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Convert to Tubeless?

How much would it cost me to convert my Giant to tubeless?  A wheelset, tyres and fluid.  Any recommendations?  

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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24 comments

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CXR94Di2 | 5 years ago
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Always put 70-75mil of either Stans or Orange sealant per tyre.  using 30mil isnt sufficient for road tyres

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... | 5 years ago
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So, the wait has been long, but my lovely steed is now shorn with two Pirelli Cinturato tubeless.   It's taken over a month to assemble all of the bits, and the cost is probably north of £150 when everything's taken into account.  

Off today on annual leave, but back on the bike come Monday.   1 

Thank you to all for the advice.  

 

EDIT: just actually calculated the costs.  £157.25, including LBS labour.  

 

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brooksby replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 5 years ago
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Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

So, the wait has been long, but my lovely steed is now shorn with two Pirelli Cinturato tubeless.   It's taken over a month to assemble all of the bits, and the cost is probably north of £150 when everything's taken into account.  

Off today on annual leave, but back on the bike come Monday.   1 

Thank you to all for the advice.  

"Shod", not "shorn"  PEDANTIC=OFF

Have a good holiday!yes

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
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brooksby wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

So, the wait has been long, but my lovely steed is now shorn with two Pirelli Cinturato tubeless.   It's taken over a month to assemble all of the bits, and the cost is probably north of £150 when everything's taken into account.  

Off today on annual leave, but back on the bike come Monday.   1 

Thank you to all for the advice.  

"Shod", not "shorn"  PEDANTIC=OFF

Have a good holiday!yes

*cough* Just testing....   

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Stratman replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 5 years ago
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Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

So, the wait has been long, but my lovely steed is now shorn with two Pirelli Cinturato tubeless.   It's taken over a month to assemble all of the bits, and the cost is probably north of £150 when everything's taken into account.  

Off today on annual leave, but back on the bike come Monday.   1 

Thank you to all for the advice.  

 

EDIT: just actually calculated the costs.  £157.25, including LBS labour.  

 

I’d be interested to know how you get on.  I’ve had Sector 28s since summer, rear punctured a couple of months ago and didn’t seal, so I put a tube in it.  It was also sketchy on a damp descent near home, so I’m now back on the old faithful GP4S.  I would like to go back to tubeless though, just not sure what to get.

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Kendalred | 5 years ago
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Hutchinson Fusion 5 for me. Got them on the 'best' bike, and all I have ever had to do is add a bit more sealant after a few months. Bestie has now been consigned to the wall hanger (wall art!) for the winter, and I have a winter/commuter on the go, but still with tubed Schwable Duranos on there, which to be fair have been excellent, but did suffer a snake bite puncture last winter that nearly saw me get frostbite in the fingers whilst changing the tube - I have intended to go tubeless on them as well, but just too damn lazy to get on with it - plus had no more punctures on the Duranos, so might just leave it until they are worn out...

...which is going to jinx it now I suppose!

Those Pirelli's look good though, might just have to be my next set.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Kendalred | 5 years ago
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KendalRed wrote:

Hutchinson Fusion 5 for me. Got them on the 'best' bike, and all I have ever had to do is add a bit more sealant after a few months. Bestie has now been consigned to the wall hanger (wall art!) for the winter, and I have a winter/commuter on the go, but still with tubed Schwable Duranos on there, which to be fair have been excellent, but did suffer a snake bite puncture last winter that nearly saw me get frostbite in the fingers whilst changing the tube - I have intended to go tubeless on them as well, but just too damn lazy to get on with it - plus had no more punctures on the Duranos, so might just leave it until they are worn out...

...which is going to jinx it now I suppose!

Those Pirelli's look good though, might just have to be my next set.

I know what you mean about 'bestie'.  I have five bikes, and there's no way I can afford to convert them all to tubeless.  

The Pirellis arrived this morning.  The packaging is very nice, at least.  Bit strange when the postman handed me a medium-sized box, when I'm used to tyres being delivered in, well ... tyre-sized packages.  

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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+1 on the Lezyne HP Road Drive - cracking bit of kit, simple, just works (well), love mine.

