tubeless vs tubeless: help a newbie out!

Honestly, I’ve had nothing but great experiences using sealant. A buddy of mine ended up with seven or eight flats while we were out, yet I didn't get hit with a single one—and mind you, we were riding the exact same route together. It just goes to show there's definitely some real value there! Plus, I don't feel any of that annoying bouncing or harshness on the ride, especially running a 1.95 tire.

mistygull24 said:I’ve actually had pretty good luck using tubes. One of my buddies ended up with flats maybe seven or eight times during our rides, while I didn't hit a single one—and we were riding the exact same trails, one following the other—so there’s definitely some value there if you ask me. Plus, I don't feel any of that annoying bouncing or harshness either, especially since I'm running a 1.95 tire.

Honestly, that doesn't tell me much. I was out riding with a few friends last year and both of my tires went flat, yet none of them had any issues at all. And keep in mind, nobody in our group was even using tubes...

I know there’s definitely an element of luck involved when it comes to getting a flat, but in my 1.2 miles case, I haven't had a single puncture, whereas he's dealt with seven or eight. Honestly, I’m convinced that using that sealant made all the difference 😉. I still vividly remember the last time I actually had to deal with a flat tire myself.

I might be derailing this thread, but there's a loose connection to the core idea here.

Since I'm pretty much a novice cyclist, my biggest "what if" was always just getting a flat tire. I never once imagined that at kilometer 29 on my ride, the rear derailleur would just snap right off. facepalm

First, the chain dropped. I hopped off the bike, lifted the rear wheel, and checked to make sure nothing was jammed up. I tried shifting gears smoothly and gave the pedal a spin by hand...😱

melloworca said:To be fair, I’m still fairly green when it comes to cycling, so my main "what if" scenarios were always centered around flat tires. I never once imagined that at the 30-mile mark, my rear derailleur would just decide to detach itself from the bike. facepalm

Anything can happen out there. You could snap a derailleur or have a cable failure, and honestly, you can fix quite a bit on the side of the road to make it back home. I'm actually curious—how did you manage to handle it?😁

Please tell me you didn't have to walk it home.😁

Sure, and it’s actually pretty comfortable for pushing around. I did a little tweaking because it's nice to just sit back and watch everyone else gear up for their ride while you're chilling at home. Taking it in for service today—we'll see how it holds up, but it's an old bike. It's been out for eight working days, and half of those were spent just sitting in the garage. 😵

melloworca said:Oh yeah, because nothing says "enjoyable ride" like pushing a bike by hand.

Look, it’s simple. You carry one tiny little tool in your saddlebag—something that costs maybe 60 bucks$27—you use it to shorten the chain so you're locked into just one gear, say middle-middle, and suddenly you're pedaling away instead of walking. Problem solved, and you'll be back home in no time.

restlesssurfer5 said:Kevlar strips. You shove them between the tire and the tube. Simple as that. $20 Both tires are shot. Just drive it.

Where the hell can I find those Kevlar rim strips?

Also, does anyone know which tire brand goes absolutely overboard with the sidewall graphics? I’m talking about the ones covered in obnoxious logos, colors, and branding everywhere.
Where the hell can I actually find tires like those?
I love them.

Kevlar is solid—you see it in Cannondale setups, tubeless builds, and even those budget rigs are way better now. As for the tires themselves... Geax actually puts some pretty killer graphics on their sidewalls. 😁