I rode a bike with clinchers for about 7 years and only ever had one puncture. Recently bought a new bike with tubeless-ready rims & tubeless tyres, but I'm thinking of switching back to clinchers because I don't like the idea of having to replace the sealant every 6 months...
Nice video: clear, unfussy, informative. Pretty much sums up why Alex is one of my favorite presenters on GCN. I vastly prefer clinchers with tubes. I tried tubeless and didn't like them. It's partly that I like slightly higher pressures, partly that tubeless performance isn't actually noticeably better (they're really not even that much more puncture-proof), and partly that they're unreasonably difficult to get onto wheels, but mostly it's the sealant; that stuff is sticky and disgusting.
Hahaha not when you get a flat and have to put a tube in again. Since going tubeless last year in July I haven’t had to put a tube in. I’ve had punctures but none that haven’t sealed.
I have puncture protection tyres on my mountain bike and cycled over broken glass with issue, road bike I prefer tubular though go tubeless if not need sealant as hate keep top up, had a puncture on tubular once but where I was went like 43mph or 63mph down a hill to finish about a mile away on the ride
The visual illustration of the different types of tyres made it a clear as possible! It looks easy, but I know it takes loads of time and effort and perfection, thanks for the very informative video. I am about to try for the 1st time in my life the tubeless setting on a road bike, hope I can feel the difference!
Clinchers for me but it makes a big difference which tyres/tubes you use. My current road bike I’ve done over 8000 miles on and only had two punctures, both caused by huge potholes. I have decent tyres on this bike. Whereas on my older road bike I used cheaper tyres and used to get punctures all the time. If you invest in the right tyres you shouldn’t have any problems using clinchers!
I bought a cheap chinese bike. The tires that came with it popped from punctures every time I road, I just thought that was how it was with road bikes. I was a complete newb. I started looking into it and realized I was just a fool. I bought some better tires on amazon and have never had a puncture since, it is crazy how big a difference it is. I am not a racer, I ride on regular roads, so knowing I can just go out and exercise without wasting time and money is way nicer than going really fast.
My punctures are either because of the piece of glass or because of bumps. I had about ten in the last half a year and couldn't imagine how changing tires can help.
@@PavelSavyhin I live in Arizona with thorns, glass and other sharp things literally everywhere on the side of roads. I bought puncture resistant tires that have layers of puncture resistant materials. I am not sure what it is and it makes the tire weigh more and is thicker, but I went from literally daily flats with large thorns sticking out or glass, to not a single one since
Small detail you missed. Tyres started off on wooden rims, as you said, but they weren't there to give you grip. Their main job was to tie the wheel together, hence "tyres", and to be durable.
@@brian3937 yes, there does seem to be two schools of thought about that. Although in a wooden wheel the tyre does literally tie it together, without the tyre the rim would be separate pieces of wood.
I think clincher tires comprise tube-type tires as well as tubeless tires. Tubeless then breaks down into hooked and hookless rims. When mentioning tire sizing conventions, it would have been good to note that MTB 29ers are the same as 700c (ISO 622), 650b (584) are also called 27.5, and that 26" tires (559) were the standard MTB tire size prior to 27.5 and 29ers.
There was at time even a tubular tire with no separate tube in the inner - Wilber Liberty (Bernard Thevenet and his team have used it when Thevenet has won TdF other tubular tires had a tube that was inside the sued tire
BTW, for those wondering. PSI = Pounds per square inch. BAR = Barometric pressure or the pressure the atmosphere puts on us. And to make it confusing, the metric unit actually is Pascals :D
@@spinnetti Indeed they are different, I think some people think "close enough" for non-critical applications 🙂 Lol, for cyclocross it might just be critical enough
Thanks Alex! That seems to be most everything I need to know. Now in order to sink it deep enough to stick. I will have to watch several times. Being a dumb slow cyclist sometimes requires a different type of perseverance. At least for some of us...
Even if I didn’t really learn anything new (nerd alert), I really liked this video. Well told, great illustrations, and really makes it clear. Well done
After a lot of experimentation, I use a tubeless 30 mm tyre with an insert for long distance road riding (2 to 9 hours at a time). I came up with this because it gives me more comfort for long distance rides and has not ever needed me to repair a puncture while on the road, and it provides the most safety against a catastrophic failure. Every few months I have to top off fluid or change it out. In case of a catastrophic tear in the tire. the insert will keep the tire on the wheel (and keep me upright instead of sprawled in the middle of the road picking gravel out of my wounds) and allow me to ride on the flat tire for some time, although this has not happened in 1000 miles of riding since I switched to tubleless. I have seen the white juice leaking out of tiny holes in my tires while on the road, which would have meant stopping to repair or replace a tube in my previous setup. On a 200 km ride I don't want to have to do that because I could run out of daylight if I were to have to stop to repair. Also, the weight of the spares tubes and repair kit can be felt after about 100 km or so. I am 70 years old so weight and the amount of time I am on the road matter quite a bit. I am using a light weight tire to compensate for the slight increase in weight from the insert and the fluid, which is still less than the weight of inner tubes and a repair kit. The only down side is that the tubeless tire is quite difficult to get on an off my wheel, especially with the foam insert. I get around this problem by compressing the foam from the sides with wood working clamps, as the special tools for this job don't always work well, especially since the fluid can cause the bead to stick fast to the wheel. I won't go back to tires with tubes because I used the "call the wife to come pick me up" card too many times.
