Any Experience with UST Road Wheels/Tires?

[Antonio_B]

So I'm really sick of pinch flatting on road rides and this sounds like a really good idea.  When searching for these, there really wasn't a whole lot out there.  It seems like the tubeless thing is really gaining traction in the MTB world, but for some reason, everyone is so stuck on tubulars as the only alternative for roadies.  So I guess I just want to see if anyone here uses a tubeless system for road riding and what your thoughts are...should I just go tubular instead?

[ooklathemok]

Hey Chris, I've been riding road tubeless for about 3 years now. No pinch flats, no issues. And I ride on some crappy roads. Definitely feels different than tubed, in a positive way. Setup was a breeze. My existing wheelset, Stan's tape/sealant, and Hutchinson road tubeless tires. Inflated with just a pump. I've never ridden tubulars so I can't give a comparison. Although my road snob friends say it's the only wat to go. It's much cheaper than going tubular. And a lot less hassle. I got my kit from Stan's. They were on sale at the time, $100. Those Rolfs I sold you were setup tubeless, just need valves, sealant and tires. I'd give tubeless a try first before investing in tubulars.

[Antonio_B]

Thanks Bernie - that's exactly what I wanted to hear.  I just made the switch to tubular for cx, but I honestly have no desire to do so for road.  What if I'm 30 miles out and catastrophically destroy a tubular tire...it's not like I can throw in a tube for an emergency.  

So you say you did the Stans conversion (just using the yellow rim tape and not the actual conversion kit).  In the 3 years you've used the conversion, have you ever burped a tire?  I can see that really sucking at 120 PSI on the road when you're flying around a corner in traffic.

[ooklathemok]

Yeah, just tape, sealant, road valve and tubeless tires. I never once burped a tire on road. I would imagine it being hard to do given the high pressure. I don't think they recommend going 120 psi. I've gone as high as 110. But I find 100 more than suitable.

[Pritchett]

Same positive experience as above with the stans kit. I'm over 200 lbs riding 23C Atom 2 tires that came in a kit from stans. Haven't had a single puncture/pinch flat/burp in ~1500 miles.

I was pinch flatting like crazy with the cheap tires that came on my commuter, so I went straight to the stands kit and have been very happy with it.

I pump them up to 120psi. Over the coarse of a week, they'll get below 100psi. The lowest they've ever gone after being alone for a long time was 80psi. I put a bottle of sealant in each tire when I first mounted them ~1.5 years ago and haven't done anything since. I should probably put more sealant in...

[Burton]

How many layers of tape are you guys using at those high pressures?  I heard you should go around at least twice to get up to 80+ psi.

[ooklathemok]

2 layers.

[Pritchett]

ditto.

Also of note: I was told the Stan's valves would not be long enough for a deep profile rim. I've been using them on Deep-V's with no problems. Wouldn't recommend going much deeper as you may have issues with some pump heads.

[Antonio_B]

Positive vibes all around...I think I'll be converting my Easton EA70s to tubeless.  Thanks guys!

[Burton]

I ran A340's and Tubulars for Cross but wanted to make the move to a higher pressure road tire, I am going to wrap some new tape and convert some road skinnies over to tubeless.  After the Barry Roubaix of coarse!

[Antonio_B]

I just did the conversion - it was SUPER difficult.  I couldn't get the rear tire to seal up...had to take it to a bike shop and use the compressor.  I ended up getting the Stan's rim strips w/ valves for the conversion and a set of Hutchinson Fusion 3 tires.  

The goods:

[ooklathemok]

Did you use the Stan's kit the first time around? Or did you go ghetto? I don't think they recommend using non tubeless tires. I just did a conversion on a set of Easton EA90 wheels. The front was cake, the rear was a pisser. The front (w/Stans tape, valve, sealant and Hutch. Fusion) inflated with a shot of CO2. I had to use a compressor for the rear. Might have to put a little more sealant in the rear as I noticed it is losing more air than the front after a week.

[Antonio_B]

Did you use the Stan's kit the first time around? Or did you go ghetto? I don't think they recommend using non tubeless tires. I just did a conversion on a set of Easton EA90 wheels. The front was cake, the rear was a pisser. The front (w/Stans tape, valve, sealant and Hutch. Fusion) inflated with a shot of CO2. I had to use a compressor for the rear. Might have to put a little more sealant in the rear as I noticed it is losing more air than the front after a week.

I almost went the ghetto route, but decided that for the long haul, it was worth it to get the real conversion kit and the tubeless tires.  I just pray I never have to remove these tires for any reason whatsoever. 

How much sealant did you use for your tires?  I put in just a smidge over one scoop, knowing that it would probably spray 1/3 of that onto the floor during installation.  I think I ended up with about the right amount in the end.

[ooklathemok]

I have a syringe and I used a full injections worth.