I'm sure many of you are very interested in tubeless road bike tires.

I've posted articles about tubeless tires before, but to find out what the real story is, I interviewed users and pro shops and compiled their opinions.

Adopting Tubeless Tires: A Trade-off Between Pros and Cons

Common comments include:

"The comfort and smoothness of tubeless tires surpass clinchers."

"They roll easily even at lower air pressures."

"Being puncture-resistant provides peace of mind."

However, there's also an opinion from pro shops that:

"Many people can't tell the difference in a blind test."

This means that the evaluation depends on how many benefits one perceives, which varies with their level of expectation.

So, let's address the four points you're likely interested in:

① Is the hassle of installation and removal manageable?

② Puncture repair seems troublesome.

③ I don't understand much about sealant.

④ Air pressure can't be judged by previous standards.

Let's tackle these one by one.

[Reference Article] The Current State of Road Bike Tubeless Tires

About Tubeless Tire Installation and Removal

First, let me share the latest view from pro shops: "Installation and removal are not much different from clinchers."

However, they also stated that "meticulous attention is required for rim tape application and valve installation." These two points are cited as the biggest causes of air leaks.

Furthermore, there's a consensus that "sealant is essential for tubeless tires."

We'll discuss sealant in more detail in a later chapter.

Continuing the discussion on tire installation and removal:

One opinion was that "using tubeless-specific tire levers makes the job easier."

Another tip to consider is that "if it's difficult to install, applying bead wax is an option."

To seat the bead, i.e., to seal the tire to the rim, a large amount of air needs to be injected all at once. This means you have to pump at maximum "cadence" with a manual pump (laughs).

Having a compressor makes this possible in an instant.

About Puncture Repair

Naturally, 99% of punctures happen when you're out riding.

Many opinions were heard, such as:

"If sealant is already in, punctures from nails and similar objects can be prevented."

"At worst, it will be a slow puncture, and you can deal with it by using a CO2 cartridge on the go."

Therefore, punctures severe enough to cause a tubeless tire to lose air are often due to a slightly larger cut, which requires an emergency repair by inserting an inner tube into the tire.

It's easy to imagine that the sealant inside the tire can interfere with this process.

A unique opinion from a pro shop was: "Removing the valve directly attached to the rim and accurately setting the inner tube's valve is also a rather delicate task."

"The best way to prevent punctures is to watch the road surface carefully."

This applies to cars as well.

Learning About Sealant

It's safe to say that sealant is essential for both tubeless and tubeless-ready tires.

Besides sealing punctures, it also helps to improve the airtightness inside the tire, making it less prone to air leaks.

As a rule, sealant is injected through the valve (excluding those with solid particles).

I heard that "a syringe from Daiso (with the needle removed) is a perfect fit."

Caution is needed because "the liquid will leak if you don't inject it with the valve at the top."

The majority of opinions suggest that "if you follow the usual procedure, you won't get your hands dirty," but even if it does leak, sealant is water-soluble and can be washed off with water.

There is also information about sealant maintenance.

It is usually specified to replenish sealant every six months to a year.

While this should ideally be followed, a pro shop mentioned that "there's a brave soul who left it in for two years."

And, upon inspection, it was still in liquid form.

While this is an extreme example, proceed at your own risk.

"Sealant residue stuck to the rim and tire, especially the tire bead, can be troublesome."

This can also be scrubbed off with a brush and neutral detergent.

Indeed, when reassembling, sealant residue on the bead can sometimes make it difficult for the bead to seat properly.

There's also a rather unsettling point that "the weight of sealant is comparable to that of a lightweight clincher tube." Moreover, replenishing it increases the weight.

This is related to tire wear, but changing tires or cleaning them at regular intervals is a possible solution.

About Tubeless Tire Air Pressure

The ability to run at lower air pressures than clincher tires is a major advantage of tubeless tires.

So, what's a good pressure? The best way is to experiment and find your optimal value, but there's actually a helpful resource for this.

It's the "MY MAVIC" smartphone app.

When you open "Calculate tire pressure" within the app, you can input a wide range of parameters such as bicycle type, purpose, tire type, weather, rim width, tire width, brake type, rider weight, and bicycle weight, and it will provide an optimal (or estimated optimal) value.

ICAN Wheels and Tubeless Compatibility

Most ICAN wheels are compatible with both clincher and tubeless tires.

You can access the ICAN Wheels website here.

The best answer for your bike is waiting for you. Please make use of it.

Summary

This time, we shared the current practical state of tubeless tires.

I hope the realistic and practical information we gathered was helpful.

We will continue to keep a close eye on the trends of tubeless tires.

We hope the ICAN blog is useful to you.