Tubes vs. Tubeless Tires - Advantages of Tubeless
Fewer Flat Tires
There are two main types of flat tires, a pinch flat and a puncture flat. Upgrading to tubeless tires helps to ward off both of these. A pinch flat occurs when the tube is pinched against the rim, usually the result of a hard impact or improper installation. With tubeless bike tires it’s simple: no tubes, no potential for pinch flats! Punctures meanwhile, like thorns, nails and the like will be sealed by the tubeless tire sealant, so you can keep riding. In the event of a puncture that the sealant can’t seal, you can always throw in a tube and keep riding. Dealing with fewer flat tires is one of the biggest advantages of tubeless tires.
Lower Weight
More often than not, you will be able to shave some weight off of your bike by converting to tubeless tires. While the weight savings here aren’t huge, this is the most noticeable kind of weight to lose from your bike - rotational weight. In other words, there will be less weight for you to have to turn with every pedal stroke. This will let you accelerate more quickly, which is definitely noticeable when climbing hills, especially on more technical sections of mountain bike trails.
Lower Tire Pressures
Another great benefit of tubeless bike tires is the ability to run lower tire pressures. Lower tire pressures give you greater traction on the road or trail, and gives your ride some more padding. Traditionally, lower pressures meant a greater risk of pinch flats, but as we discussed earlier, you don’t have to worry about pinch-flatting tubeless mountain bike tires.
How Do Tubeless Bike Tires Work?
Tubeless bike tires work by creating a seal between your bike tires and rims, meaning you don’t need inner tubes to keep air in your tires.The bead of the tire seats into the rim, then a gooey
sealant product is inserted into the tire to make it airtight. Running tubeless tires gives you a host of benefits from fewer flats to reduced weight. While the initial setup of your tubeless mountain bike tires can be a little bit tricky, it’s a worthwhile upgrade to any bike.