Tubeless is the future! 🙌Great to hear that you've had a positive experience and that you've fully adopted it! Would you like to see more content around tubeless inserts? 👀
Wandering Dublin on a visit several years ago I stumbled across a garage with a plaque stating it was the place of Dunlop’s workshop where he created the pneumatic tire. Was quite excited.
@askgcntech thank you for the great started vid on tires, and the animation was tops. Also thanks, to Alan, or Chris, Greg, Steve.... 😂 Thank you, Alex. You're a great sport! I'm constantly reminded apparently I should have been named Greg, instead of Glenn😅 Lots of thanks to everyone @GCN!
Thanks for explaining it all so 'wheel' (pun intended). For about 30 secs I wasnt confused but now am back to my normal state of tyre/wheel discombobulation.
Oh Thank You - really helpful to demystify what was (for me) a totally complex topic! This really helps - and as others have said the graphics were excellent and really helpful. Cheers! I'm on tubeless!
What a useful and informative video! So useful and can’t wait to use this information at a dinner party soon 😂 thanks for the help and amazing graphics!!
Even though they are practically obsolete now, it would have been nice to mention something about silk tubulars, especially considering the impact the old Clement Seta Extra had in the cycling world at the time
Very good Information. I use 25 mm tires on my bike. Using dunlop tires I found very versatile to my needs, that is on trainer in winter and summer racing. I'm not a pro and only want satisfactory performance the the money I put out. Cheers
Haven't tried tubeless yet for road. Don't like the idea of spraying sealant all over me/my nice bike, and though I'm sure it's better now, too many stories over the years about it not being as helpful for narrower, high-pressure tires. Made the switch over a year ago on my commuter/gravel bike and I love it. Less flats to/from work and more comfortable on the crappy roads I have to ride on. That bike has fenders pretty much year round as well so no worry about sealant spray when there is a puncture 🙂
Hi Alex, great video and well presented👍. However, I must take issue with your assertion that the pneumatic tyre was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1887/8 as it was originally patented by a Scot, Robert William Thomson from Stonehaven, in 1846. Dunlop did commercialise the pneumatic tyre though and it became the global brand we have today.
I’ve used tubulars in the 80’s until the 90’s. Now I use withe tubes and found out at 28 with tires are more confortable for my road bike and 60 psi runs great.
Clinchers for me, tubeless are ok when set up properly but problematic, and messy, when you have a puncture too large for the sealant to seal. I've been using 28's and 30's lately. Tried to get some more at the local bike shop today and they only had 25's - heaps of them. The mechanic said no one was buying the 25's and the 28's and 30's sold out.
Great video, just that i dont understand which tire fits my bontrager aeolus xxx6 wheels. Trek website says nothing.. So i am still very confused unfortunately 😂 tough topic
Great video, a deep dive for sure, but I think we hit a shallow bottom. What about 27.5 and 29in wheels? And the notorious 650 wheels from the 90's Tri bikes. I have to add my tried and true tubular/clincher from Tufo. At this time I run more tubular wheels than clincher.
Got a new bike with tubeless rims and am thinking about going tubeless next uear after the snow thaws out. Meanwhile, the semi-slick tires i have on there will do light singletrack just fine.
I'm a performance rider, and I bit the bullet on a set of Tannus tires a couple years ago. They rode rough, and I was losing efficiency, I was 7% slower, or needed 7% more watts, which is a lot. I didn't care, it was on a training set of wheels and other than my ego being damaged, I didn't really care. I carried nothing with me other than a very small multi tool. No pump, nothing. And, I didn't ever think about hitting crap in the road. It was really enlightening. But, the performance irked me, and the rough ride. If we get there, sold, take my money.