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cycle.london replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:

+1 on the Lezyne HP Road Drive - cracking bit of kit, simple, just works (well), love mine.

Got one of these in my backpack.

https://www.lezyne.com/product-hpumps-hp-microfldrhpg.php

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Dicklexic | 5 years ago
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My various sets of Schwalbe Pro Ones and S-Ones with Stans sealant have given excellent reliabilty for the past three and a half years, but in the seat pack I still carry one spare tube just in case, two tyre levers (although the Schwalbes are dead easy to fit without levers) a small traditional puncture kit and a couple of Park Tools Tyre Boots. A decent mini pump (Lezyne HP Road Drive) clipped to the bottle cage is adequate, especially since running tubeless means you can use lower tyre pressues as well. I have wondered about also carrying some 'anchovy' type tubeless repair plugs. I never bother with CO2 cannisters.

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hawkinspeter replied to Dicklexic | 5 years ago
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Dicklexic wrote:

My various sets of Schwalbe Pro Ones and S-Ones with Stans sealant have given excellent reliabilty for the past three and a half years, but in the seat pack I still carry one spare tube just in case, two tyre levers (although the Schwalbes are dead easy to fit without levers) a small traditional puncture kit and a couple of Park Tools Tyre Boots. A decent mini pump (Lezyne HP Road Drive) clipped to the bottle cage is adequate, especially since running tubeless means you can use lower tyre pressues as well. I have wondered about also carrying some 'anchovy' type tubeless repair plugs. I never bother with CO2 cannisters.

I did have some Schwalbe Pro Ones on my bike, but I've found that their not very tough and I did get a big cut on one that ruined it (it was only a week old as well). The biggest issue that I had with commuting on them is that they tend to get very slippery in the wet if you put more than around 70psi into them.

I've got some "anchovy" fixers as well, but whenever I've had a puncture that was too big for sealant to work, it was too big for the anchovy to work as well.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... | 5 years ago
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Unless there's something glaringly obvious (and bleedin' heavy) that I'm missing and that I absolutely need, I reckon my in-backpack commuting tool roll will be halved in weight.  I currently have ...

1 x lezyne foot pump

1 x 'var' tyre lever

3 x acrylic tyre levers

2 x Specialized inner tubes

1 x small pack of tie-backs

Do I need an inner tube?  As my commute is relatively 'local', if I get stranded, I can jump on a train.  

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hawkinspeter replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 5 years ago
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Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

Unless there's something glaringly obvious (and bleedin' heavy) that I'm missing and that I absolutely need, I reckon my in-backpack commuting tool roll will be halved in weight.  I currently have ...

1 x lezyne foot pump

1 x 'var' tyre lever

3 x acrylic tyre levers

2 x Specialized inner tubes

1 x small pack of tie-backs

Do I need an inner tube?  As my commute is relatively 'local', if I get stranded, I can jump on a train.  

I have a tube, tyre levers, a hand pump and a co2 cannister, but have never bothered to muck around with putting in a tube when I've had a big cut as I've been close to a train station. I might ditch the co2 cannister as I've never had them work very well, so I'd be carrying a hand pump anyway (iPump twist: https://ipump.co.jp/#iPumpTwistClass ).

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... | 5 years ago
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2 x SR-2 tubeless rims from Giant - check

2 x Pirelli Cinturato TLR (700C x 25) from Wiggle - check

Genuine Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit - in wife's Amazon basket (as she has Prime)

Caffelatex - as above.

I should be running tubeless by the time I go back to work early January.    1

 

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Fish_n_Chips | 5 years ago
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Had some tubeless wheels with my TCR, they’re not bad at all.  Wish I went tubeless years ago.

 

Those CRC wheels, lightish for training wheels. I was wondering if anyone knew if that freehub is readily available or a special order part from the manufacturer?

Servicing cheap wheels always came back to sting me with rare expensive parts.

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Welsh boy | 5 years ago
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I have not had good experiences with Schwalbe Pro Ones, split 3 of them, all within a few hundred miles of new, all too big to be sealed or reused.  Have just put on Hutchinson fusion 5 performance 11storm, only ridden them once so too early to say what they are like but initial impression was good.

