How To Maintain Your Tubeless Tyres | GCN Tech Maintenance Monday
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Tubeless tyres bring with them loads of benefits for road cyclists, but maintaining them is not quite the same as it is for traditional clincher tyres. You’ve got sealant in your tyres, do you ever need to replace the sealant? If so, how often? How can you tell if it’s expired? What effect does a puncture have on the tyre and sealant? What’s the best process for replenishing?
If these are questions you’re asking, we’ve got the answers.
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Forgot to let the air out first... valve core currently somewhere in the upper stratosphere. 🙄
🤣🤣
I was debating going tubeless but this sounds like so much work.
Edit: I went tubeless last night!
How's it going? I'm debating going tubeless too!
@@piffiiiiiiit I’ve stayed tubeless since, and despite many punctures, I’ve only had one that did not seal. I’ve had many century rides saved by tubeless.
@@Darsithis thanks for the feedback 👍
😂 my exp exactly
Omg Ollie got through a entire video without mentioning his hour record once. That is a new record.
Pity it wasnt an hour long show 😂🤣
Soon, he will probably do a vid on his famous rides of the past, just so we don't forget :)
Clear, organized, concise, pertinent, thank you!
Switched to road tubeless two years ago. Love it! Never going back. A little more work than clinchers, but you don't need to do this maintenance all that often. It does depend a bit on the kinds of roads you ride, possibly, but I haven't had to change a tire for a flat out on the road in two years and I have not had a spray problem (these are for pretty big cuts). I still bring a tube with me in the saddle bag, just in case, a CO2 to pump that up, and some paper towels (tire lever of course, as the tubeless tires can be a little harder to get on). It's great! (for me)
I really do enjoy the improvement in ride quality with my tubeless setup but in all honesty, it just isn't worth the hassle for me. Not many great options for repairs in the field and fitting a tube to a tubeless setup can be a real challenge on the side of the road with sweaty hands and sealant flying everywhere. You certainly do get fewer flats but, you end up spending more time on the side of the road fixing the few that you do get. And the freakin' tires - the sizes are all over the place. Some fit quite easily but most don't play so nicely. It's just nice to swap a tube and be on your way in a few min vs. all the b.s involved with service and maintenance of a tubeless setup. I ride my clinchers way more often these days :)
The best advice I received to seal large holes in tub less tyres was to superglue a standard patch over the large hole on the outside of the tyre This patch will gradually wear away but will give the sealant time to do it’s job
Introducing sealant through valve stem is the only rational way. Way cleaner period.
As part of a thorough maintenance regime I completely remove the tyre from the wheel and drain the fluid. Clean and inspect the tyre then remount and reuse the sealant that was removed and top that up to the right amount. If you just keep adding sealant in you have no idea of how much is actually in there. I also prefer to put sealant in before completely fitting the tyre, if you are properly setup it is not messy. It also does not take much sealant to block the valve which is why I do not like putting sealant in through the valve stem because residual sealant can find its way into the valve when it is refitted after. Yes tubeless is higher maintenance but the decreased risk of getting a puncture on a ride I believe is worth the extra effort.
you just convinced me to stick to inner tubes ! and I recalled that in a previous video you stated that rolling resistance is something of a myth ......
"How do you know if it needs replacing?" I don't think I heard the answer to that one, other than removing the tire, at which point it all spills out and you definitely need to replace it.
I like to check every 3 months or so. I take out the valve core and go in with my sealant injector, pull out whatever I can, and check for color and amount. If it doesn't look new, I replace all of it. If there isn't enough, I add more.
most sealants need replacing after 3 months, especially in the summer. With some you may get away with 6 months.
Take the wheel off and shake it from side to side. If you hear sloshing, you're fine. If not, time to replenish. The zip tie as a dipstick also works. Just depends on whether removing your valve cores and reinflating, or removing your wheels and reinstalling, is less bothersome to you.
New to tubeless. If you are continuously topping it up do you eventually have to clean it out and start again? If so how often would that be? Thanks.
@@harrylook7810 Do use presta valves or the larger auto/schrader ones? For presta, which brand of injector/syringe do you use to suck it out to check? Mine either don't fit into the valve shaft or get stuck with the particles of the sealant. For filling through the valve, I keep the small bottles with the funnel tip. For roadside refills anyway. To check if it's dried up, I dip a zip tie into the tire (or the plastic pin orange sealant does provide).
1. Had my first tubeless blowout the other day and -- the comparison to Bishop getting gutted by the Queen alien is spot on. Thank you for rekindling that childhood nightmare image.