Thanks Alex. Is the sealant in tubeless for the rims, puncture protection or is it the spoke holes? Do we need special rim tape for tubeless? Re your question, 4:05 you talk about width, I didn't get the clue. As for winter tyres, the critical measure is the transition temperature for the rubber, ie the temperature below which it is solid and not flexible. Foe car tyres I have found Pirrelli far too "summer" for a UK winter and maybe why so many cars end up in the ditch. More geekie stuff please Alex (or are you really Bob in disguise?).
@@sbccbc7471 I am not convinced. If it was purely for punctures then it wouldn't be necessary (unless tubeless are really fragile) and we wouldn't see absolutely everyone (on youtube anyway) putting sealant in their tubeless.
Hi Emma, the sealant is for the puncture protection, as you get a puncture the sealant should clog that hole and keep the air from escaping 🙌 Skip to 04:00 and the clue is there for you? All the pieces will click together and you'll get it 👀
Tubeless is only hard to maintain when you don't know how. It was hard for me at first but it was because I was using giant gavia ac1 tires which is so hard to seat. After going to gp5000s, everything was easy. You just need to check the sealant level every 6 months.
Calling the tyres / rims 622mm (or whichever other size it happens to be) is objectively the best way to do it. It always corresponds to the actual measurement and is the easiest way to see what is compatible. But it can't be that hard to get people to use the proven superior system of measurements. People will quickly adapt the most logical and easy to understand system any second now.
Alex, great video. I was wondering if you could settle a debate I have been having with a fellow rider. On some tires, the manufacturer will stamp/emboss a rotation arrow into the sidewall. I argue that it is critical that you mount the tire based on this. My friend says otherwise. Also, I have seen some tires that do not have a rotation arrow stamped in. I assume these are symmetric.
Hi John. Yes, directional tyres must be faced in the correct direction, otherwise you won't be getting the benefits of its construction in regards to grip and rolling resistance. Tyres without directions however are usually cheaper and it won't matter which way you put them on.
Wouldn't mounting a tyre that has a directional arrow backwards basically be a major loss of speed? The rolling resistance on that must be huge, given that the tread pattern is intended to give the best forward momentum going in one direction! That would be so counter-intuitive LOL
Hey John, thanks for your comment. The rotating direction will help the tyre work at its best and its how its intended to be used, however i must say i have never been able to notice a difference on the occasion i have managed to get it wrong. The majority of performance comes from the rubber compound and the pressure.
I can remember when the first racing clincher came out. It was a Specialized Turbo, and was advertised as a 700x25 ultralite tire, to compete with tubulars. The tire was very light BECAUSE it was only 20mm wide. (they lied).....At the time, they were about the same width as the Victoria CX, and the Continental Comp 22 tubulars.
In case you're thinking Dunlop was a certified mechanical engineer, he was a practicing vet! Imagine he tried embalming fluid as sealant before settling for air!
It occurs to me, that given the rims for "tubs" are a lot lighter than clinchers, why not combine the best of all the designs? Do a sealed tire with no tube on a tubular type rim and a bit of sealant (glue on I presume).. would have all the advantages of sewups, but even lighter. I guess that's what hookless attempts to achieve which has the benefit of no glue and lighter than clinchers but easier to repair than sewups. hmm. I think I just talked myself into hookless lol. I also learned from this that 1 bar does not equal 1 ATM bafflingly. 1 bar is 14.5psi whereas 1ATM (seal level at standard temperature) is 14.7psi.
Thanks Alex another great video I’m running 28mm winter tubeless all year round for added puncture protection , PS Lego is the company that produces the most tyres 👍
1:10 Wait. Didn’t you [GCN Tech] say in an earlier video that solid (steel/metal) tyres/wheels have lower rolling resistance than pneumatic rubber ones?
clinchers. Thinking of others on the club ride. Don't like getting sprayed with gunk, so don't want to do the same to others. Plus replacing a tubeless tyre is messy.
@@onehourmusicbc Good point, One Hour. Totally depressing when get a puncture on the road with tubeless and lose enough air before it seals such that you must add air to continue. But you can't because the valve had become totally clogged and useless with crusty sealant. Time to pray 🙏 you are riding with someone who brought an extra valve.
The aircraft cargo hold is not directly heated, but it's not freezing there since it's part of the pressurized fuselage. Animals are transported there too.
Yes, it's using the 622 mm rim like 700 of 28 inch. The 29 refers to the outer tire diameter, which is bigger if the tire is wider. 27,5 inch mountainbikes are using the long existing 584 mm rim (also known as 650B) and 26 inch MTBs use 559 mm rims
I know there are loads of videos out there but my issue with any tyre is that it is so damn hard to slip the final 5cm of bead onto the wheel without using some tool to help me. Probably lesser problem un tubeless where you could use a tyre lever without risking pinching your inner tube. Also unhooking the tyre is always an issue. A video just specifically for these 2 issues, especially for roadsides maintenance would be helpful. Cheers!
