Better cycling: tubeless?! With the option of being able to vary the air pressure and thus the handling of the bike more and also increasing the puncture resistance, every cyclist would have to shout hurray. Nevertheless, the tubeless technology has not yet found its way into the masses. But she should, right?
Actually tubeless, i.e. tubeless driving, is totally normal. No one needs a tube in the tire…. Almost everyone in Europe has a driver's license and is not concerned about the air in a car's tyres. There is usually no hose installed. Why are many cyclists still afraid of contact with the topic? What is becoming more and more standard for many mountain bikers also works on racing bikes or e-bikes. Tubeless makes a lot of sense, especially with gravel bikes, with which you sometimes ride less good paths and risk a puncture, or even when commuting with the eBike.
What are the advantages of a tubeless system and how is it used?
As already mentioned, a bicycle tubeless system is essentially comparable to that in a car. Here, too, a tire sits directly on the rim, into which a valve is inserted, and there is no tube. In order for the system to remain tight, a corresponding shaped contact surface on the tire and the rim is required.
However, bicycles and cars differ in two respects. The bicycle rim usually has holes for the spokes, which have to be closed with a special rim tape, usually designed as a kind of adhesive tape. A sealing milk is also used on bicycles to prevent milk from escaping and also to seal in the event of damage to the tire. The sealing liquid can be dispensed with in the car, since rims and tires can be constructed much more massively, which ensures tightness. This large additional weight is saved on a bicycle.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of riding tubeless tires is the significantly improved puncture protection. A smaller hole is quickly closed again by the liquid. In addition, significantly lower pressures can be used with a tubeless setup without risking a disproportionate number of breakdowns. Many breakdowns when driving with a tube result from punctures, for example when the tube is squeezed between the tire and rim when driving over a curb. The reduced pressure gives you more comfort and traction. By the way: The sealing liquid is colloquially referred to as milk. This is for purely visual reasons - as far as we know, it does not contain real milk.
What are the requirements for tubeless?
- Suitable rims. These are now widespread on high-quality bikes and are usually marked accordingly.
- A tubeless-compatible rim tape that must match the rim width. It should cover the entire rim base without covering the rim wall.
- A tubeless valve that matches the rim must be installed, these are available with differently shaped seals.
- A tubeless tire. These are now available in practically all categories, and they are also marked accordingly.
- A quantity of sealing milk suitable for the tire volume must be filled in. The following recommendation is made for the very widely used sealant from Stan's:
Trekking bikes, city bikes and e-bikes can also be classified here, depending on the tire size.
A conventional wheelset can also be ridden tubeless under certain circumstances:
https://www.velomotion.de/magazin/2015/01/schwalbe-tubeless/
Which sealing liquids are there? What do their manufacturers say about it? And what's inside?
All tubeless fluid works the same way. It contains fibers or particles that stick together wherever they come into contact with the ambient air and harden to a rubber-like consistency. But even without tire defects, the milk in the tire becomes viscous over time and loses its sealing effect. It therefore has to be replaced after a certain period of time.
Stan's NoTubes
Stan's is the original, first really popular sealant based tubeless system. In addition to the sealing milk, Stan's also has its own rims in its range. The patented BST rim shape should enable easy and quick tubeless assembly at all times. The well-known yellow rim tape from Stan's can be easily attached to all rims, we can confirm that from experience. It is also waterproof and very light. It provides a very good basis for a working tubeless assembly, but also works when using tubes.
Stan's NoTubes tire sealant has been available for over 20 years and has proven itself at the top level of cycling. The sealant based on natural latex is available in two versions, the standard and the race sealant. According to Stan's, the Race Sealant closes holes up to 8 millimeters, while the standard sealant is supposed to create up to 6 millimeters. The latter should last a little longer.
