There seems to be a surprisingly low amount of information on this…the idea of the rolling resistance penalty of running a latex tube in a TLR tire, versus a tubeless setup of the exact same tire. I found one article, which concludes that the difference is basically less than 1 watt. Top 3 Fastest Tubeless Vs Latex (and Butyl) | Bicycle Rolling Resistance. Although admittedly, I don’t have pro access to BRR to see the individual tire numbers - the free article only presents averages of 3 tire models.
Article is from 2022. Is this still the current understanding? Idea being that if I want to run tubes still, the fastest setup is to get one of the newest TLR types of tires, and run that with a latex tube, as opposed to seeking out specifically a clincher-only (i.e., non-TLR) tire? Seems the penalty of doing so - in terms of wattage/rolling resistance compared to published data, such as that on BRR - means I’ll only be sacrificing less than 1 watt per tire?
Just checking to see if there’s other data/information I might be missing. I understand that running TLR tires with tubes may mean harder mounting due to tighter tolerances, but I’m approaching this purely from a speed/performance perspective.
"
*Conclusion *
Using an inner tube with the Grand Prix 5000 S TR increases rolling resistance and weight. From a performance perspective, it doesn’t make sense to use inner tubes with tubeless tires, but it probably can come in handy from a practical standpoint sometimes.
If you still want to run inner tubes, it’s better to go with the “regular” clincher version of the Grand Prix 5000. It’s cheaper, lighter, offers better tread puncture resistance, and will roll faster when fitted with the same inner tube.
*" *
Even ignoring the rolling resistance, you’re getting the worst of both worlds. Less puncture protection running tubes (even latex), and a TLR tire that’s harder to get off the rim if you need to change it.
There seems to be a surprisingly low amount of information on this…the idea of the rolling resistance penalty of running a latex tube in a TLR tire, versus a tubeless setup of the exact same tire. I found one article, which concludes that the difference is basically less than 1 watt. Top 3 Fastest Tubeless Vs Latex (and Butyl) | Bicycle Rolling Resistance. Although admittedly, I don’t have pro access to BRR to see the individual tire numbers - the free article only presents averages of 3 tire models.
Article is from 2022. Is this still the current understanding? Idea being that if I want to run tubes still, the fastest setup is to get one of the newest TLR types of tires, and run that with a latex tube, as opposed to seeking out specifically a clincher-only (i.e., non-TLR) tire? Seems the penalty of doing so - in terms of wattage/rolling resistance compared to published data, such as that on BRR - means I’ll only be sacrificing less than 1 watt per tire?
Just checking to see if there’s other data/information I might be missing. I understand that running TLR tires with tubes may mean harder mounting due to tighter tolerances, but I’m approaching this purely from a speed/performance perspective.
You are basically correct. Bear in mind that BRR tested tubeless with 20 mL of sealant, which is on the low side - I don’t actually know anyone that runs this small amount, usually you run between 30 and 60 mL per tyre for a road tyre and adding sealant adds rolling resistance (both BRR and AeroCoach has published data on this). So the short summary is; no performance difference, choose whatever you like best for other reasons.
"
*Conclusion *
Using an inner tube with the Grand Prix 5000 S TR increases rolling resistance and weight. From a performance perspective, it doesn’t make sense to use inner tubes with tubeless tires, but it probably can come in handy from a practical standpoint sometimes.
If you still want to run inner tubes, it’s better to go with the “regular” clincher version of the Grand Prix 5000. It’s cheaper, lighter, offers better tread puncture resistance, and will roll faster when fitted with the same inner tube.
*" *
If I understand right, Aero Coach has totally different opinion. But maybe it’s just my English 😉.
There’s no functional difference between a latex tube and an equivalent amount of latex sealant, because they are both essentially the same thing, performing essentially the same function(s).
There’s no functional difference between a latex tube and an equivalent amount of latex sealant, because they are both essentially the same thing, performing essentially the same function(s).