Mountain bike riders?

[jawsf16]

Tubeless for sure. Carry a spare tube so you can easily get home if the tubeless fails, which it never has. I have snagged about five large nails total and every time I didn’t even notice until next day. Pulled them and let sealant settle on the hole for a few hours and they have all sealed up. I am 6’4” 220 and run 30+ Rear and 30- back. Also I use half my weight for the front shock as a good wag.

 

[tabbibus]

Tubeless for sure. Carry a spare tube so you can easily get home if the tubeless fails, which it never has. I have snagged about five large nails total and every time I didn’t even notice until next day. Pulled them and let sealant settle on the hole for a few hours and they have all sealed up. I am 6’4” 220 and run 30+ Rear and 30- back. Also I use half my weight for the front shock as a good wag.

Every fork will have different pressure needs depending on its internals and volume, always a good idea to check manufacturers recs.

To your point, kinda amazing how sometimes I come back from a ride and there will be some sealant oozing from a few different puncture holes... minimal to no loss of air pressure! Love it.

I do carry a plug kit just in case, I have the Stan's no tube dart tool. Hopefully never have to use it

 

[jawsf16]

Every fork will have different pressure needs depending on its internals and volume, always a good idea to check manufacturers recs.

To your point, kinda amazing how sometimes I come back from a ride and there will be some sealant oozing from a few different puncture holes... minimal to no loss of air pressure! Love it.

I do carry a plug kit just in case, I have the Stan's no tube dart tool. Hopefully never have to use it

Yep, that's why it was just a wag....

 

[I_squared_r]

Plugs are good to carry with tubeless. I have a topeak multi-tool with a plug tool on it and the pouch has space for small plugs. One day it was like 95F and I got a nail.. not much shade from that sun.. and I was happy to have those plugs because to put a tube would've sucked in that heat. The plug lasted the remaining life of the tire.

EDIT: And with cushcore.. it would be really shitty to remove the tire and install a tube!

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

@2kwik4u In the spirit of this forum you need more stuff!
I know Camelbaks (or similar products) are about as controversial as clipless pedals but you really need to have a way to carry a lot more tools than you would road riding. You will be required to go full Macgyver at least once a year, maybe more. Road riding you might get a flat, that's about the worst of it. MTB, well I have seen every part break at least a few times. If its on that bike it will eventually break at the worst possible time.
You need to have a good multitool with a chainbreaker, extra chain links and powerlinks/quick links, tire plugs, extra sealant, tire irons, tire boot, tube, valve core remover (might be on multitool), portable pump, electrical tape, zipties, extra derailleur hanger at a minimum. I also carry a few extra screws (chainring, shoe cleats), small first aid kit, a emergency blacket, extra food and a small water filter. Idea is if shit hits the fan I can spend the night. Emergency blanket doubles as a weather shelter for popup storms to keep me 50% dry. Extra tube doubles as a makeshift arm sling, tire pump and electrical tape double as a wrist splint...been there got the t-shirt.
This is a lot for pockets or a seat tube bag. Buy a Camelpak, Osprey, whatever brand you prefer. They last a long time. My original camelpak I bought in 2000, I finally trashed it this year. Cried a small tear, was like burying an old friend. We had a lot of memories together and oh man the things that bag had seen.

 

[PBear]

@2kwik4u In the spirit of this forum you need more stuff!
I know Camelbaks (or similar products) are about as controversial as clipless pedals but you really need to have a way to carry a lot more tools than you would road riding. You will be required to go full Macgyver at least once a year, maybe more. Road riding you might get a flat, that's about the worst of it. MTB, well I have seen every part break at least a few times. If its on that bike it will eventually break at the worst possible time.
You need to have a good multitool with a chainbreaker, extra chain links and powerlinks/quick links, tire plugs, extra sealant, tire irons, tire boot, tube, valve core remover (might be on multitool), portable pump, electrical tape, zipties, extra derailleur hanger at a minimum. I also carry a few extra screws (chainring, shoe cleats), small first aid kit, a emergency blacket, extra food and a small water filter. Idea is if shit hits the fan I can spend the night. Emergency blanket doubles as a weather shelter for popup storms to keep me 50% dry. Extra tube doubles as a makeshift arm sling, tire pump and electrical tape double as a wrist splint...been there got the t-shirt.
This is a lot for pockets or a seat tube bag. Buy a Camelpak, Osprey, whatever brand you prefer. They last a long time. My original camelpak I bought in 2000, I finally trashed it this year. Cried a small tear, was like burying an old friend. We had a lot of memories together and oh man the things that bag had seen.