Continental RevoSealant
Continental claims its RevoSealant can seal small cuts or punctures in the tire. It should depend on the air pressure, how big the damage to the tire can be. Up to 2mm for road use where higher pressure is used and up to ~4mm for MTB. In contrast to many other products on the market, the Continental RevoSealant does not contain any natural latex or ammonia. According to Continental, it protects the environment, especially if sealant should escape. RevoSealant should also be more suitable for allergy sufferers and it should put particularly little strain on carbon/aluminium rims.
Maxalami sausage water
Pepi's Tire Noodle is well known for tire inserts in the mountain bike world. These "rubber sausages" are inside the tire and are intended to protect the tire and rim. The parts are sold by Maxalami, and there is a suitable sealant, the so-called sausage water. It is said to be particularly suitable for use in tire inserts because, unlike natural latex products, it does not separate into its components. In addition, natural latex is said to increasingly lead to the formation of crystal balls, which can destroy the tire insert.
Maxalami declares the sausage water as compatible with CO2-Cartouches and skin-friendly. According to Maxalami, the Wurstwasser Hi-Fibre makes a significant contribution to environmental protection, as more and more rainforests are being cleared to produce natural latex. Sausage water is classified as non-hazardous according to international guidelines. According to customers, it lasts significantly longer than products made from natural latex. Due to the simple water dilutability, the durability can be significantly increased.
Schwalbe DocBlue
Of course, the tire giant Schwalbe also has a sealant in its range. The DocBlue Professional is a latex-based sealant, also produced by Stan's NoTubes. It is very easy to fill in via the valve, has an effect of between 2 and 7 months, depending on the area of application, and does not stick to the tyre. With the DocBlue Professional, Schwalbe currently has a very good sealant that works for both low air pressure on MTBs and high-pressure applications such as on racing bikes. What Schwalbe points out, we recommend for sealant of all brands: "Before filling, shake well so that the suspended solids are well distributed in the liquid."
Muc-Off No Pucture Hassle
Muc-Off has become very successful as a specialist in cleaning and care products. For some time there is with the No puncture hassle also sealant from the manufacturer with the bright pink design. The development team says the Sealant has since been tested with numerous athletes around the globe. A total of three years of development should be in the milk. In this way, the sealing performance could be raised to a new level. Microfiber molecules in the liquid are responsible for the sealing performance and should be able to close holes of up to 6mm. The liquid components should be biodegradable, non-irritating to the skin and easy to wash off with warm water. By the way, the microfibers in the No Puncture Hassle are aramid fibers from recycled tires. They help seal the larger holes by intertwining to form a durable, strong seal.
Tune One Shot sealant
Tune doesn't want to say what's in her sealant: "Of course, a good cook doesn't reveal his secret ingredients. However, our milk comes without ammonia, latex and other common additives.”
Are there any special features when handling the sealing milk? How do you dispose of them?
exchange milk? Not necessarily!
The rumor persists that sealant should be replaced regularly. That is not right. The milk dries on the tire and can no longer do its job, that's true. An exchange is not necessary - you just have to refill. This can be done either via the valve or via the rim wall if you pull the tire down a bit. This is very easy and clean. once you have practiced.
Is sealant bad for the environment? How do I dispose of it correctly?
Muc-Off gives a detailed statement on the environmental impact of their sealing material. Their composition makes the tire more durable and maintains its tightness for longer. If you have to change tires less often, you protect the environment. An independent study has also confirmed the reduction in the CO² footprint compared to driving without sealant. The milk can be disposed of as liquid or dry in regular household waste. Muc-Off also explicitly points out that the Mich is classified as non-toxic and even if it gets into water, it will not contaminate it.
Schwalbe and Stan's share the Mich and therefore also the tips for disposal: “If you want to be absolutely sure, you can ask the local authority how to dispose of it, but actually you can dispose of it in the black bin (residual waste). When changing tires, the milk can be wiped out of the tire with a rag and disposed of in the household waste.”
You should be able to completely remove the tune milk with warm water, some soap and a brush. The One Shot Milk is said to be biodegradable, so no special disposal should be necessary.
There is also good news to report from Continental. The RevoSealant should be easy to wash out of the tire with a little water and can be disposed of in the normal recycling cycle. There are also instructions for this directly on the packaging.
