Tubeless Road.

Almost out of Gatorskins, 3 more left. I think I will be riding intensives on Sunday. A big friend of mine rides them hard and there isn't even a scratch on them. Started building some 1300 gram stan's wheels with dura ace hubs for the big race.

Here's the setup.

18/24 sapim cx-ray silver spokes(2x rear, radial front)

14mm alloy self locking sapim silver nipples

355 gram stan's alpha road tubeless rims.

Dura Ace 7900 Road Racing Hubs!

If you are interested in buying these wheels with tires after the race, the cost is $650. Hubs alone usually cost $400, rims cost $200, spokes $150, Tires $80 ea. Plus tape, valves, nipples, build, its a good deal.


Measurement on the intensives mounted to the stan's is about 23.5mm even though they claim 700x25. This is the width on a 20mm wide rim. Weight is 320 grams.

Weight on the 700x25 gatorskin tires are 245, but when you add the rim tape, and tube you get another 120 or so. You actually save a few grams with the intesive tire and 15-20 grams of caffelatex.

After I build the wheels, I put the stan's tape on the rim. Then I mount the brand new intensive tire with a tube. When mounting, don't use tire levers, you don't want to break the bead on the tubeless tires, thats what makes them cost so much and keeps them on the rim without a tube.

2 reasons to do this.

1. With the air pumped up to 100, you get the tape that you just installed pressed firmly against the rim so it sticks.

2. The tire comes folded when it is brand new, lots of kinks in it. This works in the bead a little and helps the rubber learn to go where it needs to.




After waiting 12 hours or so I take out the tube, install a removable valve core from stan's, put a bunch of soap suds all over the tire bead on both sides, then mount tire and air up.


I NEVER AIR TUBELESS TIRES FOR ROAD PAST 100PSI, THERE'S NO NEED!

With a 240lb. man on the bike, there is the same rolling resistance in a 90psi tubeless tire as you would see in a 125psi tubed tire.



If you do it right, you should be able to air that tire up with a floor pump. Once you get it to 100, it should be good. You should hear some cracks, thats the sound of the bead popping in place.


Once you know the tire airs up, just take out the air, add some sealant, air back up, good to ride!




People riding tubeless now a days are sold, they love it, they never flat, and the ride is great.

Zinn says this HERE. "Besides providing a very nice ride with good grip and lower rolling resistance due to the ability to run lower pressures without fear of pinch flats, road tubeless tires have completely eliminated flat tires for me. I simply do not get flats anymore on my road bikes, and I’m a big guy."




I love racing deep carbon tubular rims, but if I can't, I'll be riding tubeless if I can help it. Sometimes I'm riding a customers old gatorskin with a ruffy tuffy, because I don't know any better and don't want to pay all the money, but I can guarantee you its worth it.



Don't want to pay $650 for a racing tubeless wheelset? How about these 3 options for tubeless wheels.

Used Ultegra 6700 tubeless Wheelset, was $650, now $325.
New A23 32h black spokes/nipples to 105 black hub. $250. Heavey but strong.
New A23 28h, revolution db spokes, c-4 hub, 1400 gram training wheelset for $400!



I raced the fusion tubeless tires 2 years ago, ran 80psi all through crit season, they were magic, but expensive. I'd probably go with the intensives if I were looking at a tubeless tire for racing and training, they are really fast and really strong.


Sneak preview of mud tires for cx.