All of this! Plus they help to keep some of the mud off your back

 

[tabbibus]

@2kwik4u In the spirit of this forum you need more stuff!
I know Camelbaks (or similar products) are about as controversial as clipless pedals but you really need to have a way to carry a lot more tools than you would road riding. You will be required to go full Macgyver at least once a year, maybe more. Road riding you might get a flat, that's about the worst of it. MTB, well I have seen every part break at least a few times. If its on that bike it will eventually break at the worst possible time.
You need to have a good multitool with a chainbreaker, extra chain links and powerlinks/quick links, tire plugs, extra sealant, tire irons, tire boot, tube, valve core remover (might be on multitool), portable pump, electrical tape, zipties, extra derailleur hanger at a minimum. I also carry a few extra screws (chainring, shoe cleats), small first aid kit, a emergency blacket, extra food and a small water filter. Idea is if shit hits the fan I can spend the night. Emergency blanket doubles as a weather shelter for popup storms to keep me 50% dry. Extra tube doubles as a makeshift arm sling, tire pump and electrical tape double as a wrist splint...been there got the t-shirt.
This is a lot for pockets or a seat tube bag. Buy a Camelpak, Osprey, whatever brand you prefer. They last a long time. My original camelpak I bought in 2000, I finally trashed it this year. Cried a small tear, was like burying an old friend. We had a lot of memories together and oh man the things that bag had seen.

I only use a full pack on long rides or when out in the back country. For local trail I use an Osprey hip pack. Love it.

 

[2kwik4u]

Well......I'm down to like $20/min or something now.

Attempted to ride Cherokee Park again last night. Made it even less far down the trail this time. Dead flat again. Took my buddy with me that couldn't go last time. He doesn't have the base athleticism I do, so he was struggling a bit. Taking our time winding through, no big deal. We stopped to let him catch his breathe and rest. I hopped back on after 5min or so and rear tire was flat again. I ended riding his bike back to the cars and coming to get his deflated lungs and my deflated bike and taking them back to the start point. Luckily the trails in Cherokee are never more than a quick hike to a road due to it being a large urban park.

I was so disappointed I haven't done a post mortem on the bike yet. No idea why I got a flat AGAIN, and this time in a shorter section of trail than I conquered last time. If It's a pinch flat again, well, I'm already upset, but I'll be more upset. I ran the tires at 45psi with the tubes hoping to avoid that. Guess it wasn't enough, or I'm just exceptionally unlucky. I'm wondering if the tires that are on it are just absurdly "light" in terms of sidewall thickness and construction for my body weight and the rocky/rutted/rooted trails I'm trying to ride?!?! Is that a thing? Can they just be "cheap" tires?

I'm going to start researching parts now to try and figure out what I have, and what I need to get to move over to a tubeless setup. My buddy was also on a Giant Talon. His is a slightly lower spec model, but has 27.5 wheels and tubeless tires. He did NOT suffer a flat this time. I'm really hoping that the wheels on my bike are already setup for tubeless, and I can just get the pieces/parts to move them over from the tube setup.

Overall, really disappointed, as last night was the first time I was going to be able to ride with a friend in almost a decade, AND it was the last weeknight before the time change. No more weeknights until spring now .........Then I spent an hour in traffic on the way home......just not a stellar afternoon.

 

[tkeru408]

Well......I'm down to like $20/min or something now.

Attempted to ride Cherokee Park again last night. Made it even less far down the trail this time. Dead flat again. Took my buddy with me that couldn't go last time. He doesn't have the base athleticism I do, so he was struggling a bit. Taking our time winding through, no big deal. We stopped to let him catch his breathe and rest. I hopped back on after 5min or so and rear tire was flat again. I ended riding his bike back to the cars and coming to get his deflated lungs and my deflated bike and taking them back to the start point. Luckily the trails in Cherokee are never more than a quick hike to a road due to it being a large urban park.

I was so disappointed I haven't done a post mortem on the bike yet. No idea why I got a flat AGAIN, and this time in a shorter section of trail than I conquered last time. If It's a pinch flat again, well, I'm already upset, but I'll be more upset. I ran the tires at 45psi with the tubes hoping to avoid that. Guess it wasn't enough, or I'm just exceptionally unlucky. I'm wondering if the tires that are on it are just absurdly "light" in terms of sidewall thickness and construction for my body weight and the rocky/rutted/rooted trails I'm trying to ride?!?! Is that a thing? Can they just be "cheap" tires?

