ultralight/racing tubes?

[rsosborn]

i used these on my last bike. they made a huge difference in the feel. it came with them and it had lighter wheels also. would anyone recommend adding these to a bike to drop weight? and where would you get them?

[Trailcreep]

performance sells an ultralite and a lunar light under their brand name. You can drop about 100 grams per wheel - 1/4 lb. But you have to use the thread on ring to lock the valve in place otherwise you'll rip it out of the tube.

[g_barr]

I LOVE Specialized's pre-talc'd Turbo Ultralight tubes (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=26658). I don't know the weight but they are 0.6mm thick. I've also found their Thorn Resistant Racing tubes (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=26657) to be satisfactory.

The only problem I've had with the thinner tubes on my hardtail is pinch flats at low psi - say sub-35. I don't patch tubes and I only replace a tube when it leaks. I have actually had one of the ultralight tubes in three different tires for about a year.

[riffraff]

Get the "lunar lights" from Performance they are on sale right now too...5.49.

26x1.95-2.25

95 grams...according to the box. ;)

[pbayne]

If you really want to save the weight then use the Stan's no-tubes system. And get some light tires while your at it. No need to use UST tires, you can easily seal up a standard tire.

[DaveG]

If you really want to save the weight then use the Stan's no-tubes system. And get some light tires while your at it. No need to use UST tires, you can easily seal up a standard tire.


I went from Stans to ultra light tubes and there was no appreciable weight loss.

The Stans rim strip weighs ~60 grams and they want you to put 60-90 grams of the gunk in the tires. Weighs about the same as light tubes.


Personally I'd only go stans w/ the Stans rims; that way you can do w/o the rim strip, plus the tires actually seat well enough not to come off like mine did.

Dave

[jed]

With tubes, you cannot run low tire pressures like you can with Stans. Also stans protects you from slow leaks caused by thorns and other small sharp objects. Low pressures are worth it because you can corner fast on rough surfaces and get better traction on roots and off-camber stuff. There is no way I'd run tire pressures in the high 20's with tubes like I do with Stans.

If you are into racing and looking for light weight, I think it is pretty well accepted that Stans is superior to tubes. Pretty much all the pros, from the top down, run Stans or something similar. Pretty much everyone else racing expert and up does too. Few people race XC on tubes anymore.

Stans wheels are the way to go for the ultimate in light weight and tubeless compatibility, but it is still worth it even if you need to run a rim strip in some other rims. I'm not sure the sealant classifies as rotating weight, either, because a large portion of it is sitting in a pool near the tire's contact patch.

[Vecsus]

The problem I have with converting to Stans is that I like to swap tires out too often. Before going tubeless I would have to pick a set of treads to stick with.

[pbayne]

I wouldn't worry about switching tires with Stans. Once you figure it out it's easy, though a little messy. I regularly switch between 3 tires. Most people switch too often anyway. Its better to really learn the characteristics of a couple of tires and stick with it. By changing air pressure or using more worn out sets you can work all kinds of conditions with the same tire. I only change for extreme mud, or extreme hardpack conditions (lots of that with this season's racing).

I agree that the weight savings may be minimal depending on your setup. But if done right, with the lightweight rim strip or yellow spoke tape, you will save, even with the weight of the sealant.

Besides the small weight savings the other bonus' are the lower tire pressure, elimination of pinch flats, and the sealing of small holes.

Tubeless ranks up there with suspension and clipless pedals as a huge advance in bike technology. Once you use it, you'll never go back.

[DaveG]

I wouldn't worry about switching tires with Stans. Once you figure it out it's easy, though a little messy. I regularly switch between 3 tires. Most people switch too often anyway. Its better to really learn the characteristics of a couple of tires and stick with it. By changing air pressure or using more worn out sets you can work all kinds of conditions with the same tire. I only change for extreme mud, or extreme hardpack conditions (lots of that with this season's racing).

I agree that the weight savings may be minimal depending on your setup. But if done right, with the lightweight rim strip or yellow spoke tape, you will save, even with the weight of the sealant.

Besides the small weight savings the other bonus' are the lower tire pressure, elimination of pinch flats, and the sealing of small holes.

Tubeless ranks up there with suspension and clipless pedals as a huge advance in bike technology. Once you use it, you'll never go back.

My first and only experience w/ Stans came on my newest bike. It would lose air, I got a hole that the stans wouldn't patch and the tire blew off the rim in a corner after hitting a bump. This was in the space of about 3 weeks. I switched to tubes and it's been much more trouble free. I'm running on a 29er which are in my experience much less prone to pinch flats.

When it was working I thought it rode well. I think part of my problem is the rim; it's a DT and tires fit _really_ loosely; I just don't think they're good candidates for going tubeless w/ Stans.


My next wheelset (not too happy w/ my I9s right now) will have Stans rims. My bud Jason is running that setup now and he's really liking it.

Dave

[jed]

I admit that Stans is not the most bombproof setup. I have burped air from tires on Stans rims in crashes a couple of times, and generally I find that I have to pay more attention when running light tires at low pressure in rocks (surprise, surprise), but to me those risks are worth it for the weight savings. I haven't had any problems as long as I've kept the rubber side down. Generally I have had pretty good experience with it.

Stans website is pretty good at telling you the ins and outs of almost any tire/rim combo either in his support or info sections or in the forum. If you search the forum by tire and/or rim you can probably find a post from someone explaining how to make it work, or that it will not work no matter what.

If you want bombproof, UST is the way to go, the tires are really heavy but put a scoop of Stans in there and you can ride over almost anything at low pressure without fear.

[rsosborn]

cool. i went back and forth at the shop, and was worried about the thickness (thin-ness). glad "lunar lights" work because i'm sure they'll feel great.

[BikerMiker]

I use the turbo tubes from Spec'd too. I don't like the high-maintenance stuff and tubeless falls in there. Goop? No thanks. Warn the shop when you ask them to switch tires for you too!

Nothing wrong with tubes for xc racing. And nothing wrong with tubes for endurance stuff. No point riding for 6 hours then being forced to stop because you burped your tire diving into a high speed turn.

Jed weighs in at 155lbs with bricks in his pockets. And he rides like it. Be careful paying attention to that guy. He's not normal.

mike

[jed]

I use the turbo tubes from Spec'd too. I don't like the high-maintenance stuff and tubeless falls in there. Goop? No thanks. Warn the shop when you ask them to switch tires for you too!

Nothing wrong with tubes for xc racing. And nothing wrong with tubes for endurance stuff. No point riding for 6 hours then being forced to stop because you burped your tire diving into a high speed turn.

Jed weighs in at 155lbs with bricks in his pockets. And he rides like it. Be careful paying attention to that guy. He's not normal.

mike

I ran 480g tires front and rear on Stans Olympic rims at the SM100. I ran a Maxxis CrossMark eXCeption up front and a Hutchinson Pirahna Air Light 2.0 rear. Both were regular tires juiced with Stans, although the Pirahna might be "tubeless ready" because the beads make a nice popping sound when they seat. I didn't flat. I felt it was worth slowing down a little on the rocky downhills and losing maybe 15-20 seconds to minimize weight for the 14000 feet of climbing.

Sure, there is nothing wrong with tubes. But tubeless is superior, and there are ways to keep it light and make it reliable. Light wheels and tires is definitely something you notice immediately, and it is the most cost effective way to drop a lot of important weight from your bike. And lower pressures sure help with cornering and traction over roots and rocks.

Stans can be a hassle to deal with though, I will admit that. Getting tires mounted and sealed can be tricky. But it is worth it if you want light weight and tubeless.