It's not clear to me though if switching between clinchers, tubulars or tubeless is also going to change the actual performance of the bike. Do one type go a little bit faster than the other?
Most pro teams have switched from tubular to tubeless in the past two seasons as they feel there is a slight performance advantage - tubeless tyres are reckoned to be slightly faster, and being able to be inflated to lower pressures, more comfortable. However, the big advantage of tubs was the ability to continue riding on a wheel after a flat. The tub would remain stuck to the rim and would allow the rider to keep riding, albeit slowly, until the team car could get to them. With tubeless, that isn’t really an option.
@@johnwestwell2241 False, most pro team force to use tubeless because of sponsors not because of performance. Tubular is still the best performance tires. Tubeless tires are heavy AF. If by choice, GC rider will rather ride on tubular than tubeless.
Do you prefer clinchers, tubulars or tubeless? 👇
Clinchers, I like simple old school things, that just work. And don't require a special degree to keep working
I rode a bike with clinchers for about 7 years and only ever had one puncture. Recently bought a new bike with tubeless-ready rims & tubeless tyres, but I'm thinking of switching back to clinchers because I don't like the idea of having to replace the sealant every 6 months...
@@ciaoneef you're gonna wait the 6 months before switching, right?
Tubeless, only because I love the horror stories people tell me about tubeless tyres.
Clincher, for reasons already pointed out in the comments. 😊
The graphics in this video was simply amazing! Clear, easy to understand
Thanks! Our team will be happy to hear that.
Yes, I was just going to write the exact same thing, A+++ for graphics, extremely helpful given the complexity of this topic. Bravo team!
@@TommiHimberg And then I was going to reply this to @June Y. 🙂, very illustrative indeed!
The animations in this video are superb! They make everything so much clearer
The team worked hard for this one 🙌Great to know that you loved the video!
A curated video worth at least a $100 for free here on TH-cam. I really appreciate you guys for putting this up. Thanks so much!
Nice video: clear, unfussy, informative. Pretty much sums up why Alex is one of my favorite presenters on GCN.
I vastly prefer clinchers with tubes. I tried tubeless and didn't like them. It's partly that I like slightly higher pressures, partly that tubeless performance isn't actually noticeably better (they're really not even that much more puncture-proof), and partly that they're unreasonably difficult to get onto wheels, but mostly it's the sealant; that stuff is sticky and disgusting.
Great video, thought I knew it all.
Lego produce the most tyre by number, they are a lot smaller though
Yes, that should be correct
Yup, defo lego.
Yes, I agree. The question was "naff". Why "naff"? Ans: no relevance to topic, being "bicycle tires". Pick up your game Bob!
Now that is a great fact 🙌
Yep
I used to take my road bike out for a puncture repair session. Since switching tyres to Schwalbe Marathon Pro’s I’ve been going out for cycle rides.
I’ll just stick to clinchers. Hassle free for me.
Hahaha not when you get a flat and have to put a tube in again. Since going tubeless last year in July I haven’t had to put a tube in. I’ve had punctures but none that haven’t sealed.
@@jarrodfife242same here, sometimes I didn’t know I got puncture already and then not notice it while washing my bike
I have puncture protection tyres on my mountain bike and cycled over broken glass with issue, road bike I prefer tubular though go tubeless if not need sealant as hate keep top up, had a puncture on tubular once but where I was went like 43mph or 63mph down a hill to finish about a mile away on the ride
@@jarrodfife242but when you want to swap tire for another clinchers are less messier becouse of no sealant needed
Until you puncture and it's cold and there is no sidewalk and you have to repair in wet grass
Excellent straight forward explanation! Thank you!
No probs! Glad you found it useful.
Harry has been on 🔥 with his informational videos. Great vid!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Adam was quite good as well :)
Cheers, trying my best as always, From....(insert any name other than Alex)
The visual illustration of the different types of tyres made it a clear as possible! It looks easy, but I know it takes loads of time and effort and perfection, thanks for the very informative video. I am about to try for the 1st time in my life the tubeless setting on a road bike, hope I can feel the difference!
that was so informative! learned a lot. would love more of this type of informative/educational videos
Great video as always. The motion design job on this one is A+++++
We'll buy the graphics team a round! 🍻
It’s 6 AM and I’ve already shared this video in every group-chat.
This is another level! Clear, detailed and easy to follow.
Thanks Alex!
That's what we like to hear! Spreading the good word... 6AM! You must be tyre-ed ? 😉
thanks Marco, glad you enjoyed it
Tech team doing really good work on these deep dives!