2. I highly doubt Froome is cleaning and seating his own tires these days.
3. Awesome and very helpful video as usual.
Tires with tubes can also self-repair with sealant inside the tube. I don't agree with running lower pressure. Tubeless tires can "pinch flat" where the casing sidewall splits open from the pressure of being squeezed between a rock and the rim. The setup is marginally lighter, maybe. You need to run more sealant than is recommended, and the sealant dries over time and must be topped off occasionally. The dried sealant inside a tire probably helps with sealing punctures, but it does add weight and potentially imbalances the wheel. A good tire with a latex tube or lightweight butyl tube is pretty good at rolling too. When a puncture is small and sealed by the sealant, tubeless is great. When the puncture is large and not sealed by the sealant and too large for a repair plug, be prepared to be on the side of the road for a long time sticking in a tube, assuming you brought a tube and proper tools to remove the tubeless core. And the mess, wow. Tubeless tires are good for racing on a relatively good road. I no longer train on them due to the hassles associated with the occasional flat and cleaning up the mess from sealant getting sprayed everywhere. A tubeless tire can be repaired from the inside using a piece of butyl tube and tubular cement. But inflating a used tire can be a real hassle. You will need a compressor or a charge pump. You may need to take some time to remove all the dried sealant on the tire bead in order to get a seal. Tubeless tires must be pumped every time you ride. They simply will not hold enough air from day to day. They are like a tubular as far a air loss. The tubeless valve core needs to be tight, otherwise it leaks. Oh, and the tape. The tape! what a hassle. Stans tape has worked ok for me. You need to double wrap and make sure that there are no air pockets! Takes real patience and a lot of force to get a good wrap. The bottom line for me is that I would not recommend tubeless road systems, even those with rims and tires matched (Mavic) to provide a better system. I just don't see the alleged marginal performance gains to be worth all hassles dealing with tubeless tires.
Great video. Best one I’ve ever seen on tubeless. I’ve converted and wished I’d seen this first, but it’s still helpful now. Much thanks.
Just gone back to inner tubes after thee years of tubeless horror. My Mavics never really sealed, had numerous flats, and some dangerous situations when the front tire dislodged itself from the rim while riding. Tried everything (new tires, new valves, bike shop help). Could never seat them with a normal pump so always had to ring a friend to use his compressor. Oh, and I haven’t found *any* upsides. Ride was fine, nothing different from what I have now.
Thank you for the advice at 08:10 onwards. My wife's Giant PR2 wheels have clogged on several occasions!
Just what ive been looking for! Good job GCN
I set up the gravel bike ghetto tubeless this weekend. Went up with the track pump first time! boom.
Thx. Great vid. Very helpful. I did use these videos to help me set up my first set of tubeless tyres. Every point you’ve made is valid. It was tiresome LOL. But when I did get it to work, it was an awesome feeling. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for that good video, it gives a good overview. It would be worth mentioning though that with the milKit valve system you can make many of these steps much easier and faster - leaving the whole mess away! Among other advantages it lets you measure the old sealant and add new sealant without releasing the air from the tire and popping the bead.
Great video GCN, keep up the good work!
I just got my first tubeless bike, and I found this video to be very well-presented and informative... thanks!
Being new to mountain biking and having just purchased my first fat mountain bike with tubeless tyres, this has been very useful and probably the best video I’ve watched to date.
good info. Thanks for making!
Excellent video with very clear and concise explanation.
awesome.
all questions answered i think.
thnx!
Great advice mate from a fellow Doncaster lad, helped me make my mind up. Picking up my scott addict rc40 on Tuesday, and was in two minds about it. So getting some pirelli p zero tlr race 28 with the bike.
I recommend the Milkit system. You can withdraw the sealant from the tire and keep the tire pressure at 20psi at the same time the valve core is removed so the bead stays on. Milkit has special rubber flaps that open and close on the bottom of the valve when you put the syringe tube thru them and still keep the air from coming out. Then when you extract the sealant, you open the valve slowly until you see just bubbles in the syringe and then close it off at the valve. Then if the sealant is low, you just withdraw the needed amount of sealant from the bottle, close off the valve and then put the tube thru the valve core hole, open the syringe valve slowly while compressing the syringe until all the sealant goes into the tire. Then withdraw the syringe and re-install the valve core and use a hand pump to put the desired pressure back in the tire. I usually top off to 60ml on my 32mm road tires every 4 months and after 1 year the tire treads are worn out and need to be replaced.
This.
Does it work on Presta valves ?
Excellent! Thanks Ollie!
