i dont need to mainain my tire at all if i dont puncture and i only punctured once in 5 years

[@EphraimSyriacus]

@@SimonBauer7 you don't need to put sealant in. I didn't change my sealant for 6 months now. And if I want, it is really a matter of few minutes to fill the tires again.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

@@SimonBauer7 i'll wear out the tread in one summer anyways, so at that point, I'm okay with replacing the sealant.

[@SecretSpots]

Went tubeless with downhill casing tires and havent had a flat since, even through black diamond downhill rock garden gnar. I went for strength over weight with a "double down" casing on the back tire (Minion DHR 2) at 28 psi, and an Assegai at 20/22 psi on the front. Found my sweet spot.

[@RicardoPetrazzi]

Been running Tubes for ever - but today I actually coincidentally bought tubeless sealant and injector to go Tubeless for the first time. One Advantage of using Tubes, is it is less faff when you change your tyres more frequently to suit different conditions.....anyways, what that old expression...."horses for courses..." 🤣

[@Britishdave09]

Same. Depending on trail conditions, I switch between 3 different tire sets on the same rims, so can't be arsed with messy tubeless. Also, ride near freezing at this time of year.

[@Davmm96]

Coming from the motorcylcing world, it just troubles me that you just don't have tubeless rims. If I need to swap tires (e.g. road to offroad), I just pop the tire off and switch it, pump some air and there you go! If I get a puncture, I just plug it without even removing the wheel from the bike. Just plain easier having tubeless than tube in my opinion.

[@michaelrowe5896]

@@Davmm96 this is not a motorcycle video..

[@simonm1447]

@@Davmm96 yeah tubeless tires are standard on most motor vehicles since decades, and the air tightness there is even better than with tube type tires which are sometimes still used in older agricultural vehicles. It should be possible to make a bicycle wheel in the same way tubeless without using sealant milk

[@mattferretti6634]

You did not discuss the use of foam inserts for both tubeless and tubed wheels!

[@StuClifton]

I have gone back to running tubes with sealant. Had too may issues with valve seating and tyre side walls. Went out riding a few times and had issues which cut a ride short. Have never had to cut a ride short with a tube. When issues happen, I have always been able to sort it out on tubes.

[@jamesshaver2304]

Just rode my bike 1700 miles from Seattle to San Diego on tubeless 700x32's with 50 psi up front and 55 psi in back. They were fast and smooth. Clocked over 45 mph a number of times on big, easy downhills. They cornered beautifully on hard, tight downhill turns. Had about 32 pounds of gear on a 24 pound bike. I weigh 185 pounds. There was a ridiculous amount of broken glass and other hazards on this trip. The only flat I got was a big gash in my back tire riding through four inches of water in the pouring rain. Never saw what I hit, but it destroyed the tire. So glad I went tubeless.

[@FriuliUdine94]

I'm a gravel cyclist not a mountain biker, one of the first things I did on my gravel bike was doing the tubeless conversion with rim tape, tubeless valve obviously and the sealant. Never had a puncture, at least never had one that didn't sealed by itself. Tubeless is great, just remember to carry a tubeless repair kit and a tube just in case.

[@davidkline4372]

Plusses and minuses with both. My newest bike - 4yrs old - I switched to tubeless. I miss being able to switch tires in a matter of minutes using tubes so I compromise with good all around tires instead. Maxxis Rekon up front and an Ardent Race in the back. No problems yet for the last year of this set up...

[@WristwatchAddiction]

Tubes for life baby! Just never liked running tubeless so I went back to tubes on all 8 of my bikes 🤷‍♂️

[@doncastillo2818]

Mine as well I went back to tubes

[@andrewince8824]

I run tubes with no issues. My mate learned the hard way what a pain in the arse sealant and threaded valve cores can be.