I'm going to start researching parts now to try and figure out what I have, and what I need to get to move over to a tubeless setup. My buddy was also on a Giant Talon. His is a slightly lower spec model, but has 27.5 wheels and tubeless tires. He did NOT suffer a flat this time. I'm really hoping that the wheels on my bike are already setup for tubeless, and I can just get the pieces/parts to move them over from the tube setup.

Overall, really disappointed, as last night was the first time I was going to be able to ride with a friend in almost a decade, AND it was the last weeknight before the time change. No more weeknights until spring now .........Then I spent an hour in traffic on the way home......just not a stellar afternoon.

No way 45psi is not enough. With flats on back-to-back rides, I'd suspect the tire or the wheel has something that's poking the tube and flatting it. I'd strip the tire and tube off the wheel, do a thorough search of the tire to make sure there isn't a thorn or something stuck in the casing that's causing the flat, and then do a thorough search of the wheel and rim tape to make sure there isn't something inside the wheel that's poking the tube and causing the flat.

Bummer you're having the issue...hope it's resolved soon!

 

[I_squared_r]

Go to tubeless. I went back some pages and saw that you have Rekon tires - these are tubeless ready.

I'm wondering if the tires that are on it are just absurdly "light" in terms of sidewall thickness and construction for my body weight and the rocky/rutted/rooted trails I'm trying to ride?!?! Is that a thing? Can they just be "cheap" tires?

The rekons are light tires, but I wouldn't say they're weak tires. I'm 170lbs loaded up and i've put Rekon tires through downhill park riding.

 

[tabbibus]

Pinch flats at 45 psi is unusual. Then again, heavy rider + tubes + trails = badness. Go tubeless, never look back. Rip that bandaid and you'll be glad you did.

 

[2kwik4u]

Pinch flats at 45 psi is unusual. Then again, heavy rider + tubes + trails = badness. Go tubeless, never look back. Rip that bandaid and you'll be glad you did.

What kills me, is I've ridden these trails in years past at 175-180lbs on 27.5 tires with tubes and never had an issue. I bet 20+ trips without a flat. Now I'm 2 flats in 2 trips with less than 4 miles combined?!?! Something seems awry.

I'll be ordering parts this weekend.

Debating on just letting the LBS do the conversion for me.

 

[I_squared_r]

What kills me, is I've ridden these trails in years past at 175-180lbs on 27.5 tires with tubes and never had an issue. I bet 20+ trips without a flat. Now I'm 2 flats in 2 trips with less than 4 miles combined?!?! Something seems awry.

I'll be ordering parts this weekend.

Debating on just letting the LBS do the conversion for me.

It could be something in the tire that is poking the tube. In brazil we get these really thin needles that could poke the new tube if not removed from the tire. Its always a good idea to take the tire off and closely inspect it along with the tube to see what caused the flat.

 

[2kwik4u]

OK fellas.......

Best I can tell from this site. I have a 21mm wide wheel with Maxis Rekon 29x2.4 tires. All of the Maxxis tires listed here. say they are TR or Tubeless Ready when checked on the 29x2.4 sizing.

SO.......Which of these tubeless kits do I need to buy? I THINK I need the 25mm tape in the XC kit. Does that seem right? Is there any way to know without measuring the actual wheel inner spacing? Do I need to find EXACTLY 21mm tape or can it be a bit wide? Can I cut down 25mm tape to 21mm, or is that more hassle than it's worth?

I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[I_squared_r]

OK fellas.......

Best I can tell from this site. I have a 21mm wide wheel with Maxis Rekon 29x2.4 tires. All of the Maxxis tires listed here. say they are TR or Tubeless Ready when checked on the 29x2.4 sizing.

SO.......Which of these tubeless kits do I need to buy? I THINK I need the 25mm tape in the XC kit. Does that seem right? Is there any way to know without measuring the actual wheel inner spacing? Do I need to find EXACTLY 21mm tape or can it be a bit wide? Can I cut down 25mm tape to 21mm, or is that more hassle than it's worth?

I have no idea what I'm doing.