Ollie Is been doing great videos , keep it up
I've gone GP5000 28mm tubeless on winter bike, GP5000 25mm latex on summer bike. The tubeless is a faff and depending on set up, only marginal gains and some losses. The faff vs benefit balance is still too close to make tubeless a clear winner for me. The GP5000 + latex is actually lighter, more supple, less rolling resistance, less faff and not punctured once in over a year
Thanks, Ollie I'm new to tubeless tyres and I'm ready for any issues I may come accross.
Great tip Ollie about the tool in the multitool :)
Great info thank you!
I don't have tubeless, but very interesting video. Well done Ollie
Thanks. This video was highly informative.
Very helpful vid. I just swapped over to tubeless and loving the ride so far. Especially love not having to tote so much stuff around in my jersey.
can I ask if you are still happy about tubeless? I ordered some new TL tyres for my new wheels and it's my first time but I didn't imagine it was a bit of painful maintenance...
I run a local shop so thank you for the loads of people that will now attempt to seat a TLR bead and take it to me after they give up.
LOL I love the Alien reference... Ollie you are the best!!!!!
Informative. Tank you.
Good info, thanks! I think Ii need some more Park Tools!😜
Great video and loads of information 👍🏻 Thanks a lot!!
But how can I fix a flat on the road if I’m using tubeless tires?
To fix larger cuts, you can easily glue a patch on the inside. Just buy a thicker one from a car shop (not the bike tire patch), some good rubber cement and you are good to go. I have glued several patches to my tubeless tires (mostly Schwalbes but also Hutchinsons) and will NEVER go back to innertubes.
I use the same tires. I love them.
Thanks Ollie. Going to replace my old, and slow punctured, tubeless tyre. First attempt at this.
great help! ty!
Hi there! Thanks again for sharing so much information! I gotta a question about Co2 ... do you or don't you recommend it for tubeless tires... if you don't then what's your suggestion?
Great vid Ollie!
Thanks again!
Great video!
Thanks Ollie!!👍
Totally missed that many syringes now have a needle-like end that allow you to inject and remove sealant much more cleanly directly through the valve. The older screw-on kinds were always a mess. This is also a good way to remove sealant prior to servicing a tire/rim that requires a removal of sealant. Works great to get the majority of sealant out, thereby reducing a mess.
The Stans valva core remover is great and much less likely to be lost.
For bigger holes than the sealant can fill try Stans Dart plugs. They have small barbs which stop the plug coming out after a few miles and feathers which are dissolved by the sealant to form a more permanent patch from the inside of the tyre. I had to use one in November 19 and it's still holding air after 1000 k.
It can be a faf. Had a nightmare with various tubless combinations last year. On recomendation of someone who stopped while I was having another meltdown moment at the roadside, I swapped over to same tyres Ollie is using. 5 months on, so far so good
"At the end of ALIENS!" Plural. 😂
Perfect timing! Just made the switch to tubeless myself.
Am joining you too bro
Love your video OLE dont find so many timeless tire videos
Thank you for this very informative and honest video, Ollie. The only honest and unattractive thing you did not show was the clumping of dried up and congealed sealant on one side of the wheel, if it’s a wheel set that has gone unused for a while, or the messy process of cleaning the mess from the inside of a tire. Also, would have liked to have seen the roadside installation of a tube into wheel/tire which held sealant. I really want to deal with that mess. Anyways, the video was more than enough to convince me to leave this trend for the baggy cargo shorts 🩳 set 🚵🏻♂️ .
I already had to install a tube during a ride, it was not so messy, I used a kleenex for cleaning
Thanks for the video. It has "sealed" it for me. I'll stick with my latex tubes.
Yeah I made the switch for my back wheel. Smdh nothing but a hassle.
Are latex really better than butyl tubes? Do you need to air up latex every day? Just wondering if I should switch.
@@enriqueDFTL I just swirched to see what the big deal was, and as a weeked warrior, I don't notice a difference. There's a weight savings, sure, but that's about it. Theres no noticeable air loss one over the other. I have such varied temps here, that I'm always having to add air, it seems, so I'm not a good one to ask on that.
Yes it seems quite a faf to me, also you have to remember tubeless tyres are twice the price, I have tubeless rims but I have fitted good quality standard tyres and tubes, technology will improve and prices will fall, but for now I'm ok with what I have
Proves different strokes for different folks... I'm never going back to tubes.
I started with one year using schwalbe pro one tubeless. One puncture, that sealed up good enough to bring me back home.
Last year with conti 5000 tubeless, no punctures but i had to replace two tires because strings on the sidewalls where ripping off.
I like the comfort of tubeless, but they wear out quite fast, i replace them after aproximatly 2000 km.
I also used specialized turbo cotton with lattex inner tubes, their rolling resistance is definitly not higher,
but they are more sensible, but i had no flats though.
