Tubeless on a gravel bike: 3000 km later
I switched the gravel bike to tubeless in spring, mostly out of curiosity and partly because I was tired of pinch flats on the forest roads east of town. Here is what the first 3000 km looked like.
Setup
- 40 mm tyres on 25 mm internal rims;
- two layers of tape, the second one slightly narrower;
- 60 ml of latex sealant per tyre, topped up every two months.
One of the two tyres seated with a floor pump. The other refused until I bought a cheap booster tank — the best twenty euros spent on the whole project.
Punctures
| Cause | Fix | Time lost |
|---|---|---|
| Thorn, 1 mm | Sealed on its own | 0 |
| Glass, ~4 mm cut | One plug | 6 min |
| Flint, sidewall | Two plugs + boot | 20 min |
Pressure
The real win is pressure. I ride at 2.3 bar front and 2.5 bar rear (about 78 kg with bike), which would have meant constant pinch flats with tubes. Washboard sections are noticeably less tiring.
Check sealant before a long ride, not after. Dry sealant is just expensive glue.