All my bikes are tubeless and ill never go back. PRO's- for SURE 100% I have had goat heads, tack or 5 and the sealant seals it up and I didn't even know I had a flat till I got home! had a bigger puncture but sealant again got it. Maybe I added some air, but I was on the side of the road for a minute not minutes getting dirty, wheel off etc. Run lower pressure and bike feels even faster that way and smoother too.WORST case is stick a tube in the tire if hole is really that big/ gash. NEGATIVE- I personally still carry 2 tubes/2 co2's when reality says not needed. Yes if you get a worst case scenario , you'll have sealant all over the place. but that's a worst case like any other worse case scenarios. And yes initial setup requires a compressor or newer pump that has built in compressor. I can't seea negative that would make me go back.

I've had this experience more often than not with latex tubes and no sealant.

I made the switch on my gravel bike. It is a much softer ride and feels great. The only really big con I had was the setup, if you don't initially set it up correctly, it gets messy, nasty and PITA.

I was using clements USH (non tubeless tires) on tubeless rims. Worked great, until I decided to ride the road with my wife. Instead of riding at 30psi I pumped it up to 70psi to try and keep up with her tri bike. Rim tape broke, mess everywhere, getting in a tube is messy as hell.

I said screw it and I'll ride with tubes until I wear these tires out and get tubeless ones. Really wish I still had tubeless though.

been tubeless on the mtb for years, never going back. I'm sure I'm jinxing myself here, but I haven't had to walk home, add a tube, whatever, in over 4 years of weekly riding. Once, the sealant was pretty dry and wasn't sealing completely, but I was still able to ride home on a tire with about 15psi.

I just switched to tubeless for my road/gravel bike (sold the roadie). It's only been about 3 months of mixed terrain riding, but just Saturday, tubeless likely saved my ride. I had a puncture in the thread of the tire, and within about 100 yards, it was sealed, and I was good to go. I probably still had 40-50psi, so I didn't even mess with my spare CO2. I just finished out my ride, which was about 20 more miles. I will say, it was a damn mess on the bike and my back side as the sealant sprayed from the spinning tire.

I would totally make the switch to the TT bike if the wheels I use were tubeless ready. Although, I do use latex and sealant, so I'm only giving up a little weight and marginal RR.

I always keep a spare co2 and tube, plus now I carry the little plugs for larger punctures. Tom A. has talked a lot about options here.

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I was pretty outspoken about road tubeless being a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I still agree with this for the most part.

However, this past week I've been training on some 700x32 tubeless slicks at 40psi on the road. It's pretty dang nice. Bumps and chatter are nearly non-existent. I guess the feeling is similar to supple 28s with latex tubes, but I think that these tubeless tires will be a bit more robust, and I can pretty much ride anywhere. It's nice on busy roads to be able to ride in the gutter. With supple clincher tires, i hate riding in the gutter or on the right side of the white line because there's usually gravel, glass, metal, and other various tire hazards. I hate cutting expensive tires. With tubeless, i don't think twice about it.

For road racing, i haven't moved over yet. Maybe i will eventually. For now, I'll train on tubeless, race gravel on tubeless, race road on clincher or tubular.

In applications with pressures over about 50 psi, I think there's little net benefit. In applications below 50 psi, there might be some benefit.

Things that drive me crazy about tubeless:
1. The inconsistency. Even the sames brand tires and same brand rim will have a huge variation in how reliable a tubeless setup they provide. You never quite know if it's going to work well or whether you'll be stripping the tire off, adding more tape, etc. Gah.
2. The pain in the ass setup. Throwing a tube and tire on a rim takes me about twenty seconds and can be accomplished with bare hands. First time tubeless setups can take more than an hour of messing around with metal tire levers, overpriced tape, fiddly valves that might leak, extremely tight beads, air compressors etc.
3. Imagining trying to get a tube in the damned things on the side of the road during a rain storm.

Pro: If going fast in a tight pack you can give everyone behind you "Stan's bukkake" when you get a puncture that sprays for a while.

It sounds like you should definitely stick to tubes.

I haven’t had time to do a proper write up on them but my experience installing tires on to my new Mavic Road UST rims has been overwhelmingly positive. Arguably easier than a traditional tire installation because you don’t have to worry about pinching a tube. Sealed right away with a floor pump.

I can’t comment on CRR, durability, or aero yet. Aero I plan on answering later this summer with a trip to A2 (Mavic has been somewhat vindicated by their rim shape choice, IMO, by Bontrager and Venn’s recent white papers). CRR... BRR pegs Mavic’s new tires as equal to GP4000 SIIs with butyl. I hope to try some faster rolling Hutchinson tires soon.

Isn't Schwable also making them?

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As far as I know Hutchinson is making Mavic’s Road UST tires.