I guess tubeless being more save than tires with tubes, is an advertising myth, i allways have a spare inner tube with me and never had any serrios troubles.
Just imagine you have to put in a innertube into a tubeless tire, far away from home. Lots of entertainment to be expected and cleaning up sealing residues is a mess.
This year i bought conti 5000 tubetype for my second bike and for me it´s the best tire i have ever used, smooth, comfortable and low rolling resistance.
For me it´s even more impressive than the conti 5000 tubeless tire.
So as a result after two years and 15000 km with tubetype and tubeless tires, i like both of them, but changing to tubeless isn´t necessary.
It´s just the industry and their advertising, suggesting that tubeless is really any better.
Just going tubeless on my new wheels on my triathlon bike. :)
This is a great video, it helps explain why I will never go tubeless :)
Hello from pedants’ corner. An inner tube doesn’t haemorrhage through a split or hole - it herniates. Otherwise, top video.😊
For larger holes that still leak I dismount the tire and clean the spot completely with brush and alcohol. Let dry overnight and Apply a Park VP-1 vulcanizing patch.
Perfect timing, I was just thinking I needed search for this subject!
perfect for me as well as my sis just got a new bike with tubeless setup and guess who takes care of the bikes.........THIS GUY :-)
Nice work Ollie, simple, unpretentious and genuine as ever mate 👍
Are there other pretentious GCN presenters?
@@brandhark7935 stupid comment
Question: if I have a aluminum frame with a carbon seat post do I need fibergrip? Won’t some greases corrode carbon? Does the same go for handlebars and stem?
I found that using bathroom silicon sealant in the inside of the tyre is excellent if you’ve got a big cut in the tyre that won’t seal, but you don’t yet want to throw the tyre away. Obviously needs to be done at. Home once you’ve cleaned the old gunk out.
"I don't know how I got this job"
I'm sure riding Si's new Pinarello (that he's not even ridden yet) through the mud - for science! - has nothing to do with it ;)
Nothing like a little time in the shop to think about things, like what he would have done differently.
I have used tubeless for several years now. No problems with holes in the surface of the tyre they seal well, but unable to get home on my bike several times due to cuts on the side of the tyre. Cuts do to cans or objects hitting the tyre hard from a passing vehicles.
Top Vid 🎯
What a hassle! I'm going back to using tubes.
Thank u
I’ve used normal puncture repair on the inside of the tire if I’ve noticed a nick or cut after renewing sealant with no problem. I also replace sealant every 6 months to be on the safe side and in the last 5 years have not had a tire go flat on 3 wheel sets so far. Stans recommend 60ml but schwalbe sealant which is made by Stans recommends 30ml. I’ve tried both measures and still no flats with just 30ml. Removing the old congealed sealant is a pain and needs elbow grease of soapy water and a coarse scouring pad on the inside of the tire and bead. Still worth it though.
Love these videos - always informative and funny! Thank you.
I believe Ollie's Mum watches GCN Tech, I really do!
I met a bloke who uses a brush to apply a layer of sealant to the tyre before fitting it. He reckons it helps it works better. Can't say if it works better but he had a good full day at Flyup without incident.
Been thinking of switching to tubeless but never thought about the roadside c02 until you just mentioned that. If it's needed, do you recommend a hand pump for side of the road vs c02? Or is the risk to freezing the sealant only if you're adding more sealant side of the road?
Yes. Sealant on the frame is the best sign you had a puncture but it cleans up easy.
As a weight weenie, I've got away with only 2oz sealant.
Using CO2 is OK as long as valve is not at the bottom when inflating (that's where the sealant is).
I had the same pein to install Mavic TL tyres, it's smoother with other Brands like Pirelli.
Hey Ollie, I have a question about sealant in a cold garage. In Colorado it can get very cold in the winter in the garage. What will that do to the sealant?
Great info. Thank you . Hopefully will help .
my one wheelset (MTB wheels)...sealant is going on 2 years. and hold PSI +/- 1 even after a few months.
Just gone tubeless on a trike from ICE made in the UK. I’m still debating if it is worth significant trouble thus far. The rear wheel is 700X 25. Fronts are 406. Schwalbe seems to be the only game in town for tubeless in 20” size. No problem seating the 700 with an air shot canister. The fronts are impossible to seat without going to a shop. One will absolutely not seat. I filled out a warranty claim with Schwalbe which I’m happy to say resulted in a coupon for a free tire. Good news as they are $81 each. I’m losing air from a puncture which appears to self repair as soap suds show no air loss. It does lose air during a ride. Do I patch from the inside or can it be plugged from the outside without losing my bead? Signed; stumped trike enthusiast.