[@justinsandstad5399]

After 3 attempts finally got tubeless setup of rear of my Specialized Fuse Comp 29’r. Asymmetric shape to rim caused issues with getting the valve stem to seal with cone shaped rubber seal in Tubeless kit. The o ring seal on the valve stem nut would squash out the steep side of the rim. Muck off to the rescue with variety of shapes of seals for the valve stem, and far better stem nut. Local bike shop also advised to put layer of Gorilla Black tape on before Tubeless rim tape. Seemed to help with leaks coming from spokes... time to build rims with tubeless in mind so spokes don’t create escape paths.

[@wadeintonature2975]

I just went to tubeless this year and boy do i love it i am running 20psi on both and i have conquered some technical climbs that kicked me in the rear last season.

[@ClaudiuFabianMilea]

I ride tubeless for almost 3 years, just got a booster to be able to seat the tires myself at home... Works very well. Just got a puncture yesterday on a gnarly descent and mates were amazed of how fast I plugged the tire and was riding again in no time. I love tubeless...

[@Palios33]

What is a booster? Bought a brand new wheelset, tr tires and inserts but didn't got them into working order yet although i tried numerous times

[@ClaudiuFabianMilea]

@@Palios33 a buster is a canister that you fill with your floor pump to 8-10 bars of preasure and then discharge it into the tire via the tubeless valve with the valve core removed. This preasure will put the tire on the rim and then I put the core valve as fast as possible without loosing all the air and inflate the tire to the desired preasure.

[@ClaudiuFabianMilea]

@Google Account it was not working for me... Tried it a lot... Stubborn tire

[@ClaudiuFabianMilea]

@Google Account I don't go to bike parks, I do 30k+ rides and only once I had a puncture where I needed a spare tube... It may depend on rims and tire compatibility... I have my hardtail, my FS and my son bikes on tubeless and love them...

[@jarnold1789]

@Google Account You have it backwards. Tubeless is much more reliable and less likely to leave you stranded. In thousands of miles of riding without tubes I've never been stranded once. Only thing I've ever had to do on the trail is put a little bit of air back in my tire after a puncture seals. That's happened two or three times over, again, thousands of hard miles. Oh and that's on a hardtail too

[@sionjones1675]

I'm certain that we'll look back in a few years at Neil's glasses, and ponder "what on earth was he thinking?"

[@MTBChuckQC]

The very first thing I did when I bought my bike was removing the tubes. Glad to see I made the good choice!

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

I run tubeless. Started a bit over a year ago. (Knock on wood) I haven’t had a flat on the trail since. I’d get one every ride almost with tubes. The lack of pinch flats is game changing. It’s also lighter than running standard weight tubes, even with a healthy amount of sealant in there. People say it isn’t but I wonder what kind of expensive racing tubes they were buying? Not the ones I was using. Self-sealing are the weight of a tube PLUS the sealant. Still don’t seal every tine on pinch flats because of the shape.

[@joshuapace2793]

I have never had a big issue with tubes/flats. And if I I do its a clean quick fix. So for me I have been avoiding tubeless so far simply because its cheaper and less mess. If I start having major problems with constant flats etc then I will Consider trying tubeless

[@Dogboy73]

I’ve only had two serious punctures since running tubeless (about 5 or 6 years). One time I miss timed a bunny hop up a high curb (on my way to trail centre) and put two big gashes either side of the tyre. Also chinked my rim! Another time I lost pressure. Had no tube, no tubeless repair kit and couldn’t inflate enough to get me home. Had to walk (about 6k). Other than that tubeless has been a god send for me.

[@creekboi7]

I have some "thorn-proof" tubes on my jump bike, I trail it sometimes here in Colorado and thorns can be a real pain in the tube. So far so good.

[@SebDJ]

I swapped to tubeless a few months ago after getting 6 snakebites in one run down a hill in the peak district. Its been great since, its lighter and the only time I've had a punchure is when a tread block got ripped half off at a bike park, a rubber plug fixed it pretty quickly and it was less hassle than fixing a tube 👌

[@mattwebster5698]

Oh wow dude. I had no idea the Peak District was so Snakey.....

