Tubeless tires

[Flowrider]

I'm not sure why both my tyres keep going flat. I know the first time it was because I got two holes that were larger than the gunck slime could stay in, however, now for no reason my front tyre has gone flat and I don't have any holes in the tyre.

@GirishH, how significant is the type of slime you put in the tyre? And how often do you put slime in?

[Charles Thomas]

(12-14-2025, 11:39 AM)rydabent Wrote:  I know that tubeless tires seem to be all the rage among many cyclist. However, consider this. If you run over a piece of trash that rips the sidewall in your tire, you are probably going to walk home. But with tire that have a tube. in this case, simply put a boot in the tire, and a new tube and ride home. I carry a boot in my trunk pack, but a dollar bill will work just fine as a boot also.

Yes, significant sidewall cuts are worse when going tubeless.
However, you are still able to boot a tubeless tire, then shove a tube in to get you home, essentially the same "fix". Also, you don't have to patch small holes you would with tubes because the sealant fixes them for you.

[Flowrider]

...the "straw" that broke the camel's back was where I was riding. I needed to let some air out, and the gunk sealed the valve in the front tyre so that I couldn't let any air out. Frustrating...

[Mr. Beanz]

Riding tubes since 1992 and never had a problem. Not worth investing money to change all my equipment just to claim I'm riding tubeless.

I know some people firsthand that have problems with tubeless. Son in law had issues holding air. Had to put air in his tire, ride it around for a couple minutes then place more air in the tire or it wouldn't hold. Heck if I know. Another riding buddy couldn't keep his tires inflated on a 50 mile ride. Another buddy on ab MTB ride up in the mountains split his tire. Big mess and he ended up borrowing a tube from me to get back down. BIG ugly messy mess, no thanks!

I've used the dollar boot trick twice in my 35 years of cycling. I still have a designated dollar bill in my seat pack for the occasion. But the best is riding with a double century rider who carried a spare tube tucked under his seat pack. We were doing a century when I hit something at 95 miles into the ride. No hassle, borrowed his tire to finish the ride then removed it and returned it minutes later.

Some say it's better for punctures. Never had a problem riding trails and roads, day and night. I think I've had one flat on a trail and one flat on the road over the last couple of years. I would spend more money upgrading my equipment to avoid a couple of tubes worth $10.

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, I am a tube guy..I have never ridden tubeless..

It's hard for me to find tubeless tires, rims. It's already hard enough to find anything related to a fat-bike...:-).

So, I have stayed with tubes..

(05-04-2026, 04:10 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  I'm not sure why both my tyres keep going flat. I know the first time it was because I got two holes that were larger than the gunck slime could stay in, however, now for no reason my front tyre has gone flat and I don't have any holes in the tyre.

@GirishH, how significant is the type of slime you put in the tyre? And how often do you put slime in?

---

Oops, that truly frustrating..

(05-11-2026, 12:19 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  ...the "straw" that broke the camel's back was where I was riding. I needed to let some air out, and the gunk sealed the valve in the front tyre so that I couldn't let any air out. Frustrating...

[Flowrider]

Yup, I've gone back to tubes.

In reality, we don't get many punctures, and my initial dealings with tubeless haven't been good, so I'm going with what I know and carrying a tube. I actually bought an electric, lightweight pump and a puncture kit that doesn't need glue. Just stick on, pump up and ride