Have just ordered the sealant and tools. Can't wait to get my hands dirty.
Enjoy it Stephen
thats the best scene in the movie.. maybe bishop needed one of the Dynaplug racer .Ripley could have jabbed him with this cool little plug fixer... and away you go in your starship..brilliant..
How do you remove the residue from the tyre and carbon rims after topping up sealant? Sponging gets the worst off but finger marks remain?
I still have no idea how to check when I need to replace the sealant
Orange seal has a dipstick you use after removing the valve core. It's kind of like checking oil in a car. Pretty easy and not subjective.
You will need to replace your sealant if you start to notice that your tires are losing air pressure faster than usual, that typically means that your sealant has dried out. It's way easier to replace the tires than removing the old, dry sealant. Also, if you've had a bad puncture and lost a lot of sealant I would top up before your next ride.
@@andrewturner25 thanks Andrew, just saw your answer now :) that's very helpful
Can we see Ollie fit some new Conti GP5000 TL to his new Mavic wheels? Just want to see if I really do have cyclists arms :)
#askgcntech
How do you know you need to add sealant? Or when to replace and clean old sealant?
Remove valve core, put valve at 6 oclock position then use a thin cocktail stick as a dip stick to check the level.
How long is a piece of string?
Easy- half it’s length doubled!😉
I ride in an area with a lot of roadside glass, and I switched to tubeless after a bad month where I had atleast 3 punctures a week. Over 10,000 miles later, I have never had to stop mid ride to repair a puncture. I don't even carry tubes anymore, just a mini pump and a multi tool.
Justin Brunjes that’s what I did, until this weekend. I hit a rock and the sidewall of my tire cracked. No way to plug it. I tried to patch it from the inside, but wasn’t able to seal the tire to the rim with my mini pump. There I stood in the middle of nowhere for 2 hours until a fellow cyclist offered me his spare tube. Lesson learned: always carry a spare tube.
What do you guys carry on a right for when you get a flat tire, a tubeless plugger kit or just a normal spare inner tube?
I am putting my bike on the attic during winter and take out my old alu bike. But how do you maintain tubeless tyres during this leave of duty or what do you need to do when you go out in the spring again.
Great video. 👍....:That would be the movie AlienS not Alien. 😉
Inspection, check. Sealant making a mess on bike while sealing a hole, check. Topping off sealant, valve core only; do not unseat tire. Top off with injector only. 60 ml is a lot for topping off. No need to reseat tire if topping off via valve. Good luck with getting the tire to reseat and not leak if you unseat the tire. Wiping off sealant is easy; do it out side if sealant is dried. Pipe cleaners work ok. Cuts in tire and plugs don't work? Cut a piece of thick butyl inner tube for a patch. Clean tube patch and inside of tire really well. Sand lightly inside and tube. Glue on with tubular tire glue. Works every time. I do not train on tubeless tires anymore. Royal pain in the butt dealing with cuts that won't seal via sealant or plug. You can run sealant in a butyl tube; it will seal small punctures such as tacks and thorns and glass. I use tubeless for races. By the way, you can cut a sidewall of a tubeless tire by hitting a rock hard enough to deform the tire against the rim edge where the rim edge cuts the casing. Yeah, no fun fixing that one. Have to put in a tube and boot the tire to get home. Make sure you carry tools to remove the tubeless valve core. And have fun with getting the sealant out of the tire! Messy! I live in Hawaii, Big Island. Topping off is needed about once a month. I was adding about 20 ml. When you aren't riding your bike, keep the valve at the top of the wheel so that dried sealant forms opposite the valve core.
There is a smart thing called "Milk It" in the Mtb-world...you can check and refill your sealent very effective with it. It should work also with roadie tires i guess...
I would suggest a winter annual, deflate, clean everything, fill new fluid , re-inflate and you're good to go... Why wait for things to happen when you are far from anywhere?
I found that taking the valve core out (and removing the syringe tube thingy) when the valve is at the bottom results in sealant bubbling out of the valve stem and making a mess. Doing it when the valve is at the top of the wheel might get one or two drops, but far less messy
which is why I position the valve at the side
So do I have to refill sealant after the winter break before my first ride in spring?
What kind to tubeless tape should I use in some 19 mm inner width rim Mavic Aksium Elite UST Disc wheels? The Mavic website says to use with Mavic Tubeless tape, but are there other good options? Mavic's tape also recommends to use a 25 mm tape for 19-22 mm inner width road rims. I found some DT Swiss Tubeless tape at 19 mm and 25 mm. Should I alway opt out for the 25mm one?