Like some others I've been running tubeless on my MTB since ages ago. In that time I've had one incident where a big chunk of rock embedded itself and tore a hole in the tyre. Otherwise I've never even noticed a puncture.

A year or so ago I converted my CX bike. Non tubeless rims, just used good tubeless rim tape and good valves, and tubeless tyres. In my case Maxxis Ravagers. I got them setup with a track pump and haven't had a single problem since.
About a year ago I decided to try and set up my roadie tubeless. That was an Enve 3.4 wheelset, not the "Tubeless Ready" version. With good tape and valves, and Schwalbe Ones I was able to get them setup pretty easy, again only needing a track pump. Since then I've changed them to Schwalbe Pro Ones (tubeless) and I love those tyres. They feel awesome, much better than the standard Ones. Running around 60-65PSI generally.
Have since converted my Enve 6.7 set as well. Had a bit of a fight and needed to use a compressor for one tyre in the end, but haven't looked back. Pro Ones running on those too and it's sublime.
I've got an Open U.P. build happening at the moment and that will be setup tubeless as well. At this stage the plan is to run Compass Snoqualmie Pass 44s and just go everywhere on it.

I don't get the PITA side of it. I setup a Mavic Aksium wheel (non TR) tubeless at the weekend in about 20mins start to finish. Sometimes it pays to put a new tyre on overnight with a tube to stretch it to the rim. Then put it on with the tape and valve to see if you can get it to bead up before using sealant. Use liberal amounts of soapy water to help the tyre pop onto the bead. Once the tyre has popped on to the bead, wait a couple minutes then deflate it and remove the valve core so you can squirt sealant in through the valve body. Put the valve core back in and air it up. Minimal mess doing it that way over the sealant in the tyre and then get it on the rim approach...

Like a couple of others I still carry 2 tubes and CO2 canisters, but have not had to use them. I think it's just the boy scout thing, and in all reality it isn’t hard to carry them in a nice tidy saddle bag so what's to lose for the worst case scenario..?

I usually carry one tube and a plug kit. I've only had to use a plug (bacon) once (on gravel) and it was the easiest fix ever. You can fix the puncture and fill the tire faster than you'd even get the wheel off the bike to put a tube in it.

Experience counts for a lot when setting them up. Each time gets easier. Pros are you are much less likely to get punctures with sealant and can run lower pressures. Other than setting them up and more expensive tyres not many cons.

I think going tubeless for training is a great idea. Robust tires at low pressure.

However for racing, your options are basically the Vittoria Corsa speeds to be as fast as possible. These things are paper thin and a single puncture can completely ruin a tire (as it did in my case). The worst part was the sealant spraying everywhere though. My bike, shoes, socks, under my saddle, everything was covered in it. My socks were permanently stained and it took a long time to clean all that shit off my bike.

I have the hed jet blacks with vittoria corsa, i have changed a flat on the the side of the road after a 3 inch rock sidewall gash, i used a cliff gel wrapper, and a tube it was soooo easy and fast. the setup with a compressor is super easy, as fast as a tube. the vittoria tires go on as easy as a gp 4000 on a flo actually i would say easier. the main thing you get is no random latex holes, and no worries about melting latex tubes on descents, I have twice done that. 185 lb guy on super steep stuff.

I've had a very different experience with the 23mm CS tires: nearly impossible to mount and I'm very confident I couldn't throw a tube in on the side of the road.

I think Vittoria may have changed them up slightly at some point. The very first pair I got was pretty hard to mount, took some profanity.

The last few pairs I've gotten (with the newer black sidewall) I've been able to push the bead over the rim with my thumbs on HED Jet+ rims.

That's encouraging. Perhaps I'll have to give it another go.

Out here in the SW Desert, goathead thorns are an epidemic. I've had 8 punctures in a week and would spend $40 a week on tubes until I went to Gatorskins. My next road bike will at least have tubeless training wheels (to be fair, gatorskins work really well). I have them on my CX / Commuter and in one instance I got 12 goathead punctures in less than a mile, all of them sealed. Although setting it up is a pita, that's what I'll be going to.

Online when it comes to debating about flats, there's always 2 groups; people that have to deal with goatheads and people that dont. If you don't flats are typically a non issue. Even with GP2k's I can ride through broken glass and be fine, but goatheads just puncture them nonstop.

Yes as a fellow SW rider cactus thorns are a constant source of flats. I’ve also been suffering a string of pinch flats after hitting small rocks, 3 in a row. I’ve had it.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
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Are Vittoria Corsa's the tubeless road tire to run? I am demoing a BMC RM01 that has 28 Corsas on it. They are a grippy ass tire. I'd like to try them in 25 on my HED Ardennes. It looks like only the Corsa Speeds are TLR though.

