Stans NoTubes Alpha 340 Wheels

2 years now and no flats, that's worth a lot of money!
I use a Shimano (tubeless specific)/Hutchinson combo which works well, there have been some poor Hutchinson tubeless tyres, if yours does not inflate properly or goes down unusually fast then there is a problem, consult the supplier.
Some absolute rules:
Don't mix tubeless/non tubeless wheels and tyres, that's not safe.
Use latex as specified.
If you have a puncture just bung in a tube as normal and then sort it properly at home.
Buy a set for your wife, she may not tell you but she really fears punctures.

to cmyk I'd suggest just carry a spare tube and pump as usual and not bother with a CO2... I'm ditching mine for rides. I'm over 16 months running tubeless now and should I have a major flat that un-seats the tyre from the rim I'll just put a tube in till I get home... no problem.

As long as you've got a tubeless-certified setup you can just enjoy the ride!

Here's my experience with Road Tubeless. 6 months and no flats. I've had 3 punctures, but they all sealed fast enough that I didn't even put any air in to get home. People get a lot of flats where I live and most of them run gatorskins or similar. There's usually at least one or two flats on my regular Saturday group ride, but none for me. I did our local MS 150 this weekend and saw a lot of people by the side of the road fixing flats.

I'm running DT Swiss Tricon RR1450 wheels with Specialized Roubaix Tubeless tyres and Hutchinson sealant. Very happy with them. They aired up immediately with a track pump, you just need to use soapy water and work the bead into the socket first. I run 85psi. I used to carry a spare tube, but don't bother any more. I have a CO2 and that's it.

I certainly wouldn't try a ghetto tubeless setup, I had a go at that with my Aksiums and Stans Raven tyres for my cx bike, couldn't get them to work at all. Just got some DT Swiss R1700s on ebay and aired them up last night.

I'm also running tubeless on my mountain bike. I have tubeless ready rims, but regular tyres on it. I think that's easier to do when you only need 30 lbs (or even less).

I think tubeless offers very real advantages. Less flats (none yet for me), better comfort from lower pressures The road tubeless tyres aren't cheap, but I'm not going back.

Has anyone had any experiences of inflating tubeless at the side of the road with a CO2 inflator?
Getting the tyre on after a puncture away from home has always been my worry. If the CO2 works I'd seriously think about considering these for my next wheel purchase.
Thanks.

I've been using the Alpha 340 rims, tubeless for over a year now without any problems. Any punctures I've had have been quickly sealed without me even having to stop!

I have been carrying a tiny CO2 inflator in case of a major problem that might have required re-seating the tyre but I've never had to use it. (always got a tube anyway so might stop taking the CO2)

I also take a tyre patch (though a bit of old inner tube would do just as well) and a spare inner tube in case of major problems. These are bits I take anyway, regardless of whether I'm running tubeless or not.

For me the benefits are never having to stop for a puncture and running lower pressures for added comfort/grip. Not sure about rolling resistance as I've never compared tubed/tubeless on the same bike with the same wheels.

Tubeless is my first choice from now on!

Most riders who run tubeless still take a spare tube for ease of inflation in case of punctures. But punctures are incredibly rare. The liquid sealant seals almost everything except substantial splits, and pinch punctures are a thing of the past as there's no tube to split.

How do you seal a tubeless tyre at the side of the road with a hand pump.Car tyres take some fitting on the rim so without a compressor how would you get the tyre seated and airtight?

I have been been running the older Alpha 340 rims on Ambrosio hubs (32h front and rear) for around 4 months now. After sorting out a few teething troubles from a poor build they have been great. I am no climber but feel happier putting more effort in on the hills with them, they respond willingly. Have read of some issues with spokes pulling through on the old rims with too much spoke tension, apparently the rim beds are thicker now. There is also a more robust and heavier 400 rim available. Could be good for tubeless touring. Not sure I would trust a 340 rim to that application, as David was suggesting in the review. But definitely agree on the comfort.

I have just started trying a tubeless front with a Hutchinson Intensive 25mm, replacing a Gatorskin 28mm. 3 rides in and pleasantly surprised how much more comfortable it is and it does feel like there is less resistance. But that could be wishful thinking having shelled out. Not cheap at the moment, but prices will come down, surely?

I am no instant tubeless convert, but am coming round as there have been no real issues so far.

Im not convinced at all at tubeless when you could buy tubes and very good winter tyres at less than half the cost of the £130 of the Schwalbe kit! if your really serious why not go tubular? Tube and T yres do good enough for me all year round

Dave... What you say is the official line, and often true for skinny or loose fitting tyres, but I've been running normal 33-35c CX and touring type tyres on normal rims with liquid latex instead of tubes for about seven years now and I've never had one blow off the rim... well, not in use, one loose fitting one popped off while using a compressor for inflation and sprayed the side of the building (and me) with liquid latex.
I seal the spoke holes with tough sticky tape and use Stans No Tubes or Joes No Flats rim tapes that fit the rim well perfectly so that the tyres are a tight fit as soon as inflated. Some inflate and seal instantly with a track pump, others require a compressor to pop the bead into place. The only time it doesn't work is when the tyres are a loose fit on the rim... different brands vary a lot.

These aren't just any rims with 'magic yellow tape' the Stans rim profile is genuinely unique compared to others and works very well both for road and mountain bike applications. I'm waiting for the new breed of 25 and 28c tyres to come along before I dive in.

Look very interesting, and as a larger rider it is nice to see a weight limit specified by the manufacturer.

It would be interesting to know if the rim is sealed or its just the 'yellow tape' that makes this a tubeless wheel setup. If the rim is sealed there is no need to use 'yellow tape', so i'm guessing that the rim isn't sealed so nothing really makes this a tubeless wheel setup, apart from some expensive magic 'yellow tape'.

If the puncture is big enough for the sealant not to do its job then putting in an inner tube won't help too much as you'll have a area of the tyre where the inner tube wants to poke through. Does work if you keep an old bit of tyre as a boot to cover the hole though (anyone tried a sticky patch on the tyre?), then it's a bit messy but it will get you home okay

A question that's bugging me regarding tubeless....when you do get a puncture, is it just a case of removing the valve and inserting an inner tube? Or does the sealant etc complicate things?

The picture shows 24/28 spokes but the text says 32/32 and there's a 50g discrepancy in the weights stated as well.

Good to read about these though: thinking of building up some wheels with these rims.