Important tip from us: When handling sealant you should protect your clothing well. If something gets on textiles, they are usually irreparably soiled.
What is the application area for tubeless milk?
Schwalbe sees in its DocBlue Milch a good way to be able to drive tires that are not explicitly tubeless-capable. This applies equally to mountain bikes and racing bikes. According to Schwalbe, more and more triathlon athletes are switching from the classic tubular tire to the tubeless system. Numerous teams in the UCI Continental and Pro-Continental League are said to have 100% confidence in the tubeless set-up.
In 2019, Schwalbe was able to provide the winners of the Amstel Gold Race and the Strade Bianche in the WorldWomen Tour, on Schwalbe Pro One TLE. Doc Blue Professional ensures the sealing of the Tubeless Easy tire, but at the same time the sealing milk also offers preventive protection in the event of punctures, because small punctures should be sealed in a matter of seconds. With regard to performance such as rolling resistance and puncture prevention, Schwalbe sees the Tubeless (Easy) system as far superior to the "old" tube or tubular tire set-ups.
Continental says the sealant offers instant protection and helps to get on with small defects and not have to interrupt the tour or the race. However, even with sealant and tubeless punctures cannot be completely ruled out. Continental gives the tip: "You should still carry the usual tire levers, spare tube and pump, especially if you're going on a long tour."
Muc-Off sees tubeless as the best solution for every type of bike. The idea: more time driving, less wasting your nerves, spending less time in the workshop. Stan's sees the established area of application for tubeless milk in mountain bikes and gravel bikes. This is also where the advantages are most obvious: More traction, since you can drive with less air pressure, less rolling resistance, less susceptibility to punctures, lower weight, more driving comfort. But just because the advantages are greatest here doesn't mean that you can't also ride other types of bikes without tubeless.
We agree: it makes sense for anyone who appreciates good driving characteristics and high puncture resistance to try out a tubeless system.
Why hasn't tubeless arrived in the e-bike and road sector yet?
According to Muc-Off, current figures from various partners show that more and more drivers from different areas are opening up to tubeless. Bicycle, tire and component manufacturers support this: Most high-quality modern road bikes, for example, are fully or partially ready for tubeless driving.
Schwalbe sees the road bike sector as very conservative. He adapts new technologies only very slowly. We also experienced this with the disc brake. You want to continue to do persuasion to reduce the fear of assembly and handling. According to Schwalbe, performance-oriented e-bike riders already use tubeless tires, especially in the MTB segment. The system has not yet reached the masses due to the complex assembly process compared to "normal" tires. Schwabe also gives an interesting tip: From a purely legal point of view, tubeless tires may only be installed on pedelecs with a maximum speed of 25km/h. not on speed pedelecs.
Continental also has an opinion on tubeless in combination with the topic of eBikes: “The reason why this technology may not yet have caught on with eMTB riders is probably due to the supposedly higher set-up effort. In our Try&Buy campaigns, which we have increasingly carried out at end customer events this year, we offer our customers the opportunity to also equip their new tires with a tubeless set-up. After seeing how easy it is to achieve a tubeless set-up, the reservations are usually over and the customers carry out the next assembly directly themselves.”
Ignorance and reluctance to install are also seen as obstacles at Stan's. “eBikes are quite heavy, although tubeless should actually be of particular interest for eBikes. After all, replacing a tube on a heavy eBike is more laborious than topping up with milk.” According to Stan's, tubeless has now also arrived in the road bike and eBike sectors. Almost all eBikes and racing bikes in the middle and higher range are already equipped with tubeless-ready rims and many of them are even already equipped with tubeless tires. That means: In most cases, only tubeless rim tape, valves and sealing milk are sufficient for the conversion to tubeless.
Our Conclusion
It doesn't matter whether you drive very sportily, whether you get annoyed about a flat tire from time to time or whether you simply like to try something new. It is worth trying out tubeless for anyone who has some manual skills.