Clinchers for me but it makes a big difference which tyres/tubes you use. My current road bike I’ve done over 8000 miles on and only had two punctures, both caused by huge potholes. I have decent tyres on this bike. Whereas on my older road bike I used cheaper tyres and used to get punctures all the time. If you invest in the right tyres you shouldn’t have any problems using clinchers!
I bought a cheap chinese bike. The tires that came with it popped from punctures every time I road, I just thought that was how it was with road bikes. I was a complete newb. I started looking into it and realized I was just a fool. I bought some better tires on amazon and have never had a puncture since, it is crazy how big a difference it is. I am not a racer, I ride on regular roads, so knowing I can just go out and exercise without wasting time and money is way nicer than going really fast.
@@gruanger you learned quickly and who would have thunk it, not a fool. ✌🏼
My punctures are either because of the piece of glass or because of bumps. I had about ten in the last half a year and couldn't imagine how changing tires can help.
@@PavelSavyhin I live in Arizona with thorns, glass and other sharp things literally everywhere on the side of roads. I bought puncture resistant tires that have layers of puncture resistant materials. I am not sure what it is and it makes the tire weigh more and is thicker, but I went from literally daily flats with large thorns sticking out or glass, to not a single one since
Tyre choice makes a huge difference 🙌 Do you ride purely on the road or are you mixing in some gravel?
I use premium quality clincher tyres and TPU inner tubes.
Haven't had a flat in over 4000km and am quite satisfied with the ease of use.
Small detail you missed. Tyres started off on wooden rims, as you said, but they weren't there to give you grip. Their main job was to tie the wheel together, hence "tyres", and to be durable.
Thanks for the fact!
Wow, thanks
the word tyre or tire appears to come from the word attire, in the sense that the wheel had been dressed in something to protect it.
@@brian3937 yes, there does seem to be two schools of thought about that. Although in a wooden wheel the tyre does literally tie it together, without the tyre the rim would be separate pieces of wood.
I think clincher tires comprise tube-type tires as well as tubeless tires. Tubeless then breaks down into hooked and hookless rims. When mentioning tire sizing conventions, it would have been good to note that MTB 29ers are the same as 700c (ISO 622), 650b (584) are also called 27.5, and that 26" tires (559) were the standard MTB tire size prior to 27.5 and 29ers.
That's GMBN's jurisdiction though :)
There was at time even a tubular tire with no separate tube in the inner - Wilber Liberty (Bernard Thevenet and his team have used it when Thevenet has won TdF other tubular tires had a tube that was inside the sued tire
It should be Wolber
Great content this week from Giuseppe.
Giuseppe always brings that nerdy heat 🔥
Well done gcn graphics!
I could not agree with you more.
Thanks very much!
Wow what a great presentation & info provided, thanks!!
Thanks a lot!
BTW, for those wondering.
PSI = Pounds per square inch.
BAR = Barometric pressure or the pressure the atmosphere puts on us.
And to make it confusing, the metric unit actually is Pascals :D
And Kg per mm2
Indeed, in some countries 1 BAR is called 1 Atmosphere
@@CanyonWanderer but they aren't the same thing. 1BAR being 14.5 PSI and 1ATM being 14.7 PSI
@@spinnetti Indeed they are different, I think some people think "close enough" for non-critical applications 🙂
Lol, for cyclocross it might just be critical enough
Thanks Alex! That seems to be most everything I need to know. Now in order to sink it deep enough to stick. I will have to watch several times. Being a dumb slow cyclist sometimes requires a different type of perseverance. At least for some of us...
Why not take some notes! Lots to unpick in this video 🤓
Even if I didn’t really learn anything new (nerd alert), I really liked this video. Well told, great illustrations, and really makes it clear. Well done
That is a great sign! You knew all the info but stayed for the video 🙌 We love it!!!
Thanks Tim, kind words
Beautiful animation
Super helpful and well done. Thanks
Thanks Matt. Glad you found it useful!
Always absolutely spectacular videos. Truly the Top Gear of the cycling world. Keep up the great videos!
I see that cheeky lego piece there Angus. Good bit of trivia for the ages!
After a lot of experimentation, I use a tubeless 30 mm tyre with an insert for long distance road riding (2 to 9 hours at a time). I came up with this because it gives me more comfort for long distance rides and has not ever needed me to repair a puncture while on the road, and it provides the most safety against a catastrophic failure. Every few months I have to top off fluid or change it out.
