Tubes bad, Stan's good
Written: Oct 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Virtually eliminates flats
Cons: Tricky set up. (tips to make it easier included)
The Bottom Line: If you spend a lot of time riding, and want to spend less time fixing flats, this is for you.
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| FlanderFlop's Full Review: Stan's No Tubes Standard UST Tubeless System |
You will meet two types of people who have tried Stan’s No-Tubes tubeless system. The first is the group who tried it, never got it to work, gave up and either went to standard UST or back to tubes. The second is the group who swears that it is the best set up in the world. I am in the second group and not only will I tell you why, but I will also tell you how to avoid being in the first group if you try the system. (This accidentally got a little long, so you can scroll down to the bits that interest you)
About the System
Stan’s tubeless system is designed to convert a combination of standard rims and standard tires into a complete tubeless system. This can save the average consumer quite a bit of money considering the extra cost of UST (tubeless) specific tubes and tires. The system works by placing a rubber rim strip around the rim to mostly seal off the nipple holes, and then installing a standard tire filled with a sealant. As the tire is inflated, the sealant is pushed into all of the cracks and holes and seals them. Extra sealant can be added later without breaking the seal by unscrewing the specialized valve stem and pouring it in. The complete no tubes starter kit package comes with a measuring cup, a pouring cap, a bottle of sealant, two rubber rim strips & rim tape.
Why Tubeless?
This is all fine and dandy, but what is the point? The major benefit to this system is that it virtually eliminates flats. The two most common types of flats are punctures and pinches, and Stan’s solves both. At one point I decided to change my tire out, and when I pulled the old one off I found no less than 14 thorns sticking through to the inside of the tire and it had never gone flat. ( Now consider that a new tube costs between $3-5, my system just paid for itself) So with the sealant protecting you from punctures we move on to pinch flats (also known as snakebites due to the characteristic pair of holes it leaves in your tube).
A pinch flat occurs when you hit an object, usually a sharp rock, hard enough that the tire is compressed to the rim so that the tube is pinched between the tire and the rim. This leaves either two or four holes in your tube and causes you to go flat very quickly. This usually occurs in the rear tire when running low tire pressure. If there is no tube in the tire, there is nothing to pinch, so you can’t by definition get a pinch flat when running tubeless unless you drive your rim clear through your tire which I have never seen happen.
When you don’t have to worry about pinch flats you can run a lower tire pressure which will give you better traction. Before I switched to Stan’s I would never run a tire pressure less than 50PSI simply because I was willing to take a little harsher ride and less traction to avoid the dreaded pinch. Since switching to Stan’s I have slowly gotten used to selecting tire pressure for the terrain rather than for pinch prevention.
Why do people tell me they tried it and it didn’t work?
There are a lot of variables when you are setting up this system, but basically you need a tire that fits snugly to the rim. Some rims hold tires tighter by their design, and some tires tend to hold rims tighter by their design. So different rim/tire combinations may require a little extra work or some tweaks. What happens is that people tend to just try this system with whatever they happen to have right now, and if they make a mistake or there is a problem with the combination they are running right now they will assume it either doesn’t work or it is just too much of a pain to bother with. Those of us who were lucky enough that the first system we tried worked, came to love the system and as we come across combinations that don’t work we figure out why they don’t work and what can be done to make them work.
The no-tubes.com website has some good tables to let you know how to get your rims to work. Some of the deeper rims will require you two use two layers of rim tape (preferably a fat heavy tape like Velox or Pedro’s) so that the rubber rim strip pushed up and holds the beads tigher. Some of the lower rims, will require you to use a lighter weight rim tams (like Rox) so that it doesn’t push the rim strip up too high. Rims that are drilled for Presta valve tubes will require you to widen the hole just a little. (I made the mistake of forgetting this step once and spent a lot of time cussing at the system)
The no-tubes site also has a list of tires they recommend and don’t recommend. These recommendations are based mostly on the strength of the sidewall of the tire, not on the ease of set up. Personally I just ignore this list as I discovered that many of the tires I have used are on their “not recommended” list, and I have not had any problem with them.
Tips on Set up
#1 don’t forget to widen your presta hole in your rim. It probably won’t work if you don’t.
#2 Soap the rim strip before you install it. This will save you a lot of time putting it in.
#3 A plastic tire lever will also help you make sure the rim strip sits properly.
# 4 Use Lots of Soap Inside and out - The directions suggest that you should use soapy water to help create the seal and show you where you are losing air. The more you use the easier it will be to set up. If you have been working on it a while, re-soap the tire and rim.
#5 If you have access to an air compressor, use that rather than a floor pump. This will save you a lot of time. Floor pumps will work, Frame pumps do not deliver enough air fast enough to get the tire to seat.
#6 The directions say you should hang the tire when inflating it. No one does this. The hardest part to get to seat is right by the valve. There are two good ways I have seen to get this part to seat. 1. Hold that area flat with your hands while pumping and move it around until you hear that you are not losing air there, then pump like mad. #2 While you are pumping, bounce the rim on the ground repeatedly and rapidly so that the tire compresses and decompresses right at the valve site. Note that this is a gentle bounce just enough to flatten the tire to the rim.
#7 Other than this just follow the directions.
My Stans Experience
I started to look into Stan’s after a 24 hour race where I flatted 6 times. I have not had a flat in a 24 hour race since I started running Stan’s, and the only flats I have had otherwise were because I went too long without adding sealant to the tires. Note here that you should add some extra sealant every couple of months, and that it is not a bad idea to take the whole thing apart and clean it out once or twice a year to get the old sealant out. You will find rubberized balls where it has sealed holes.
I have also had a lot more faith in my wheels since I started using Stan’s. In the past I would pick through rock gardens timidly to avoid pinching the tubes, now I just bomb through and don’t worry about it. Although I still don’t run as low a pressure as some, I have allowed myself to take a little pressure out of my tires for increased traction.
Where to buy Stan’s
Stan’s is sold through QBP which is the most common distributor for bike shops, so most any shop will be able to special order it for you if they don’t stock it. You can also order it directly from Stan’s at No-tubes.com , but their pricing is a bit high to protect their dealers. Personally I order it online from www.goosecreekcycle.com (my favorite online dealer) as their pricing is a little lower than what you can get in a shop.
Who do I recommend Stan’s to?
If you are the type of person who is changing tires constantly, either consider switching them less or stay away from Stan’s. Changing tires with this system is not without effort, and the money you save not buying tubes quickly goes out the window buying 2oz of fluid every time you change your tires.
Also if you plan on selling your tires used, Stan’s leaves a gunky residue on the inside of the tire that tends to turn off non-Stan’s folks.
If you run only one set of tires or change the tire only every couple of months or so, Stan’s will save you a lot of time fixing flats on the trail. It can also potentially save you some cash that you would otherwise spend on tubes especially if you live in an area where you are prone to picking up thorns or running over cacti.
If you currently use UST tubeless tires you may want to consider adding a few oz. of Stan’s fluid to help prevent punctures and keep you from having to patch your tires.
Recommended:
Yes
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