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They are the tubeless tire to run if your primary concern is world-class rolling resistance. (along with good grip)

Roughly speaking the Corsa Speed TLR is in the class of tires with the (tubed) Grand Prix Supersonic/TT or Specialized Turbo Cotton.

For training there are other brands that give you very good rolling resistance, but with more durability, longevity, and ease of mounting. And more options for size. Some of those still have very good rolling resistance, e.g. on the order of the GP4KS.

Personally, I race on the Corsa Speed and train on the Hutchinson Fusion / Schwalbe Pro One.

What are your thoughts on Schwalbe tires? I like their MTB tires, but have had some rather porous tires that took a ton of sealant to hold air.

I currently run GPKIIs with butyl... I don't really race, maybe a cat 5 RR here or there, but like to have a clean and smooth running machine.

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My only experience is the Schwalbe Pro One, which is the racier end of their line. They're easy to install and to get the initial seal. They hold pressure great, and I've had no problem sealing without any sealant (for at least the 10 minutes or so in my installation test process before I dump in the sealant). They seal up quickly when punctured. They have good grip. The ride quality is good (latex tube-like).

The knocks on them are that they seem to have marginally less tread life and are marginally more fragile than a GP4KIIS. E.g. there are rumors that they are more prone to catastrophic sidewall cuts than some other tires, but I have not seen this personally. The tread life issue I confirm. The Pro One's do wear down to the casing in maybe 2/3 of the time I'd wear down a GP4KSII

I wanted to go tubeless on my racing bike which is mounted with deep rims wheels (60mm front, 90mm rear).
So far I abandoned the idea since I simply could not find long enough valve extenders that are threaded all the way!
It's no joke! Yes, there are some on the market, like Stan's, but they are only 40mm long and extremely expensive.
If anyone knows of a 60 or 80mm fully threaded valve extension, I'd be very happy to get a notice...
PS: they have to be fully threaded so the valve will be locked in place airtight with a nut.

i found some on amazon that's what i useWilliams Cycling Tubeless Presta Valve Stem - 100mm - Pair

https://www.jrc-components.com/collections/skewers
https://www.boydcycling.com/...ies/tubeless-valves/

MTB&Gravel = no brainer

Road not sold....

I've only tried Schwalbe Pro Ones.. nice tire.. semi light, feels fast and supple. Installed on Enve 2.2 with Silca tubeless tape and valves. Have to use soapy water to ad in getting the bead to seat and one of those fancy dual chamber pumps. Needs about 100psi to get fully seated and you can reduce from there. My front is looking fairly new still, but I have destroyed 2 rears already with large cuts that did not seal well with orange seal. I kinda patched one up and it seems to be holding but I have not rode on it yet, but I'm thinking I will feel it since it has a little bulge in the repaired spot. First tire is FUBAR.

It's an unholy mess when you get a large hole.. sealant everywhere..shoes, bike, legs etc etc. I hate that part since it's happened twice now.

I suppose it all comes down to use case of where you ride. Ive never had a major puncture or blow out, just the tiny little punctures from thrones that end your day or pinch flats.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Specialized Roval 64s come with long threaded valves. I just converted mine on the weekend. I am sure a specialized dealer could get some in for you.

Im getting the Roubaix's on my training wheels. :)

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

For tires 30mm and larger, I think tubeless is the clear winner. When I use a tire that large, it means rocks or really crappy surface and tubeless allows running low pressure (less rolling resistance) without fear of pinch flats. Sealant also seams to work well at plugging small holes in tires run around 30 to 40 psi. Since I am also wearing a bike jersey with pockets when riding with 35mm tires, I carry a hand-pump and hole repair kit (bacon) in hopes that I do not have to try to insert a tube. If you have a large cut and need to boot it, inserting a tube and remounting the tire is usually quite doable (but messy) with tires this large. However, I have had some tire/rim combinations that are very difficult (good luck getting a WTB Cross Boss on Stan's Crest rim).

But you are asking about triathlon. For tires around 25 mm, and for triathlon without jersey pockets, I am not completely sold. On smooth roads, tubeless tires do not roll appreciably better than good tires and latex tubes. So it comes down to ease of set-up, maintenance, and flat protection. If you are riding somewhere with very rough pavement (great risk of pinch flat) or thorns (high risk of very small puncture) I think tubeless may be worth the hassle (difficult set-up, remembering to add more sealant, setting up again at beginning of next season). Not getting such a flat keeps you in the race. However, if the flat risk comes from glass or debris, I prefer using standard tires and latex tubes. I have found that anything but the smallest hole does not seal with Stans at 80 psi (maybe Orange Seal is better?).