In case of a catastrophic tear in the tire. the insert will keep the tire on the wheel (and keep me upright instead of sprawled in the middle of the road picking gravel out of my wounds) and allow me to ride on the flat tire for some time, although this has not happened in 1000 miles of riding since I switched to tubleless. I have seen the white juice leaking out of tiny holes in my tires while on the road, which would have meant stopping to repair or replace a tube in my previous setup. On a 200 km ride I don't want to have to do that because I could run out of daylight if I were to have to stop to repair. Also, the weight of the spares tubes and repair kit can be felt after about 100 km or so. I am 70 years old so weight and the amount of time I am on the road matter quite a bit.
I am using a light weight tire to compensate for the slight increase in weight from the insert and the fluid, which is still less than the weight of inner tubes and a repair kit.
The only down side is that the tubeless tire is quite difficult to get on an off my wheel, especially with the foam insert. I get around this problem by compressing the foam from the sides with wood working clamps, as the special tools for this job don't always work well, especially since the fluid can cause the bead to stick fast to the wheel.
I won't go back to tires with tubes because I used the "call the wife to come pick me up" card too many times.
Tubeless is the future! 🙌Great to hear that you've had a positive experience and that you've fully adopted it! Would you like to see more content around tubeless inserts? 👀
Very good presentation never explained as well for me before !
BTW will stay with clinchers! Easy and I understand them reasonably well!
Wandering Dublin on a visit several years ago I stumbled across a garage with a plaque stating it was the place of Dunlop’s workshop where he created the pneumatic tire. Was quite excited.
That was an excellent video!
Thanks! Glad you liked it
@askgcntech thank you for the great started vid on tires, and the animation was tops.
Also thanks, to Alan, or Chris, Greg, Steve.... 😂 Thank you, Alex. You're a great sport! I'm constantly reminded apparently I should have been named Greg, instead of Glenn😅
Lots of thanks to everyone @GCN!
Dare I say best explanation ever! Thanks.
You're welcome!
Great informative video! Now I know what TPI means and it’s effects of the tire.
Now you know! When will you be whipping out those facts?
Thanks for explaining it all so 'wheel' (pun intended). For about 30 secs I wasnt confused but now am back to my normal state of tyre/wheel discombobulation.
Oh Thank You - really helpful to demystify what was (for me) a totally complex topic! This really helps - and as others have said the graphics were excellent and really helpful. Cheers!
I'm on tubeless!
Tubeless! We love to hear it! Alex is never going back 👉th-cam.com/video/dAOl1xf3yJE/w-d-xo.html
What a useful and informative video! So useful and can’t wait to use this information at a dinner party soon 😂 thanks for the help and amazing graphics!!
Now that sounds like our sort of dinner party!! 🤓
Even though they are practically obsolete now, it would have been nice to mention something about silk tubulars, especially considering the impact the old Clement Seta Extra had in the cycling world at the time
Cool video thanks for the infos.
Great vid - well done graphics dept! 👏🏼
Yes was pretty fancy!
Great Vid Dave, good to see you do some science without oly 😁
Best tyre info I have seen in a while 🚴 😁
Lego of course. Classic pub quiz question. 👌
Excellent video!!
Very good Information. I use 25 mm tires on my bike. Using dunlop tires I found very versatile to my needs, that is on trainer in winter and summer racing. I'm not a pro and only want satisfactory performance the the money I put out. Cheers
Best tech video ever. Gripping.
Excellent video
Haven't tried tubeless yet for road. Don't like the idea of spraying sealant all over me/my nice bike, and though I'm sure it's better now, too many stories over the years about it not being as helpful for narrower, high-pressure tires. Made the switch over a year ago on my commuter/gravel bike and I love it. Less flats to/from work and more comfortable on the crappy roads I have to ride on. That bike has fenders pretty much year round as well so no worry about sealant spray when there is a puncture 🙂
this was super useful, thanks for the video!
You're welcome!
Hi Alex, great video and well presented👍. However, I must take issue with your assertion that the pneumatic tyre was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1887/8 as it was originally patented by a Scot, Robert William Thomson from Stonehaven, in 1846. Dunlop did commercialise the pneumatic tyre though and it became the global brand we have today.
4:01 Lego is the company which makes the most tires per year. Over 318 million tires are produced by lego each year, that’s over 870k tires each day 😊
Bingo 🎉
I’m switching to Lego tire
I’ve used tubulars in the 80’s until the 90’s. Now I use withe tubes and found out at 28 with tires are more confortable for my road bike and 60 psi runs great.
Thank you , just thank you 😍
Cool vid.
Thank you.
Clinchers for me, tubeless are ok when set up properly but problematic, and messy, when you have a puncture too large for the sealant to seal. I've been using 28's and 30's lately. Tried to get some more at the local bike shop today and they only had 25's - heaps of them. The mechanic said no one was buying the 25's and the 28's and 30's sold out.