[@SebDJ]

@@mattwebster5698 it's a tad rocky to say the least 👍

[@MuvoTX]

Tubes for me, 26" WTB velociraptor front & rear. Some gravel, some oak / redwood forest single track. Lots of XC and climbing.

[@barakeylam]

Come on! I use tubes with a sealant for years. Never had to patch them. You didn't mentioned that option

[@neilparkinson1923]

Indeed , would also add that a lightweight tube and sealant is practically the same weight as a standard tube, so zero weight penalty.

[@johanvandyk6923]

Best option.

[@anthonywalters7434]

I did my first tubeless conversion on my new bike the day it came in. I had never done it before and they sealed first go. Didn’t even lose a drop. As long as you take your time with it the process is smooth

[@dr.science_0177]

But how does it feel while riding it? Does it feel lighter when pedaling it?

[@anthonywalters7434]

@@dr.science_0177 I can’t really speak for that since the wheel and tire setup on my current bike is much heavier than my old one. But for 29x2.5 Exo + casing tires and Stans Flow S1 ZTR rims it feels pretty light at speed. The total weight of the bike is sitting between 34 and 36 pounds compared to my previous bike’s 26 pounds.

[@bourgui503]

@@dr.science_0177 honestly, for "normal" rider like me and I imagine some of us, you don't really feel the difference while riding, except the fact you can run lower pressures. The only way I feel a difference is when it's super rough terrain and as a southern french rider I know what i'm saying ahahah

[@fortunateson2]

why not put the inner foam inside as well? Idk why that wasn't covered.

[@anthonywalters7434]

@@fortunateson2 tire inserts are a whole different animal. I don’t run them because I haven’t had an issue with my Exo + casings yet but two of my friends run them in the rear. Apparently they are a pain to install, make changing tires a pain, and add a bit of weight, but it also lets you run lower pressure, burp way less, and makes it so it’s much harder yo destroy a rim via impact.

[@lowpowermodelife]

Tubeless and tubed. Tubes are only on the 83’ Schwinn fixie conversion for around town. MTB and Gravel / Packing bikes are tubeless.

[@joshuadoss1955]

Dissector and Rekon. With tubes. And spare on frame.

[@Jamie6029]

I have been using Stan's race formula for years and never needed any fancy tools. I don't even realize how many punctures I have until I fit a new tire

[@lossantoscity3249]

my local trail is full of super thorny berries, those berries are extremely nasty they can even puncture dirt bike tires, i changed my tire lately i counted like 9 holes and i think theres more. Stans did its Job.

[@SergioGarcian_n]

Stans race is too much maintenance work for a lot of us, not the best option if you're short of time or have to maintain more than 1 bike.

[@isaks3243]

exactly a week ago did I move over from tubes to tubeless for the first time ever. I have been riding tubes for all my life and have prefered that the setup is so easy and I haven't been getting many flats anyways. my latest flat was when i got a stick into my wheel which happened to go in between the spokes where the valve is and break it off clean at the rim. I don't weigh much and I have a very smooth riding style which doesn't bring many punktures

[@tr4nnel752]

So how you like it now? Do you think going tubeless is worth the hassle and cost?

[@giacomoferrari8727]

I actually trying tubeless and tubes but after this video I think I will go tubes!!!

[@cody3281]

I want to see a comparison with Slime in the tubes to help with the puncture problem, that's how I run my tires and I go about 30 psi which is at the bottom for this setup basically, and I've never had a pinch flat either. In fact, I patch my tubes maybe twice a year at most like this, and I ride in the dry Colorado desert full of cactus and goatheads and other thorns.

[@Macca78]

Tubes with a tennus armour inserts had no problems in 2 years seems great at damping small bumps out aswell

[@mohammadmiruka4963]

I've seen nowadays that there's tubes that have sealant in them straight from factory. Should be handy for those punctures.

[@juhakuutti]

I had those in early nineties, Specialized branded, I think.

[@cheskybaba4864]

@@juhakuutti Slime makes them as well as others .