I would buy the stans 21mm tape, stans 35mm valves, and a pint of stans sealant. Thats all you need for the conversion. Take off the tire, clean the wheel with alcohol, tape around the wheel with a few inches overlap, poke a hole at the valve stem hole, install valve steam, install 1 bead of the tire, pour 3oz or more of sealant in the tire, install the other bead of the tire, and fill with air. Air compressor helps to pop the bead. Its easy and a good skill to know. I converted my friend's bike at the bike park - 5 minutes per wheel.,

https://www.notubes.com/stan-s-rim-tape-10yd-x-21mm

https://www.notubes.com/alloy-valves

https://www.notubes.com/stan-s-tire-sealant-pint

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

So the for your rims you have 21mm INNER which is usually a 25mm OUTER. Have to be careful on that one, but the inner is the part you are taping to seal the holes for the spoke nipples. Don't want tape too wide as will get up into the bead, too narrow then doesn't cover the holes. Cutting it down is too much work, get the size you need. Based on the site you specified the X country looks to be for 25mm rim (which is usually the outer size).

I agree with post above and include a valve core remover (get more air in faster to seal that bead initially). Stans makes good stuff and was the one that really pioneered all this stuff. Although most guys I know have now switched to the Orange seal as less "questionable" on purchase. (Some bottles of Stans are fine, some show up as cemented goo).

https://shop.orangeseal.com/collections/all

Also keep in mind in the early days most of us use Gorilla tape cut to the width of the inner rim....it worked too.

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

Getting the tires to seal initially is where most newbies struggle (no tube to hold the air). Some tire/rim combos will seal easily with a floor pump, but this has not been my experience. To make this easier I use an air compressor. On the air hose I have air compressor gun, to that I have attached a bike pump hose/head (see pics). I remove the valve core in the valve stem, attach this hose setup and hit it with 110psi. Usually you can kind of push the tire flat at the valve stem to seal that bead edge and then it will fill instantly. Wait for the loud pop to know it's all sealed up (usually about 65psi. Keep away from your nuts in case it blows off.

I usually seat the bead then remove the hose...obviously tire will deflate but bead stays seated. Then I use a syringe to put the sealant into the tire through the valve stem, put valve core back in and pump up as usual with pump. This method is
less messy then struggling to get tire on rim when it's got sealant in it sloshing around.

Also don't forget to do the "shaky-shaky" as I call it. Once sealant and air (~30psi) in tire, rotate tire in all directions while shaking it to make sure that sealant gets in all the bead edges, otherwise will be flat in the morning. Then mount back on bike and ride around the neighborhood for a bit as well. I usually do the shaky-shaky and initial ride at 30psi. Then see where it is next morning. Will leak down a little but shouldn't much. Your can ride trails at 15-20psi if riding a 2.4 at your weight.

 

[2kwik4u]

OK. Did a post mortem on the tire/tube.

Found these little thorns. They were in the tread far enough to not come out on their own, however not far enough to be felt on the inside of the tire. Best I can tell my body weight pushed them in far enough to puncture the tube at some point.



They made these tiny holes in the tube, which I patched and it's held pressure for a quick spin around the neighborhood. I drug the 3yr old around in the trailer, 10yr old took his Dirtbike and didn't have to pedal. Jerk.

Here's the tube punctures:


I also found evidence of a pinch flat on the tire itself. It's all the way through the sidewall. After handling these tires.....man....like WOW are they thin rubber. They're not confidence inspiring at all. Even with pressure in them the feel "thin" to the touch. I don't really care about weight, do they make better/thicker tires? I run Continental Gatorbacks on my road bike....errr...death machine, and haven't had a flat in years. Do they make those for MtBikes?

Here's the sidewall damage.




Think that would seal with a tubeless setup or should I go ahead and patch first or abandon these all together and get some new thicker parts?

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

tubeless will likely seal that up. Can put a patch on inside if worried about it. Always amazed at the amount of thorns covered in sealant boogers when I change tires.

That’s just how nicer mtb tires feel. I have run Rekons before with no issues (except the knobbies eventually wore off). Remember they aren’t made to hold 120psi. They do make more durable tires with thicker sidewalls. They really only help for rocky areas where you might cut the sidewalls on sharp rocks or big thorns/ goatheads (Arizona for example). Depending on the brand they have different names for them. Overkill for what you need for your riding and weight.

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

Forgot to add if those holes do leak you can plug them with “bacon strips”, same way you would plug a car tire, just smaller. But I wouldn’t use those unless necessary.