Thanks 🤙
Great video, just that i dont understand which tire fits my bontrager aeolus xxx6 wheels. Trek website says nothing.. So i am still very confused unfortunately 😂 tough topic
Great video, a deep dive for sure, but I think we hit a shallow bottom. What about 27.5 and 29in wheels? And the notorious 650 wheels from the 90's Tri bikes. I have to add my tried and true tubular/clincher from Tufo. At this time I run more tubular wheels than clincher.
Unbeatable information
Got a new bike with tubeless rims and am thinking about going tubeless next uear after the snow thaws out. Meanwhile, the semi-slick tires i have on there will do light singletrack just fine.
The Ultimate Bike Tyre Beginners' Guide by Alex Paton and GCN
Thanks a lot❤🎉
I'm a performance rider, and I bit the bullet on a set of Tannus tires a couple years ago. They rode rough, and I was losing efficiency, I was 7% slower, or needed 7% more watts, which is a lot. I didn't care, it was on a training set of wheels and other than my ego being damaged, I didn't really care. I carried nothing with me other than a very small multi tool. No pump, nothing. And, I didn't ever think about hitting crap in the road. It was really enlightening. But, the performance irked me, and the rough ride. If we get there, sold, take my money.
That's the dream right! If solid tyres were comfortable and fast they would be very popular 🙌
Thanks Alex. Is the sealant in tubeless for the rims, puncture protection or is it the spoke holes? Do we need special rim tape for tubeless?
Re your question, 4:05 you talk about width, I didn't get the clue.
As for winter tyres, the critical measure is the transition temperature for the rubber, ie the temperature below which it is solid and not flexible. Foe car tyres I have found Pirrelli far too "summer" for a UK winter and maybe why so many cars end up in the ditch.
More geekie stuff please Alex (or are you really Bob in disguise?).
The sealant is for punctures at the tire.
Look at the graphic @4:02, you will see a small LEGO piece fly by.
@@sbccbc7471 I am not convinced. If it was purely for punctures then it wouldn't be necessary (unless tubeless are really fragile) and we wouldn't see absolutely everyone (on youtube anyway) putting sealant in their tubeless.
Hi Emma, the sealant is for the puncture protection, as you get a puncture the sealant should clog that hole and keep the air from escaping 🙌 Skip to 04:00 and the clue is there for you? All the pieces will click together and you'll get it 👀
Tubeless is only hard to maintain when you don't know how. It was hard for me at first but it was because I was using giant gavia ac1 tires which is so hard to seat. After going to gp5000s, everything was easy. You just need to check the sealant level every 6 months.
Calling the tyres / rims 622mm (or whichever other size it happens to be) is objectively the best way to do it. It always corresponds to the actual measurement and is the easiest way to see what is compatible.
But it can't be that hard to get people to use the proven superior system of measurements. People will quickly adapt the most logical and easy to understand system any second now.
Hi what would you say is the best tyre tube combo for a average rider on a set of hunt clincher wheels?
Solid tire test please 🙏
Alex, great video. I was wondering if you could settle a debate I have been having with a fellow rider. On some tires, the manufacturer will stamp/emboss a rotation arrow into the sidewall. I argue that it is critical that you mount the tire based on this. My friend says otherwise. Also, I have seen some tires that do not have a rotation arrow stamped in. I assume these are symmetric.
Hi John. Yes, directional tyres must be faced in the correct direction, otherwise you won't be getting the benefits of its construction in regards to grip and rolling resistance. Tyres without directions however are usually cheaper and it won't matter which way you put them on.
Wouldn't mounting a tyre that has a directional arrow backwards basically be a major loss of speed? The rolling resistance on that must be huge, given that the tread pattern is intended to give the best forward momentum going in one direction! That would be so counter-intuitive LOL
Hey John, thanks for your comment. The rotating direction will help the tyre work at its best and its how its intended to be used, however i must say i have never been able to notice a difference on the occasion i have managed to get it wrong. The majority of performance comes from the rubber compound and the pressure.
Going to say Continental makes the most. Got them on my bikes and cars.
I can remember when the first racing clincher came out. It was a Specialized Turbo, and was advertised as a 700x25 ultralite tire, to compete with tubulars. The tire was very light BECAUSE it was only 20mm wide. (they lied).....At the time, they were about the same width as the Victoria CX, and the Continental Comp 22 tubulars.
Oh how times have changed!! 🙌
@@gcntech Yes, damnit. Things have changed, but not always for the better.
In case you're thinking Dunlop was a certified mechanical engineer, he was a practicing vet! Imagine he tried embalming fluid as sealant before settling for air!