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Heavier and less reliable against pinch flats than other types of punctures. Easier fir sure, but there’s a trade there.

[@underbikedoverconfident1142]

My rear wheel currently has a tube with tubeless sealant in. It was supposed to be a short term solution because the tyre wall is so thin I didn't think it would last but its been great! The valve is starting seal up now but zero punctures all year!

[@joshuavacalarez]

Did you put sealant inside the tube?

[@underbikedoverconfident1142]

@@joshuavacalarez In a act of desperation yes! There is a specific sealant for inner tubes.

[@xptix5974]

i needed this, thank you

[@gmbn]

Glad to have helped 😃

[@markyp1965]

Been running tubeless for about 8 years now and wouldn’t go back to tubes. No punctures, lower tyre pressures, it’s a win win.

[@NoThanku00]

Great and informative video, thanks

[@Sketchupdave]

I run tubes on my commuter and put sealent into em because I got flats constantly, it helped

[@johnossendorf9979]

We called that bit of rubbish to keep the tube in your tire a "boot". We also used what ever paper money we had, from $1to $20 bills. I'v ridden home on cash money several times. My favorite thing about tubes is, you have the possibility of cleanly changing your tires in minutes.

[@CoffeeMonster12]

Gosh I so want a Canyon Spectral. Fits my needs perfectly, looks super cool and has great components for my riding

[@experiencewithmartin972]

@@MrTikdo why are you teasing him now ? He wants the bike badly and you really had to tell the world you are getting your bike now ? What`s wrong with you people ?!

[@cornishcactus]

Never had a puncture end a ride for me on tubes or even have to change a tube mid ride, small thorns just make it flat next time you look in the shed. Even had a huge thorn and stick in the tyre once and did another 15 miles with it in there, no air loss. Any tyre damage I can just throw a crisp packet in there to stop the tube bulging and carry on, sew it up at home and I'm good to go, no binned tyre. However at least two group rides have been halted while tubeless riders sort their punctures with hilariously messy results and less and less sealant left to fix it.

[@Grisseman82]

Not had one single puncture in 2 years running my bike tubeless. Gamechanger for me.

[@joshuadoss1955]

Sweet vid music choices were on point

[@MTBMOR]

My son went through 6 tubes this summer...what a mess! Now he is tubeless. I have had 2 flats in 1000s of miles including many park days. I don't often push...but tubeless IS the way to go...

[@niteryder50]

I went through 4 tubes in two days on same track once, never had flat on that track with tubeless

[@pawel6126]

Run 30 years on tubes, few times in a week, mostly woods , during this time get maybe 4-5 flats what is nothing. But...... but at my current bike Roscoe 8 have 2.8 Rekon tires , originally they were with tubes. Decided to switch on tubeless as wheels where just to heavy , only just tube was over 420gr or something like that. Additionally noted that tubeless tire work totally different then with tubes so will not go back to them (although I really hate this silicone sealant gluing to everything)😁

[@dcmedia66]

Tubes + Tannus Tyre Armour inserts = best of both worlds. All the puncture resistance of tubeless without the faff and mess, and burping issues.

[@Fedreal_Bureau_Of_Investigaton]

i need to investigate

[@JimmothyGibbons]

heavy though if thats the kind of thing you worry about

[@tobycolin6271]

I run a tube with sealent in it keeps the tube supple to prevent pinch punctures and there’s no mess haven’t had a puncture that’s stopped me riding for 3 years. Had loads of problems with burping and tubeless tyre sidewall damage so ended up running the same pressures tubeless. If your 100kg there’s little to know advantage running tubeless as tge tyre sidewalls aren’t stiff enough to run the tyre pressures that give you a traction advantage

[@Jeep4X]

That's what I do! I was hoping I'd see someone else doing it. No fuss, no mess. Best of both worlds IMHO.

