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Xtri Gear Review: Stan's No Tubes System
By Mark Steckel
4/28/2009 |
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Anyone who's ridden a bike long enough has had to deal with a flat tire. I had terrible luck last Spring. It seemed I couldn't get through a ride without a flat tire. My bad luck continued this winter on the indoor trainer no less! After replacing numerous tubes, and trying various tires I had on hand, I finally found something that worked but the experience left me thinking, "There's got to be a better solution than this."
It turns out there is. A flat tire is always caused by a leak in the tube, so why not just eliminate the tube? Hutchinson Tires is making a road tubeless version that is designed to fit on certain tubeless rims, but I like my current rims. I just don't want any more flat tires. Enter Stan's No Tubes. Stan's makes a conversion kit for road rims that allows a rider to use his or her existing rims with Hutchinson Tubeless tires. But before I go any further, I can't emphasize enough that this only works with road tubeless tires like the Hutchinson Fusion 2. Tubeless tires have a thicker bead and if you tried using a regular tire it would keep blowing off the rim.
Stan's No Tube Kit consists of a roll of rim tape, valve stems (with removable cores), Stan's tire sealant, and two Hutchinson Fusion 2 tires. The entire kit retails for just US$150, and when you consider that's two tires plus never having to buy tubes again, it's a good deal.
Installation is straight forward. Anyone who has changed tubes and tires before can manage this changeover. There's a great video on the NoTubes website for reference. Simply remove the existing rim strips (which are there to keep the ends of the spoke nipples from contacting an inner tube), and use the included roll of tape to seal off the spoke holes in the rim. Cut out the valve stem hole, insert a stem, and then mount a tire. The Fusion 2's are a snug fit. I've mounted easy tires, and difficult tires, and these are close to the difficult end of the spectrum but no worse than a tight fitting clincher. Once the tire is mounted, use a brush with soapy water to soap both beads of the tire, all the way around. This helps the tire pop into place during inflation. I had no trouble inflating the tires, however if you can't get air into the tire fast enough, it won't expand to grab the rim quick enough, and you may need to use a compressor for that first inflation. Once the tire fills and grabs the rim, you'll notice the soap bubbling all around the rim. To seal everything, deflate the tire, remove the valve core, and pour in a 2oz bottle of Stan's tire sealant. The sealant will fill every little leak and make the job airtight. Very airtight. I've had the tires installed for over 2 weeks and I haven't had to add any air yet. The installation video ends with Stan puncturing the sidewall of the tire numerous times - right through both sides - with no loss of pressure as the sealant fills the holes right away.
I've been told the sealant will last about 7 months, at which point more can be added to maintain the seal. Minor punctures will seal themselves, but a major hole that causes the tire to go flat is probably too large for the sealant to close off, so it's still a good idea to carry a spare inner tube. In this example, you'd simply use the inner tube to get you home, and then probably have to replace the tire. But they are very tough. In fact, the Française des Jeux cycling team road tubeless for this year's Paris-Roubaix. Considering that UCI teams are traditionally slow at adopting new technology, that says something about the tire's durability on a notoriously ruthless course.
Here are some of the benefits of running tubeless tires, according to the NoTubes website:
• Tubeless allows you to ride with lower tire pressure and this gives you a much smoother ride adding suspension to your road bike
• Once you're tubeless tires roll 12% easier
• Puncture resistance - NoTubes sealant will seal most punctures
• Lower pressures will stop many of the small cuts you get due to the high pressure making the tire not conform and roll over sharp objects
• For city riding over glass you can run 70 psi and have fewer cuts
• Lower pressures will make tires last much longer
• Better air retention. After a few days of riding NoTubes sealant will make your road tires hold air pressure with little air loss. This means you may not need to check your pressures as often saving you time.
• When riding tubeless you will not need to worry as much about pinch flatting
But for me, the main benefit of tubeless is that the system is confidence inspiring. I don't worry about getting a flat anymore. I'll still carry a spare tube, but I doubt I'll ever have to use it. The tires themselves ride very well. I like the feel of a little less pressure in my training tires. That added comfort can make a big difference over a long ride. I haven't tried the tires on an indoor trainer, and I have no intention of doing so. I'm saving these for the road where I can truly appreciate the benefits of an idea that was long overdue.
MSRP - US$150
More info - www.NoTubes.com
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