Hi in my bicycle mentioned 700x38c-28x1 5/8x1 1/2 what's the meaning of that detail i want to go touring what's the tyre size should i use
Whoa we went alllllll the way back to when it started
It occurs to me, that given the rims for "tubs" are a lot lighter than clinchers, why not combine the best of all the designs? Do a sealed tire with no tube on a tubular type rim and a bit of sealant (glue on I presume).. would have all the advantages of sewups, but even lighter. I guess that's what hookless attempts to achieve which has the benefit of no glue and lighter than clinchers but easier to repair than sewups. hmm. I think I just talked myself into hookless lol. I also learned from this that 1 bar does not equal 1 ATM bafflingly. 1 bar is 14.5psi whereas 1ATM (seal level at standard temperature) is 14.7psi.
Is there a maximum ratio between internal rim width and maximum tire width?
All I can add is that when you Max out tyre pressure and you still get deflection because of the narrow rim, you've gone to far lol.
Off subject, but did Ollie ever get his sub 30 minute Sa Calobra Hill Climb? Thanks.
Should show this in schools
We think we would have listened more in school if that was the case!
Thanks Alex another great video I’m running 28mm winter tubeless all year round for added puncture protection , PS Lego is the company that produces the most tyres 👍
28mm and tubeless is the new 25mm ... just ask Ineos 👀
00:57
Dunlop valves, Best valves.
Graphics are next level
We've got a great team 🎉
1:10 Wait. Didn’t you [GCN Tech] say in an earlier video that solid (steel/metal) tyres/wheels have lower rolling resistance than pneumatic rubber ones?
My Trek FX4 shows TLR....is it worth it to convert to tubeless? Has anyone done that before?
Forgot presta valve vs standard
One thing you failed to mention is to fit the tyre/tire with the label centred nicely where the valve is. Or is that just me? 🙂
Especially if you are going for supernice in the bike vault.
clinchers. Thinking of others on the club ride. Don't like getting sprayed with gunk, so don't want to do the same to others. Plus replacing a tubeless tyre is messy.
Does the sealant in tubeless tyres freeze when it’s transported on a plane? Will this be a problem? @gcntech
It's probably not gonna freeze. But it can become solid if you keep it in the same position for weeks. It is especially a problem with the valve.
@@onehourmusicbc Good point, One Hour. Totally depressing when get a puncture on the road with tubeless and lose enough air before it seals such that you must add air to continue. But you can't because the valve had become totally clogged and useless with crusty sealant. Time to pray 🙏 you are riding with someone who brought an extra valve.
The aircraft cargo hold is not directly heated, but it's not freezing there since it's part of the pressurized fuselage. Animals are transported there too.
perfect
#askgcn how useful are tyre liners? Do they actually prevent punctures? On the downside do they increase the rolling resistance?
Lego produces most tyres annually 😊
Is "29er" the same thing as 700?
Yes, it's using the 622 mm rim like 700 of 28 inch. The 29 refers to the outer tire diameter, which is bigger if the tire is wider.
27,5 inch mountainbikes are using the long existing 584 mm rim (also known as 650B) and 26 inch MTBs use 559 mm rims
Fact: LEGO is the largest tyre manufacturer in the world! :D
I know there are loads of videos out there but my issue with any tyre is that it is so damn hard to slip the final 5cm of bead onto the wheel without using some tool to help me. Probably lesser problem un tubeless where you could use a tyre lever without risking pinching your inner tube.
Also unhooking the tyre is always an issue. A video just specifically for these 2 issues, especially for roadsides maintenance would be helpful. Cheers!
Alex wearing a Hoodie must be freezing 🥶
He is just such a cool guy 😎
That he is.
@@williamfry4982 had the AC cranked right down, sub zero, high risk of frost
if I am not mistaken its Lego that produces most tires per year
🎉 10 points to Filip!!!
Lego make the most rubber tyres I believe 👌
It's not clear to me though if switching between clinchers, tubulars or tubeless is also going to change the actual performance of the bike. Do one type go a little bit faster than the other?
Most pro teams have switched from tubular to tubeless in the past two seasons as they feel there is a slight performance advantage - tubeless tyres are reckoned to be slightly faster, and being able to be inflated to lower pressures, more comfortable.
However, the big advantage of tubs was the ability to continue riding on a wheel after a flat. The tub would remain stuck to the rim and would allow the rider to keep riding, albeit slowly, until the team car could get to them. With tubeless, that isn’t really an option.
@@johnwestwell2241 thanks so much!
@@johnwestwell2241 False, most pro team force to use tubeless because of sponsors not because of performance. Tubular is still the best performance tires. Tubeless tires are heavy AF. If by choice, GC rider will rather ride on tubular than tubeless.
I would say Continental. But I didnt see the tip you mentioned.
Take another look... it will all click into place 😉