[@tobycolin6271]

@@Jeep4X I also pop sealent in my tt tubs for the small weight gain I can relax. Sealant technology has been our get home on tubs for ages we used to use pit stop but it’s not as reliable as modern sealent. A cut/slash tyre tub, clincher or tubeless is the end of the tyre whether you run sealent or not.

[@StefanJovanovski]

Two years ago I moved to tubeless and never had a puncture. I won't even look at a tube anymore. Just once I had to put a little bit sealant in the front tire and that's it. It's a no brainer.

[@noahb676rfnn9]

Tubeless for the win! Currently running it on my Commencal Meta hardtail.

[@jarnold1789]

Same! Absolutely love my Meta HT

[@experiencewithmartin972]

same here with my meta ht 2021, wouldn`t risk having the tire get off the rim

[@edtorres6463]

I run my bike with tubes and with the Tennis Armor tyre inserts. The trails in Arizona are very rough and I have seen more flats on tubeless tyres here. Also, the alleged weight difference isn't noticeable. My tire with insert and tube is about 100 grams heavier than a beefy tubeless tyre with sealant. If I ever get a flat then I will continue my ride with the protection of the tyre insert.

[@ryansmith7974]

I tried a tubeless front tire setup before the tire and tube systems were fool proof. Then on the test ride I hit a cheese wedge ramp, in mid the air I turned 2 much trying correct my landing trajectory. When I touched down the tire quickly blew off the rim. Now I make dam sure that bead is firmly seated.

[@miguelsaez340]

I can't believe you were in El Pardo, in Madrid! Am I right? That's my place to go when i want to ride my mtb 100% of the time

[@frontierfishingwithryanmac1981]

Tubeless is the way to go and they're also very easy to set up - as long as you know what you're doing!!

[@captjerski4165]

during the 90s I put a "car" sealant in my inner tubes the sealant was so sticky that when my John Tomac tires are worn off the tube sticks to the inners of the tire with lots of sealed holes.

[@keirfarnum6811]

That’s actually kinda smart. I don’t think I would have done it just because of the weight and I was trying to win races; but for people who are just riding it makes sense. I wonder if that’s what inspired the sealants they use now?

[@kaedeschulz5422]

@@keirfarnum6811 Probably yes and because things may not stay aired up as long without it.

[@pips2057]

I find tubeless to be less agressive, not allowing you to really smash the wheels into certain terrain due to less rubber. Tubless also has to be on a lower psi which is a risk for folding a tyre and slipping out.

[@hannes6114]

You can still run high enough pressures i think and snakebites are very common if you smash your wheels

[@davegravitt210]

I'm running Slime's inner tube. Works awesome! Going tubeless isnt worth the 1 pound less mess!!! I carry a lite tube.

[@MarkPalacios23]

I put sealants on my tubes. Doing refills after a month or 2, haven't had flat tires for more than a year now. Only thing is I'm feeling a bit of a deposit from the refills since i haven't replaced my tubes since last year. Might need to replace it by the time it's full solid. 😂

[@kenleach2516]

I was old school tubes, had multiple flats (lost count)on back to back rides, thorns in Autumn...trying tubeless for ever, maybe!?

[@mattd5136]

Blake, you should try putting a squirt of sealant inside the tube. Thorns will not be a problem any more!

[@christopher.knight]

I've been using self sealing tubes for years now, they don't seem to get much attention in videos like this. I wonder how they fit in with these comparisons

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

They're hard to find, but I've made my own. I find them useful for downhill where I don't care about the weight, but for pedaling, I prefer tubeless.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Weigh more, still susceptible to the weird shape of pinch flats. They sometimes won’t seal those rectangular holes the same way they will a thorn or something thin and roundish.

[@iffy_too4289]

Only if sponsorship obligations allow

[@samuelmurphy6863]

I've been running them for ages but can't find my size anymore 😕

[@simonm1447]

Have you ever used something like car tire fit in a bicycle tube? It's the same principle, but could be used with any tube.

