Road bicycle tires/ tubes

That's the only gotcha. Tubeless does add another maintenance item. You have to add sealant every 6mos or so. Ideally, you pull the tire and clean up all the dried up sealant too.

I keep an old road bike in FL at my mom's house. It's my last bike with tubes because it sits for a year at a time.

Other than that, it's all upside. I was on a MTB ride a few years ago where someone flatted. It was a fiasco because everyone's repair shit had sat untouched for so long. One guys "big air" inflator was dead. I had a mini-pump but it fell apart in my hands. Last summer I managed to tear a sidewall on the road bike and my spare tubes were so old they were dry rotted and leaked.

Last thought - you can plug tubeless just like a car if you get a hole the sealant won't fill. The kit looks like a miniature version of an automotive plug kit.

 

Wheelset is Roval Fusee 25- it's what came on the bike. The current tires are Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Graphine 2.0 25mm. I was using 100 PSI which is probably too high after reading this thread.

The Tubes are Conti Pro 28 race which maybe is too big stuffed into a 25 tire? When I was at the bike shop, I asked one of the guys, and he said "those tubes are all the same" So to be honest I haven't paid much attention when shopping.

I'm really not crazy about rolling resistance or weight- I am training for fitness, and if I ever raced I would worry about it then and maybe have an extra gear.

I tried googling the Wheelset to see if they are tubeless ready, but can't find any info. Bike is a 2012 so there's that.....

 

Thank you for this reminder. I haven't been able to ride much in the past year, and was planning to air up the tires to ride again soon.

 

We ride in Palm Desert a lot and seem to have a talent for finding cactus spines. Not much seems to help against those even with tire liners. So we carry one folded tire and a couple tubes and expect to change one or more a week.

 

wheels from 2012 are most likly not tubeless, you can get gp5000 with tubes, the tube size should be within the range of the tire size. a 23-25mm tube is way smaller than a 25-28mm tube and the bigger tube could pinch flat easier. silca has a great tire pressure calculator and its free to use. but nowadays 80psi if it has a tube would be maximum. im on a tubeless setup as i mentioned, i weigh 142 lb and i run 55psi.

 

If you don't care about rolling resistance or weight, definitely get Conti Gatorskins. There's nothing tougher for the road. Plus, they really don't ride THAT bad. Rims are most likely NOT tubeless ready being that old.

 

I'd go Conti GP5000 Clincher 25 mm with a Vittoria Latex tube (you will need to air them up each ride, they loose air quick). Keep standard butyl style tube for a spare. Thats a good riding tire with good puncture resistance. Wheels are more then likely not tubeless ready.

 

I hate flats more than parachute pants so Gatorskins for me when training.
GP 5000 for racing.

 

You are changing your tubes at a glass recycling plant and you’re not properly cleaning your wheels before mounting. There’s one right way to mount tires and tubes and 40 wrong ways. There are no “bad” tires or tubes that go flat all of sudden.

 

I agree with the rest, your rims aren't TLR.
They're 25mm outside width likely not internal.
A 25mm gskin or gp5000 is my opinion on the way to go. Both have great puncture resistance.
A 28 tube in a 25 is no go unless limping home.
Smaller tube is okay, bigger equal pinch flat.
Measure internal width with caliper when you have it off. Likely 22-23mm. A 25 on that is a good combo. Regular or Vittoria latex tubes are what I run with great luck. You can run a 28 if it clears your frame but it will lightbulb shape it with narrow rim.
Use the Silca website for tire pressure recommendation as stated above. Great resource.
Gp5000 is one of the best rolling tires as tested. It resist punctures very well.

Group rides cause more flats bc you hit more unforseen holes, edges and kicked up debris.

Air tires before EVERY ride.

 

So after reading all of the above, it appears my problem is a 28 tube in a 25 tire with about 30PSI over inflation.

I was considering 28s as the frame has plenty of clearance. I understand it's not super aero, but what is the advantage of the 28? I'm 195 with my gear on so definitely a larger rider. Better ride, and puncture resistance with lower pressure?

Or is it not worth it?

 

Go with the largest tires you can fit. They won’t roll any slower and you’ll be far more comfortable. The GP5000 comes in 28, 30, and 32. The aero penalty of going wider is tiny at the speeds of casual riders. And the reduction in vibrational losses make up for the aero penalty on all but the smoothest roads.

There is some thought that lower pressure equals less punctures. But I’ve never seen anyone quantify that.

Tubeless is always the answer to punctures. The last tire I ran until bald had 7 punctures - 3 I plugged and 4 the sealant took care of without me knowing. I never had to put a tube in. Tubeless works better with wider tires. I’d start looking for a set of tubeless wheels.

Here are two tire pressure calculators. Their two values give a good range. I generally run lower than they recommend, but I’m doing long gravel rides.
https://silca.cc/pages/pro-tire-pressure-calculator
https://axs.sram.com/guides/tire/pressure

 

You could also switch to TPU tubes. They are more durable, very light, pack super tiny, and roll faster. But they come with two major drawbacks. There a no glue-less patches for roadside repair (yet) and they are expensive AF. Maybe give one a shot and see how you do with flats.

 

Conti pro 5000 28's on the way, with the Vittoria latex tubes. We'll see how it goes. Did some examining on my tires before the ride today, they are pretty worn, front has some sidewall cracking too.

I will have to make a note of the mileage on these, maybe they are older than I remember.....oh and I had the front mounted backwards. Some racer.

 

Bigger tire will usually be a little more compliant and roll better as well. Be careful going to big. You catch some debris and its getting stuck in chain stays and seat stays or fork crown. It being a older bike I'm curious to see if a 28 fits nicely. Also brands tend to size differently then others. IIRC the 5000's measure a touch smaller then the older 4000 model and should be pretty true to size. What's the old tires measure with a mic? The 28 will also be taller then a 25. Pressure would be around 75-85 psi on our roads.
PS- there is a arrow for rotation on the Conti's

 

First ride on the Conti 5000 28's (which measure 26.9 inflated) and Vittoria latex tubes. Nice ride at 80 PSI (recommenced on the Silca site). Plenty of clearance. Took the time to wash and lube everything, too.

Pain in the ass to inflate those tubes, the pump doesn't want to seal to that stem.But other than that, great setup so far.

 

When I switched from 28's to 32's, I neglected to consider how I was effectively 'gearing taller' with the larger circumference tires.

 

Ive been rocking Aliexpress TPU tubes, so far been very happy. Knock on wood, but no flats on the road.
They also do come with a clear adhesive patch, but never had to use, so I dont know if they are good or not.
Ridenow Ultralight Inner Tube 700 | Tpu Inner Tube 700c Ridenow - Bike Inner Tube 700 - Aliexpress

The gravel tires are set up tubeless.

 

From what I've heard from friends, knock-off TPU tubes either fail on first inflation or not at all. So you are probably good.

I've read that the stick-on patches are all made by 3M - ParkTool, Reveloop, etc. You really need to use an alcohol wipe. Even then, you may only be able to limp home.

I've permanently patched one of my tubes a few times - more than I would for a rubber tube because they are so damn expensive. The patches are just small pieces of TPU tube and the glue is Camplast cement, which is a polyurethane glue I think. It's definitely more difficult to do than a rubber repair.

 

Maybe the pump head needs a little TLC, it shouldn't be any difference putting air in the latex tube vs butyl. I'm sure a way nicer ride vs the old setup. Mostly air pressure but latex does offer a little more compliance.
PS- doing a little 60 miler from Bocca to Palm Beach inlet tomorrow in the am . Nice little ride. Bring it