You may have heard talk of tubeless tyres with respect to road cycling in recent years.  That’s “tubeless”, rather than “tubular” tyres which have been the norm for racing cyclists forever!  Mountain biking has used tubeless for some time, and enjoyed lower pressures and puncture resistance but, it seems, road cyclists (a traditional bunch) have been slow to adapt.  But it’s not just that; the application is not quite the same for road cycling, since much higher pressures are involved.  A change does seem to be coming though…

What are tubeless tyres?

Tubeless tyres sit somewhere between clinchers and tubulars.  They appear very like a clincher tyre, using an open casing with a bead that hooks onto the rim.  However, like a tubular tyre they are used without an inner-tube.  Using the same principal as in a car tyre, the pressure inside the tyre forces the bead against the rim causing it to seal in place.  This means less friction and a more tubular like feel.

Pros and Cons

I’ve been using them for a few years now and have to confess to being a fan.  They certainly seem to provoke love / hate reactions from road cyclists!  So I’ll point out the main flaws before getting onto the good stuff.

Cons

They can be hard to fit

Because a tubeless tyre does not have an inner-tube it relies on both air pressure, and a tight fit between the bead and the rim, to keep the tyre sealed.  This can mean the tyre is difficult to get on the rim.  However, not all tyres and rims are the same so some combinations are harder than others.  e.g. I have found Hutchinson tyres with a Campagnolo 2-way fit rim almost impossible, whereas the same tyre with a tubeless-ready Velocity rim possible without tyre levers.  This goes to show that not all rim profiles are the same.  This could leave you struggling at the side of the road if by rotten luck you needed to fit an inner-tube (see below).  New tyres are hard to fit fresh from the box, but it should be said they do slacken a little which helps.

You may need a compressor / CO2 canister to get the tyre to seal

This is not entirely true.  In fact I’ve never needed to use a compressor.  Although I have indulged in huffing and pumping like a deranged maniac to get the tyre to eventually snap into place – no doubt a cause for concern for the neighbours.  Of course – a floor pump is needed for this and now there are models like the Bontrager TLR Flash Charger, which essentially give you a manual air compressor – giving a blast of air to seat the tyre.  There are ways of making the tyre easier to seat which I’ll cover later.

You need to use sealant

While you can get the tyre to inflate and seal to some degree without sealant, maintaining pressure over time is not practically reliable without some sealant in the tyre.  Sealant is a sludgy latex-based liquid that fills any gaps and instantly solidifies into an inner “scab” essentially patching the hole.  Sealant is messy and makes changing tyres a new, more unpleasant experience.  Think about Ash – the android from Alien.  Now think about the bit where his head comes off and is gushing all that white gunk.  That’s you – mid tyre change – hopefully in the privacy of your own home.

There are limited options of rim / wheel / tyre

This is an issue which is improving.  The road market has been slow to adopt so the options are limited.  However, now most of the major tyre manufacturers offer tubeless options; and major wheel manufacturers such as Campagnolo, Shimano, Reynolds, Easton etc. offer tubeless ready wheelsets.  Manufacturers such as Stans – the tubeless trailblazers – have been offering tubeless rims for years.

They can be expensive

They can, indeed, be pricy.  That said if you shop around they’re not much different than the price of a decent road clincher – and you’re saving on the price of an inner-tube.

Pros

No flats

No flats.  Yep.  I’ve used tubeless tyres for 6 years and I’ve not had any punctures.  Well that’s a lie.  I’ve had numerous self sealing punctures which would have left me cursing at the roadside had I used clinchers; but I mostly never even had to stop as, after a little spurting, the hole was sealed.

They can be run at lower pressures

No inner-tubes means no pinch flats which means a lower pressure can be tolerated.  This gives a more comfortable ride.  There may be a payoff with higher rolling resistance, but the option is there if you want it.

You can put in an inner-tube

OK- this seems to defeat the point; but in the event of a catastrophic failure you can use the tyre just like a clincher and use an inner-tube.  This might not be that easy by the roadside (see above) but you have the option if the worst comes to the worst.

They have a lower rolling resistance

Because there is no inner-tube rubbing against the outer casing this means there is less friction as the tyre compresses during rolling. This means less rolling resistance, which means more speed.

What models are available

Hutchinson

Hutchinson were one of the first to introduce tubeless tyres to the road market.  I have found the tyres reliable and have not experienced any issues.  They offer the Fusion 5 tubeless model and the Intensive 2 which is heavier duty and is a 25mm tyre.

Schwalbe

Schwalbe introduced the One tubeless which came in a number of widths and have now updated this with the Pro One.  I’ve used the One for the last couple of years in 25mm and love this tyre.  It’s very reliable and feels great.  I will be trying the Pro One imminently as I am in need if a fresh set so I’ll update on my findings.

Specialized

Specialized offer the Roubaix Road Tubeless.  This is more of an endurance tyre although coming in 23 and 25mm should cover most road riders’ needs.

Bontrager

Bontrager offer the Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite TLR road tyre.

Vittoria

Vittoria have been trailblazers in introducing the new material graphene – super-strong form of carbon only discovered in 2004.  It’s great to see this new material being introduced to bike technology. The Corsa Speed offers incredibly low rolling resistance although is probably not durable for every day use.

Do’s and Don’ts

Converting to tubeless

Sometimes known as ghetto-tubeless.  I’ve never tried this.  I know it’s often done with mountain bikes.  This means taping up a conventional rim and using a tubeless tyre with it.  While this may work OK with the lower pressures and bigger tyres of the mountain bike world I would not personally want to try it with road tyres.  The pressures are much higher and if the rims are not tubeless or tubeless-ready then the seal achieved may not be reliable.  It may turn out to be a pain in the gluteus.  Or more than that it may turn out to be dangerous.  Best stick to clinchers if that’s what your rims are designed for.

Summary

So to summarise, a tubeless set up, in my opinion, is perfect for the road rider who wants fewer (read no) punctures, and a better feel than clinchers.  You may need to adapt your approach and learn some new skills, but if you’re that way inclined I’d highly recommend it.  For me it’s been an almost painless, and beneficial experience.  It may not be for everyone, and for some the tried and tested clincher / inner-tube setup will always be preferred.

I’ll be covering fitting tubeless tyres in a future article.