[@cannondale1950]

I've run tubeless on my cyclocross, gravel and MTB bikes for years, back to the time when there were no specific tubeless tires or wheels. You just gorilla taped your normal wheel and used normal tires. I had exactly one irreparable burp during a CX race and I've never had a burp or flat on my gravel or MTB. I do slowly lose air in storage, mainly through the valves, I think. I do carry tubes but I've never used them. Someone gave me a set of tubeless road wheels for my gravel bike. I really love the way they roll, but I have to admit I'm nervous about running high pressure tubeless road tires as they'd lose air quickly if punctured. With these tires you can't use tubes, so when the tires wear out I'm going back to tubes for the road wheels. On my straight road bikes it's tubes all the way. So that's my longitudinal N=1 study.

[@WildMidwest1]

Regarding slow leaks from tubeless tires… check the sidewalls. I have that with my Kenda trail tires and the sidewalls have myriad tiny leaks where the sidewall rubber meets the tread. It’s only something I can observe when the tire is submerged in a rectangular bucket, not with suds on a rag. Sealant doesn’t totally stop the leaks despite sloshing sealant around with the wheel left horizontal on the floor for days. I hypothesize this is because my Cushcore XC rubs the sealant away there when I ride.

[@notchipotle]

I'm running tube with 38psi (2.10) on the back and 33psi on the front (2.25), the track is mostly hardpack

[@cmitch2112]

tubes. one problem you missed with tubeless is that people tend to let the sealant dry out and don't find out until it won't seal on trail. i've seen happen a few times on the trail.

[@jonathansharp169]

Can u do a review on Tannus inserts pls? I'm using them with tubes and love them!!

[@davidkline4372]

Blake is so subdued in this I almost didn't recognize him!

[@hanslidlwagen4115]

Wait that was Blake? Edit: Oh it's him, I was playing in 240p since I'm in a place where the internet is extremely slow

[@kanibob1160]

i have a really basic bike it is a completely stock rockrider ST100, it come with tubes and I use that.

[@tcrwild8422]

Just gettin into tubeless last year or so have changed 3 bikes over to tubeless now.. Only issue i find is valves gummin up a bit. But once you learn how this all works an the maintenance invomved in checkin sealant grade an levels over time i ride daily an chk every other month. Pop the bead an have a look add if needed etc.. Havent found any nad yet well worth it to me love the roll vs tubes

[@Pesmog]

Valves gumming up is a good point and it is something that you need to be aware of when running tubeless with sealant

[@masterofnone1481]

Switched to tubeless after 3 flats in one weekend at Big Bear

[@harrydestcroix5516]

I was tubeless but its just a faff so I am now tubeless on the front and then tubed on the rear

[@Justin-td4bb]

You can carry a spare inner tube if you're running tubeless. In the very rare eventuality that you need it🙂 Just push the tubeless valve out of the rim.

[@kisilvan]

tubless front and trying tube rear with tannus armour insert.

[@stujm8376]

I run both, that’s just because my bikes came with them already and I don’t see the point in changing until my tyres need to be changed. Though I am a fan of both

[@hardtailguy86]

Heavy casing tyres and tubes with puncture repair fluid in them👌👌👌

[@roamingwolfpack]

I'm currently running tubes on the factory rims, as they can be set up tubeless, but not going to waste the premium tires the bike came with!

[@jarnold1789]

How would changing to tubeless waste your tires?

[@recuperacion420]

​@@jarnold1789getting all glued latexed inside

[@davidwoodley3288]

Tubeless with Cushcore....only burps on my bike are from the rider.... plus I find Extra support at lower pressures so i can really get aggressive in the corners.

[@fra93ilgrande]

Went tubeless way back in 2019, never switched back to tubes since (for XC)

[@craigo6361]

Do you guys use green stuff tubes the self sealing tube if so whats your thoughts of them. I find them really good 👍

[@Pesmog]

I use them on my narrow tyre 700c hybrid and maybe get one puncture every three years where it fails to stop deflation on a ride. 90% of the time sealant in tubes works fine. I find though that they just tend to delay the puncture so that you discover it at home and not out on your ride which in a way is much more convenient. Full Tubeless though is one level up from sealant in the tubes in terms of puncture resistance.

