Clinchers are still being made.

Yes, they are constructed differently. If set up with an inner tube, the tubeless version will be both heavier and slower-rolling than the non-tubeless version.
Continental still lists both in their catalog. If they discontinued the non-TL version, they certainly haven't announced this.

They're very similar. Tubeless set up with sealant rolls pretty much the same as the clincher. Hard to mount at first, let them sit on a rim a couple days and I can get the tubeless one on without a tire lever. I do suspect him failing to get it on is a technique issue more than anything else.

No these were clincher rims, older style not sure of internal but 15? Maybe? I’d imagine with a tube that would be a bear.

Maurice

Yeah, ok I could also see that being a problem

Bro, does your buddy even lift?

---

http://www.jt10000.com/

Well he did go from on the tools to in the office so initially there were some jokes about soft hands and such.

Maurice

The TL are notoriously difficult to mount, and the particular rim can be a big factor.

---

Dimond Bikes Superfan

I think the only similarity between the clincher and tubeless tires is the rubber comound and the shape of the tread pattern. The regular clincher is a nice supple feeling casing that installs easily and weighs significantly less than the tubeless version, though once you add tube wieght they would be very similar in wieght. The tubeless is difficult to install the first time and it still amazes me that such a stiff feeling casing is only ~1 watt higher Crr.

The real advantage of the tubeless is that it is super durable and about as bullet proof as you get. I have been riding them for at least a 1.5 years and the only time I had to stop a ride because of a tire issue was when I ran over a big machine screw and had to stop and take the screw out of the tire because it was hitting the frame. The amazing thing was that I pulled the screw out, the sealent fixed the leak and I rode home. I have been riding that tire since last summer without any issues, even though you can still feel a bump where the cords in the tire were cut. It still works fine. I would also say that they seem to last nearly twice as long as the old GP4000s.

So all-in-all the TL version is sort of like a cross between a GatorSkin and the old GP4000. They are nearly impossible to flat, they last forever, and the Crr is amazingly good considering the durability.

According to BRR, the tubeless and clincher(w/latex) roll the same...so, if the clincher was run with a butyl tube, the TL would be faster.

I've been running the 32c TL on my road bike for over a year now (same front tire, 2nd rear, >5k miles total) and agree on the durability. No punctures in that time frame. Perhaps it's rim and/or tape specific, but I've been able to mount these (on Boyd Altamont Ceramic rims) by hand...AND they seat with just a floor pump and no sealant. YMMV.

---

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Helping a friend with a vision wheel, they were a little tight to start but after a couple days I took them on and off a few times to diagnose an issue getting the wheel to seal and it was super easy. It does seem like while everything is getting a lot better, most setups are tire/rim/tape dependent though.

It appeared to me these have a different bead design, its quite a bit thicker. Was wondering if that makes it easier to seal with a floor pump, because I found the same thing, they inflated right away with no issues at all.

32C seems to be the break point to go road tubeless?
I did lot like running 28C tubeless...

Conti 5K TL are a great tire (I use them myself), but they are known to be a pretty tight fit on installation. On the latest TLR rims, they should be do-able, but if your friend was trying to fit them onto a traditional 15mm clincher rim, yeah, a bit of a nightmare.

But the 5K definitely comes in traditional clincher as well, and if your friend is intending to run them with tubes, then he should definitely be using this version. (You can put tubes in a TL, but this should be seen as a "get-you-home" emergency after major tire cuts, rather than regular riding).

But if your friend has been advised that a. 5K clinchers are discontinued, and b. that getting 5K TL's on is "no problem", then he should find a new LBS.

The issue is higher air pressures of road tires can force the sealant out before it can coagulate and form a seal.

At 32C, the lower pressures make TL a no-brainer.

At 25C, the higher pressures mean that TL doesn't work as well, and you may well be better off with tubes. Unless perhaps you live in goat head territory ...

At 28C, you can go either way. Particularly on a modern rim with a wider inner diameter (21+ mm), which gives larger tire volume and lower pressures (and with TL you are probably running 5-10 psi lower than the equivalent clincher), I'd say probably go with the TL (I run Conti 5K 28 TL's). On a narrower rim, tubes may still be a good option.

My n=1 experience with GP 5000 clinchers.

After 40 years and hundreds (thousands?) of times mounting/removing clincher tires (including GP 4000s, which I really liked), I bought a pair of GP 5000s for my daily ride bike. I'd heard the stories about how difficult the GP 5000 TL's are to deal with, but I was going with the clinchers on Mavic Aksium Elite wheels that I'd been riding with GP 4000s. The GP 5000s were the most difficult tire I've ever dealt with for mounting and removing. I got about 3000 miles out of them (which was good for me), but after the second time dealing with getting the tire off and back on after having a flat on the road, I figured it was time to move on to something easier to work with. I'm riding Michelin Pro4 Endurance tires now. They ride fine, and they're much easier (back to what I'd consider "normal") to deal with.

---

"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Conti 5000TL on DT Swiss ARC rims....no issues at all to mount. No tools either.

Just warm up the rubber a little by bending and pulling it and voila...as easy as clincher tires to mount.

This matches my experience as well. I've been running 3 flavors - 32mm TL, 25mm latex and 25mm TL.

The 32mm have held up to way more abuse than any tire in this family has a right to, all my winter miles and lots of riding on smooth-ish rail trail gravel as well. Never in my mind would this have been a winter tire for me, but it's been awesome. Great ride quality as well.

Between the 25mm TL and the latex the ride quality, feel, and perceived speed is very similar, not sure I could tell which is which in a blind test. This is my subjective non-scientific observation. But, to be able to say that about a tire in both those flavors (that there is no perceptible sacrifice) is a huge compliment to their design on these. Overall just a really excellent tire.

My experience with mounting the TL tires was just the same - super easy to inflate and seat with just a floor pump, no shenanigans needed and held air overnight shockingly well with no sealant (though I do ride with sealant).

I've had two punctures with these - one tread puncture on the 25mm TL that sealed right away, and a sidewall puncture on the 32mm that was tiny but did not seal, rode home with a tube and patched it internally and is good to go for awhile yet.

FWIW: Field report from GP 5000s TL on Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST:
Tire and rim, both are known to be tight to get mounted.
Both together are however impossible to mount or at least without major risk of damage to your rim.
The GP5k TL and this Mavic rim seem to be on the opposite spectrum of tolerances.

I consider myself an experienced "tire mounter" after many years of road cycling. Not saying I had never encountered more difficult to mount tires but got it all to work without major issues.
This one: Tried everything -> had to give up.

Love these rims otherwise. Used to run matching Mavic tires on them that I liked and that mounted well. This year could not get the Mavic tire, not sure whether because of Mavic's demise or pandemic related supply chain issues.
I ended up with an other fine tire, the S-Works Turbo RapidAir. Low RR, easier to mount.

The 5k TL ended up on a different rim on a different bike.

Cheers,
Mick