There is air inside a bicycle tire.
In non-tubeless bikes, a part called a tube holds air.
It is a structure in which an air-filled tube pushes the tire.
Modern bikes use several methods.
Among them, we will learn about tubeless tires and how to set up tubeless.
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Table of Contents
What is Tubeless?
A tubeless bike is literally a bike that is set up without tubes.
So, without the component called the tube, there is nothing but “sealant” inside the tire.
Problems with bicycles with tubes
Bikes with tubes have a chronic problem.
If the tube is torn, it must be removed and repaired or replaced with a new tube.
Even if the tube is not penetrated by a sharp object capable of tearing, there is a “snake bite” phenomenon in which the tube is strongly pressed between the rim and the rib and punctures when it is hit hard against the blunt.
And the tube has become much lighter, but it becomes as heavy as the weight of the tube.
In particular, when riding a mountain bike, you can adjust the air pressure very delicately according to your taste.
When I was a beginner, I just put in a lot and rode it, but as I became more and more obsessed with mountain biking, I gradually lowered the air pressure, and eventually the air pressure went down to about 15 psi.
An air pressure setting of around 15 psi is easy to puncture the tube the moment you hit it hard against an insignificant stone.
Tubeless came out to compensate for these shortcomings.
Prerequisites for tubeless setup
Tubeless isn’t just about removing the tubes and putting “sealant” on any bike.
To be able to set up tubeless, the parts must be tubeless compatible.
Let’s look at the parts needed to set up tubeless.
tubeless rims
To make a tubeless bike, the rims must be tubeless capable.
Since there is no tube, there should be no air escaping from the rim.
Of course, rim tape is applied to prevent air from escaping, but still
There are rims optimized for tubeless.
tubeless tires
Must be tubeless tires.
If it’s not a tubeless tire, air keeps leaking from the part that comes into contact with the rim.
A tubeless tire doesn’t make it any harder to fit the tire onto the rim.
tubeless rim tape
You will need tubeless rim tape. Rim tape seals the holes in the rim so air doesn’t escape.
tubeless valve
You have to buy the valve separately for tubeless setup.
The valve is completely fixed to the rim and must be well mounted to prevent air leaks.
switch to tubeless
If you have all the parts to go tubeless, let’s upgrade to tubeless.
Attaching the rim tape
Apply rim tape. Rim tape comes in a variety of widths.
Choose a rim widths suitable for your bike and wind the rim tape one full turn.
And make a hole where the valve should be.
Sealant is required.
Sealant is not required, but going tubeless without it is not easy.
Sealant acts as a sealant to block tiny air holes.
Occasionally, if a sharp object punctures or tears a little while riding, the sealant leaks out and meets the air to fill the hole.
So, the sealant not only fills in the cracks while riding, but also blocks the tiny air holes when first installed. Therefore, when you first install the tire, fill it with a certain amount of sealant and insert the tire.
Pour the sealant.
The amount of sealant given varies from person to person. The race is tomorrow, so if you want something lightweight, you can put in a very small amount.
If you want the sealant to cover all of it, you can put in enough.
It is enough to add about 20~70ml.
Sealant Replacement Cycle
The sealant replacement cycle is said to be about 6 months.
As the sealant ages, it changes color and adheres to the inside of the tire as shown in this picture.
There are also people who scrape off the stuck stuff on the inside of the tire. I… I don’t go that far.
If it turns too yellow, just throw it away and pour a new one.
Valve mounting and air injection
Mount the valve. Mounting the valve is not too difficult.
Install the valve and inflate the air.
By the way, there may be a problem here.
The tire and rim match very well.
As soon as you inflate the air, the tire inflates.
Air may go in, but it may just keep coming out. If you can imagine it, it is very natural.
In that case, no matter how much air is pumped in with a normal pump, it is useless.
If you go to a bike shop, there is a compressor that needs to be blown in very quickly and at high pressure.
Or you have to inflate it with CO2.
I don’t go to the shop often, so I usually inflate with CO2. You have to be careful because it cools very, very quickly if you blow it in and it gets very cold.
Don’t be surprised because very high pressure CO2 is injected.
Things to note
With the tubeless setting, you can ride a bicycle without worrying about the tube bursting even with low air pressure, but if you ride a bicycle with too low pressure, the tire may come off. Please do not burn too much at low pressure below 15.
And the tubeless tire can tear a lot and not be filled with sealant.
At that time, there is no way.
If you have a reasonably small hole, you can use the tool in the image to fill the tire.
But if it’s torn too much, you’ll need to put a tube inside.
So even with a tubeless setup, you still need to carry a tube on long rides.
But, I’ve never had a tire tear after setting it up for tubeless riding.
conclusion
Tubeless setups are very subjective.
You may not understand why you should ride this way.
I have to ride with a tube anyway, and the weight is reduced because the tube doesn’t go in, but I have to pour sealant and manage the sealant…
There are obvious inconveniences.
So, in the road bike genre, there are many other forms besides tubeless.
I think the advantages of tubeless are clear. No “snake bites”.
If you ride excessively with an air pressure of 20 or less, the tube will burst more than twice a day.
I think it is meaningful to prevent this phenomenon.
And although it is fine, it has good rolling properties due to the absence of tubes.