Are tubeless tires the solution to frequent flat tires?

Question

I have owned a Trek FX3 for about 6 weeks and I have suffered 3 flats in the last 4 weeks (front and back tires). All my cycling is on road (almost exclusively in the cycle lane). The shop I bought from have recommended that I go tubeless with sealant which I am a bit nervous about.

With all the flats I have managed to get home by simply inflating the tires with CO2, and I would have the tube replaced after that (not repaired).

I have 3 related questions:

1. Will the tubeless tire setup generally be more reliable?
2. Will I know when I get a flat with the new setup? I worry with this setup that I might not realize that something has punctured my tire and end up with catastrophic tire damage from not removing the cause of the puncture.
3. I notice that the CO2 is very cold and was wondering if this might make the sealant less effective?

Thanks in advance.

UPDATE

I opted to try tubeless and the new tires would not fit on the rims no matter what the bike shop tried. It turns out that there was a "tolerance issue" with the wheels on my bike. This might explain why I had so many punctures (or maybe not?!) I ended up getting free replacement wheels which are supposedly a lot better than what I have (They cost more than my entire bike!!) Not sure what benefit this is to me other than the ride does feel a lot more comfortable.

Answer 1

I wouldn't go for tubeless as a first attempt to solve the problem. Tubeless might be a good solution for skinny racing bike tyres, which are rather prone to puncturing. But you really shouldn't be having much of a problem with punctures on a hybrid bike with 32C tyres.

• Tubeless usually requires new tyres. If you're going to buy new tyres, there are plenty of options such as kevlar-lined tyres that are very puncture-resistant. (Schwalbe make various kinds such as Marathon that are well spoken of by cyclists in much rougher environments than the road; other brands are available.)

• You might want to consider tyre liners as a first line of defence.

• Honestly, that many punctures in such a short time suggests that you're doing something wrong.

  • Are you making sure that whatever caused your puncture has been removed from the tyre before you fit a new or repaired inner tube?

  • What do the punctures look like? If it's on the inside of the tube, it's a problem with a spoke. If it's two separate holes on the sidewall (a "snake bite" or "pinch" puncture), it's because you hit a kerb or pothole too hard with under-inflated tyres and pinched the tube between the rim and the road. If it's a single hole on the outside, you ran over something sharp. If it's at the valve, either the valve hole in the rim has sharp edges or you didn't install the tube properly (the valve should be at right-angles to the rim, for example).

  • An unfortunate feature of cycle lanes is that road debris naturally migrates to the side of the road, where the cycle lane is. Cycle at least a couple of feet from the kerb to avoid the worst of it.

  • Avoid potholes as far as possible; ditto drain covers, manholes, etc. Make sure you always know what's behind you so you know when you can cycle around them. If you can't avoid a pothole, lift your bottom slightly off the saddle and cushion the impact by letting your knees flex. Avoid puddles wherever possible – you don't know what hazards are under the water.

  • Speed bumps are just potholes in reverse so be careful there, too. A common arrangement in the UK is to have the cycle lane bypass the speed bump, with a raised kerb between the cycle lane and speed bump, to force vehicles over the bump. The kerb means that street sweepers can't get to the cycle lane so, again, it fills with puncture-causing debris.

  • Make sure you're running your tyres at the correct pressure. Too soft and you'll get pinch flats; too high and minor damage can turn into a flat.

Also, you should definitely consider repairing your inner tubes. It's easy, saves a lot of money and the repaired tube is just as strong as the original. Also, it helps you diagnose the problem, as discussed above.

Answer 2

Absolutely! I've been using tubeless with sealant for years on my mountain bikes and can count the flats I had since with one single hand.

Will the tubeless tire setup generally be more reliable?

Sure! No flats unless your tire has a hole big enough so that the sealant can not fix.

Will I know when I get a flat with the new setup? I worry with this setup that I might not realize that something has puncture my tire and end up with catastrophic tire damage from not removing the cause of the puncture.

Most likely not, you'll notice most flats when you replace your tire because it's worn out. You'll just see your tire loosing pressure from ride to ride, this will indicate you need to add some more sealant. In some occasions you may hear air and see sealant leaking giving you the option to remove the cause of the flat, if visible. Seriously, you'll just forget about flat tires. If what puncture your tire can damage it, probably sealant will just fail but, in my experience, that happens very little.

I notice that the CO2 is very cold and was wondering if this might make the sealant less effective?

Not at all. Sometimes I use CO2 to inflate my tires quickly and place the tire correctly on the rim without it leaking.