When you do flat with a tubeless road setup, you are going to wish you had a non-tubeless rim and tire. The fit of any tire on tubeless ready rim is usually tighter than on a standard rim. The fit of a tubeless road racing tire on a tubeless ready rim varies from very tight to nearly impossible. (I have found the Specialized tires to be easier to fit than most). So as you pull to the side of the road you know that inserting the tube and remounting the tire is going to be a bear. It takes me at least twice as long to remount a tubeless tire. It also blisters my hands and makes me say bad words. It also seems the chance of not pinching or destroying the tube in this process is about 50/50. If the tire finally sealed at say 15 psi you might be tempted to try refilling it with the CO2 and getting back into the race. However, if the CO2 blows the sealant out of the hole (which is very possible since it is very difficult to control the flow) you have just wasted a CO2. Maybe you carry a hand pump and several tubes during a triathlon. I do not. Maybe you practice meditation and can resist the urge to hurl your bicycle into the woods when you have destroyed your spare tube and used up your CO2 and still have a flat. Maybe I can, but maybe not.

So in short, if there is a high risk of a pinch flat or small puncture, I would run tubeless. If the risk is glass or debris, I would use standard tires and tubes since your chance of successfully replacing a tube in a standard setup is much greater than with a tubeless setup.

Did anyone convert a 404 nsw to tubeless yet? thinking about it, but would not like to roll a tire during high speeds etc...

By the way, i tried tubeless for mtb, cx and road. Mtb was a no brainer.. didnt work well enough on cx (burping in corners), but i have bought my last set of non-tubeless road wheels. Just works great and it has sealed the most ridiculous punctures. No catastrophic failures, yet...

I have the flo 90 in the rear, and I used the Silca 80mm valve stem with the silca 40mm extender.
https://silca.cc/...ers-with-speedshield
https://silca.cc/...?variant=17937895300

Been rolling Bontrager TLR wheels and tires for 2 years now, and they have saved my bacon numerous times- especially on high speed square edged hit we seem to get on some courses.

Thank you for your quick response, tyme.
I have the same wheels, so that will be the way to go!
but you agree that $56.- is pretty steep for a pair of valves...

I have Hunt Wheels (up and coming UK brand that sells direct). They are tubeless compatible and I had Schwalbe 25's on them for the last 5-6 months. They were great and do save you with small flats. The liquid saves you enough to get home if you do flat, but I ended up changing to the normal tube/tyre set up. I'm just not that confident or knowledgable enough to put on tubeless tyres. Even though carrying tubes and changing can be a hassle, it's just easier to deal with.

Taking off the tubeless tyre was a LOT of work as well. I had to literally cut the tyre with scissors to get it off. The liquid makes the tyre slippery and messy so you have to be careful. I'm sure I'm losing some ride quality and maybe watts, but the wheels are on my road bike which is more for training anyways.

On the tri bike, I've switched to Vittoria Latex tubes. I just tried them this weekend at a Half IM (B race so I wasn't that worried). Like others, I am worried about puncturing, but they seemed to be fine. Ride quality is nice and smooth vs Butyl. Not sure on saving Watts, etc..They do lose air a lot, I'm pumping them up a few times/week even though I don't ride the bike outdoors that often!

No such thing as random latex holes.
Same for melted latex tubes.
I have continually challenged anybody to post up a picture of a latex tube melted from braking, never a one, it's just a myth.

they seem to get holes in them when they get hot. I was going down a super steep hill mabe 1/4 or a half mile long with a "T" at the bottom so i was braking alot. After it happens twice you don't wonder why anymore. It doesn't happen to me on normal descents when i go on and off brakes

I experimented with training on tubeless last year. The used bike I purchased had them setup, so I figured I'd try it out. Went great the first couple months with no flats and it was a nice ride at lower pressure. Then went through a string of at least one major flat a week, for a month, that I couldn't get to seal. Putting a tube in does work but it's a major pain on those tires and huge mess. We might have more debris where I ride in the SE valley than where you're at in the NE valley. I really wanted it to work! I gave up on the tubeless experiment and went back to running clinchers. I've been training on the Vittoria Rubino Pro for about 5-6 months now and haven't had a flat yet. However, I do only ride outside on my TT bike 1-2 times a week at most. Glad I tried it out, but personally have had much better experience going back to clincher.
Cameron

Yeah, probably a bit pricey, I figured for a one time purchase that is not too bad, one of the cheaper things in the triathlon/cycling scheme of things. I do like that you tighten the nut down onto the speed shield instead of onto the rim.

I've not made the full leap to tubeless yet but I tried latex tubes for the first time last weekend. What a revelation - a super ride feel. I'm a convert from butyl for sure.

No fitting problems and I only have to give it a couple of pumps with the track pump before a ride but that's 30 seconds of hassle at most.

How do you like your Hunt Wheels? I've been considering a set of the 50's/disc. Seems like a good build for the $$