New bike has been tweaked! (tubeless?)

[jessmarimba]

Now running tubeless, and the bars are about 1.5 inches narrower (to start). Can't wait to try it tomorrow and see how it feels!!

So I guess I'll just keep a spare tube with me and not worry about the tire setup until I get a flat, but if they're that much of a pain to deal with without an air compressor, can't I just bring it in to the shop if I need help? Is there some trick I should learn to fix them at home? The guys were pretty helpful today but about 5 minutes after I got to the shop it filled up with people who needed help and I forgot all of my questions.

Should I learn how to use CO2 with the understanding that I should flat less often (so I don't have to carry the frame pump that doesn't fit on the new bike and requires me to always be wearing a backpack?)

Thanks!

[bellissima]

Welcome to tubeless heaven :) As long as you have Stan No Tubes sealant on your tires is not very likely you’ll flat. Not all tubeless tires are hard to inflate, but some can be a pain to actually mount on the rim. If you have to add sealant or put a tube in case of a flat, try to keep one side from coming off the bead that way it will be easier to inflate. I always carry a tube and C02 or pump just in case. just need to learn to remove the valve or liner (in the case the wheels were converted to tubeless from regulas rims).

[Aggie_Ama]

It is easiest to get them to seat with a compressor. My LBS does it for free for me, although I do always offer to pay for the Stan's. As far as a flat, you probably won't have one but if you do you have to remove the core and stick a tube in. My husband had one and he said it was way simpler than he anticipated. He is not very mechanically inclined. Knock on wood I haven't had it happen yet.

The one thing you do need to watch is Stan's will dry up or form little solid masses that look like coral. If this happens you will not have the level of protection. I didn't know about this until I rode a 27 mile race with a really soft rear wheel because it wouldn't hold pressure. Let's just say 20 PSI on a 26er and a rooty course is not a good set up! It is variable with weather, this summer I have had to add Stan's after about 1.5 months. In the past I could go 4-6 months. I ride for the LBS sponsored team so they happily check it for free and knowing we bring them good beer or homemade cookies now and then. ;)

On the bars, I cut mine down twice. Wider bars help on the 29er so we cut quite a bit off at the fit but then I rode for awhile and decided to cut them so more. I am not sure how much but now I am in a happy place.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks for the info :) I kind of feel like I've been just smiling and nodding on the whole tubeless setup - I can parrot back what's good about it, etc. but never expected to be using it! In theory, it sounds great (if I had one more flat from a thorn I can't see and have to pick out with tweezers, I think I'd scream)...and then I realized I was totally clueless.

I did get an internal laugh today as the bike shop guy kept using his wife as a reference point - at least he's married, or who knows what sort of advice he'd have for a female! As in "I put really wide bars on my wife's bike, and she hated it...let's start with this amount cut off." And regarding tire pressure "I run (whatever) but...hmm...I think my wife started at 25 and adjusted from there..." (while I'm thinking to myself...I have no idea of your wife's build at all, but that employee over there is exactly my size, let's ask him!)

[limewave]

Let me know what you think about the tubelessness! I am planning on going tubeless too. I have to wait a few weeks until I get my bonus though, I've spent all of my bike money I had saved up.

I've been doing a lot of research and was thinking of starting mine around 27-28psi, but I'm abouts 155#s.

[Catrin]

Congratulations, and thanks for starting this discussion. While I am a novice mountain biker, I've considered going tubeless for a different reason. I've arthritic hands and changing tubes is a quite lengthy and painful experience.

I've toyed with the idea of going tubeless on the Jamis next spring to help prevent flats...but I do not yet know what I will decide.

[Aggie_Ama]

Tire pressure is going to be variable (at least for me) on the trail, bike, my weight, my risk adversion (how much I am worried about burping the tire or bashing a rim).

For example Sunday I rode at an extremely rocky trail, I wanted a plusher ride so I set my tires at 26 back, 25 front. I am running full suspension, weight about 160, however everyone that watches me ride says I ride light. What do they mean? I am not a super aggressive rider, I tend to take the "hardtail" line and definitely do not huck anything. Whatever it is about my riding style I get about double life out of chains, cassettes and tires if just wear and tear is considered. Other thing to consider is your rims, my husband rides his 29er at 28-29 because he has carbon rims and doesn't want to take the risk. Plus he is "big" by bike manufacturer standards for light parts he is 6'2", 180-185. Cracks me up, he actually is too heavy for my wheelset which is only rated to 175. He looks pretty darn lean to non-cyclists.

On a hard packed trail where I don't need as much plushness I will run mine closer to 28-29 depending on how much I need to corner fast. If it is really loose (like Texas is right now), I may drop it down to 27 but still a little firmer.

Of course I am still in the experiment stage because my 29er is the first bike I could feel the difference on. It is also the first bike I have had with a good, super stiff wheelset that is making me notice the wheels/tires more.

[limewave]

I wish we could all get together and go for a ride.

[jessmarimba]

I wish we could all get together and go for a ride.

Right? I'd love to have you guys around for advice while I'm on the trail!

So I'm about 125-130, and most of my favorite trails are pretty loose (it's like riding in cat litter!) and I can't afford carbon rims. Oh...and I'm definitely not aggressive...just accident-prone (I don't always miss what I try to ride around). So 25 psi is a good start then?

(Catrin, the bike I bought was set up for tubeless anyway, but the second he said "plushier ride" my back said YEP, DO IT. Fewer flats is just a secondary benefit for me too!)

[Aggie_Ama]

I would try 25 and see what you think. It should help in the corners to have a lower PSI. If you feel like your wheel is rolling on the rim you know you don't like it that low. I was so scared to try a low PSI at first so my husband snuck it on me and just put my tires at 25 a couple weeks ago to ride the rocky trail. I noticed something felt nicer and he admitted he ran my PSI lower than I had been running it.

I went tubeless after constantly picking up catus needles. There is one trail I flatted on three visits in a row, after the third I went straight to the shop and got it tubeless. Plus it is nice you can run a lower PSI since you won't have a tube to pinch flat. Only thing I don't like is it is so low-maintenance you have to remember when the last time you did the maintenance.

[jessmarimba]

Oh the bike feels amazingly better now. I didn't think it would be this much different! Bars could maybe go narrower but I'll keep 'em like this for now and see if I get used to them.

It's nice to not worry about goatheads on the trail but I almost had an encounter with a rattlesnake! I don't know if tubeless will hold up to fangs (thankfully he ran away).

[Aggie_Ama]

I kept my bars wider for probably a month or two. We cut them down significantly in the fitting to resolve some shoulder pain I felt on the trainer but my fitter felt I might want them narrower after riding. I first got comfortable with the bigger wheels before making any more tweaks to the bars. Once I knew my handling of the bike was improving I felt comfortable making a call on where to cut them.

[limewave]

I already cut my bars down, but I kept them about a finger width wider than I need. I have bar ends that I may use for longer endurance rides/racing. At some point I may shave the rest off, but for now, it's staying.

My fork is too tall! I have 3 spacers on the top. I need to trim that down too.