| If you are into mountain biking, you have most likely | | | | and tire must be clean. Manufacturers do not |
| heard of tubeless tires, which require no inner tubes | | | | recommend using tire levers with tubeless tires. Instead, |
| and seal directly onto the bicycle wheel rim. The tire | | | | you are supposed to rub soapy water over the bead |
| itself is filled with air like a car tire. Many mountain | | | | and manipulate the tire onto the rim. Then, overinflate |
| bikers are now running these tubeless tire systems, | | | | the tire with a compressor to ensure a good seal is |
| which have advantages and disadvantages. Will going | | | | formed. Once it is sealed, let out air to the desired |
| tubeless make you a better rider? It depends... | | | | pressure. |
| Time to toss out your tubes? | | | | Universal Standard for Tubeless (UST) |
| If you are frustrated with the amount of pinch flats you | | | | UST (Universal Standard for Tubeless) refers to |
| are getting and want an option that will allow you to | | | | certain standards that companies follow when they |
| run low tire pressure without the risk of pinch flats, | | | | manufacture tubeless wheels, rims, and tires. For |
| tubeless may be the way to go. However, even | | | | example, UST tires have thicker sidewalls and beefier |
| though tubeless tires do not get pinch flats, they are still | | | | beads than tubed tires. Since the tires are heavier, |
| susceptible to puncture flats. | | | | going tubeless does not necessarily mean going lighter. |
| The major advantage of running tubeless tires is that | | | | UST rims are different from regular rims because they |
| they can be run on less air pressure than tubed tires | | | | do not have holes for the air to leak out and they |
| without the risk of getting a pinch flat. Being able to run | | | | have a sealed valve stem. They also have deeper |
| less air pressure in your tires allows a larger area of | | | | ridges to allow the more sturdy bead of a UST tire to |
| the tire to have contact with the ground, which means | | | | have an airtight seal. |
| better traction and control, especially on loose or wet | | | | Converting your Tubed System to Tubeless |
| trail conditions and sidehills. | | | | A less expensive option than using a UST system is |
| Tubeless tires are not lighter than tubed tires, in spite of | | | | to convert an existing tubed system to tubeless by |
| some manufacturer's claims. The reason for this is | | | | using a standard tire, a rim strip, and a latex sealant |
| because the sidewalls need to be thicker and heavier | | | | such as Stan's No Tubes. The rim strip seals off the |
| than their tubed counterparts since there is no tube to | | | | spoke bed and has a valve that sticks out through the |
| support the tire. | | | | valve hole. |
| Installing Tubeless Tires | | | | Standard tires are generally lighter than UST tires, but |
| Tubeless tires are more difficult to install than traditional | | | | they can be damaged more easily because they do |
| tubed tires because an air compressor is needed to | | | | not have the reinforced sidewalls that come standard |
| seal the tire to the rim. Because of this, you still have to | | | | with UST tires. If converting a tubed tire to tubeless, |
| bring a tube and pump on the trail for an emergency | | | | make sure to use one with a thicker sidewall to |
| fix in case of a flat. | | | | prevent cuts and tears and provide enough support. |
| In order to install tubeless tires, the surface of the rim | | | | |