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Joe Totale | 5 years ago
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The Pirelli Cinturato is supposed to be as close to bulletproof as possible before becomming a horrible tire:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/pirelli-cintu...

In terms of sealent I find Wiggle's own brand Lifeline sealent to be pretty effective and it's also cheap. In terms of more expensive stuff Muc Off is also good. 

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fukawitribe replied to Joe Totale | 5 years ago
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Joe Totale wrote:

The Pirelli Cinturato is supposed to be pretty bulletproof:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/pirelli-cintu...

Ooo - that does look good..

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

The Pirelli Cinturato is supposed to be pretty bulletproof:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/pirelli-cintu...

Ooo - that does look good..

I can but agree.   1

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hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

I can recommend the IRC Formula Pro X-guard tyres: https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collections/road-tyres/products/2017-irc-fo...

Also Caffelatex is a great sealant.

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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If you can fit the Specialized Roubaix Pro, i'd give them a punt with the Orange Seal. Also worth sticking instant patches and a fiver / flexible plastic in your pocket/seat-bag for a tyre boot (for big rips) and maybe look at a worm pack for punctures that the sealant might struggle with on it's own but smaller than a big rip. Not tried them, but these look alright and cheap

 

https://road.cc/content/review/183575-genuine-innovations-tubeless-tire-...

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:

If you can fit the Specialized Roubaix Pro, i'd give them a punt with the Orange Seal. Also worth sticking instant patches and a fiver / flexible plastic in your pocket/seat-bag for a tyre boot (for big rips) and maybe look at a worm pack for punctures that the sealant might struggle with on it's own but smaller than a big rip. Not tried them, but these look alright and cheap

 

https://road.cc/content/review/183575-genuine-innovations-tubeless-tire-...

Feels like I'm entering a whole new world.  1

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fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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A number of recent Giants have tubeless-ready wheelset, so worth double checking if you haven't already. If you need one, eBay for used (lots normally) or Chainreaction Prime Peloton wheels look decent value for new - £135 and PayPal credit terms available.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/prime-peloton-v2-road-wheelset-2018/...

Sealant wise, i've heard a lot of good things about Orange Seal Endurance but not used it - Stans historically but i'm nearly out and will try the Orange next.

 

Tyres - depends where you're thinking of riding I guess. For road Hutchinson Fusion 5 / Mavic Yksion Pro UST (nearly the same) have good reviews, IRC if you can get and afford, and Schwalbe Pro Ones are obvious classics. Personally i'm loving the Specialized S-Works Turbo 2Bliss in 28mm - lovely fast ride, insane grip, really comfy, from Irvine Cycles, but looks like they've sold out now. They do have the Paris-Roubaix (beefier) version still at £ 43.50 a pair, but that's a 30/32mm tyre so clearance might be an issue.

 

http://www.irvinecycles.co.uk/swkstbo2br.html

 

2p worth.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to fukawitribe | 5 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:

A number of recent Giants have tubeless-ready wheelset, so worth double checking if you haven't already. If you need one, eBay for used (lots normally) or Chainreaction Prime Peloton wheels look decent value for new - £135 and PayPal credit terms available.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/prime-peloton-v2-road-wheelset-2018/...

Sealant wise, i've heard a lot of good things about Orange Seal Endurance but not used it - Stans historically but i'm nearly out and will try the Orange next.

 

Tyres - depends where you're thinking of riding I guess. For road Hutchinson Fusion 5 / Mavic Yksion Pro UST (nearly the same) have good reviews, IRC if you can get and afford, and Schwalbe Pro Ones are obvious classics. Personally i'm loving the Specialized S-Works Turbo 2Bliss in 28mm - lovely fast ride, insane grip, really comfy, from Irvine Cycles, but looks like they've sold out now. They do have the Paris-Roubaix (beefier) version still at £ 43.50 a pair, but that's a 30/32mm tyre so clearance might be an issue.

 

http://www.irvinecycles.co.uk/swkstbo2br.html

 

2p worth.

Cheers, mate.  For tyres, what I want is something that's never going to puncture.  I know I can't have that, so 'almost never' is an acceptable alternative.  :-P

Most riding will be commuting.

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