Im running Terrene’s Elwood tire @ 650B 47cm. All of their tires come tubeless ready and come in tough or lightweight casings. I live in the desert (spikey things everywhere) and having the peace of mind that your sealant will heal any puncture is definitely worth it.
Its not use among elite racers because the tubeless tires on the market now are generally heavier and don't roll as well. If you're not competitive then tubeless is a good option. The downside is that tubeless tires are pretty expensive at the moment. Tires are $65-70 and conversion kits are over $50.
Tubelesstires have no inner tube and utilize a different rim bead and sealant system. They are lighter, offer better puncture resistance, and generate less friction. All of these provide a significant boost in the performance and comfort of your cycling experience. However, installing the tires is harder, they are more expensive.
Im thinking of going tubeless mostly for comfort and weight savings because I have never punctured in the 1300 km I've ridden them. Both my tires and rims are compatible, wheels were sold with the tape already in place and the valves were supplied, so I'm thinking, why not ditch 2x150g tubes (minus 2x50ml of sealant). 250g saved for 10 euros
Acompatible tubeless rim and tire; Tubeless sealant; A high-volume pump, tubeless inflator pump or compressor; Tubeless valves; For this guide we are setting up gravel wheels, the process is the same for any other wheels, but its worth mentioning a compressor or tubeless inflator will work better on an MTB set up with the large volume
Withouttubes, there’s no risk of this style of pinch flat, so you can run lower pressures to give you more squish, grip and traction. (Although, even with a tubeless setup, if your pressure is too low, you can still do the same damage, only to the tyre instead of the tube.) This advantage is primarily more suited for off-road riding, but
Itcomes out weight wise about the same as DH/supergravity tires setup tubeless but with no risk of burping and allows you to tune your tire pressure for the terrain you ride and not to prevent flatting/rim
Its worth noting that while tubeless tires offer excellent protection against small punctures, larger punctures may still require a tube as a temporary fix. Overall, the benefits of tubeless tires for gravel biking are significant. Their increased comfort, stability, and puncture resistance make them an excellent choice for off-road cycling
First and most prominent, is the decreased risk of flat tires. Since there is no tube, pinch flats are literally impossible with tubeless. Flats from punctures are also less likely, because punctures up to 1/4″ can be sealed immediately if you are using a liquid sealant inside the tire.
baMBHZ.
are tubeless tires worth it