[@faiyaadyusufthompson5219]

Well I actually run tubes on my bike, but also the tubes are filled with sealant, like u said hear in Spain u always got the problem of prickles & thorns.

[@dannysprogis8446]

is it possible to put tubeless sealant inside a tube and give it some better resilience to small punctures?

[@demoanddestroy]

Tubeless is the best thing to happen to mountain biking. It’s lighter and more reliable. After years of changing tubes and a few walks home or to my car. Tubeless is the way to go

[@Factsandlogicthinking]

I use tubes (with sealant in the tube) no faffing prefilled off the shelf.

[@theydisintegrate]

In the desert all the spikey things hate tubes... Got tired of constant slow leaks and new tubes every month.. went tubeless and haven't had a problem in 5 years. Yes it's a PIA at first, but you get good and then you're happy

[@johndaltroff2241]

Had both types, use to get flats all the time with tubes, never got a flat with tubeless.

[@2scoops624]

Tubeless performance is better in every way. More grip, less rolling resistance, more comfortable, puncture sealing, easier to patch when it won't seal, but it does take special skills and tools (compressor), it's messy and you need to add more sealant every 3 to 6 months. Tubes are great if you like to switch tires frequently. It certainly depends on what kind of riding you do. Roadies have less of a reason to go tubeless.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

Also if you are heavy - 216lbs then tubes are better, also if you ride not that ferquently - you need to roll the tyre from time to time ... and the list goes on and on.

[@christianpeters6579]

I go back and forth. It’s too much of a hassle to clean and retape right away, by the time a new tube busts the rim is dry and good to go for a new tubeless set up.

[@jarnold1789]

You don't need to retape your rim every time you swap tires

[@two2pedal289]

Been tubeless for over 15 years on every bike in our stable, and many years on non-tubeless rims and tires. Zero flats and 1 mystery torn sidewall. Why drag around the weight and sluggishness of tubes? Cheaper, have you priced a good 29er tube lately?

[@asanseil5553]

I run tubes and Tannus Armour inserts on my full sus and just tubes on my ht.

[@torreyintahoe]

I've had my Hightower four years and finally got a flat. Didn't even know it was tubeless. I put a tube in it cuz I don't feel like screwing with the tubeless setup.

[@ubansensei]

Hi Blake.. I run on tubes.... can't afford tubeless... practical here... Thanks..

[@megatherion4406]

You can use sealant in the inner tubes too

[@xxwookey]

I like tubeless (so much lighter wheels), but I could never get the tyres to seal so once it came off I had to go back to tubes just to get a working bike. This was a 2004 bike so I reckon maybe I could try again with newer tyres and it might be easier.

[@PetterIvarsson]

Try split-tube

[@drewlogan4341]

I've never had a puncture that sealant would fill, I've also never had a snake bite over the decade I've been riding. I guess I never really needed to be concerned with punctures and I sit at about 19-26 psi depending on where I'm riding. I use just enough to not ping my rim.

[@caldoyle1572]

I ride in Arizona. Everything has thorns. With tubes I came home with flats almost every time. Sometimes 3-4 punctures. Worse--flats out on the trail. Tubeless is the only way to go.

[@dark23junior]

i use DH tubes with sealant and downhill casing tires and i dont know what is to have a flat for almost 10y. Does it weigh more? yes it weighs but I'm always rested no matter what terrain I'm riding on

[@johnmausteller]

Just got 17 punctures at once between front and rear tires. Time for tubeless

[@nervozzzza]

Or something completely different : Tannus armor & tubolito.

[@marksampson5522]

Tubolito is terrible, valves are flimsy as fuck. Used tannus for a year on the rear and going strong, had a big slash on the tyre and kept going thanks to tannus...

[@Munikatoch]

Can we use tubeless tyre with any bicycle or do we need some special one? Also how to know if a rim is tubeless ready or not?