Tubeless again (and placebo)

This post is my third update on my experience with tubeless tires. On November 2, I posted an update on riding with tubeless tires on my road bike.  It detailed my experiences with tubeless road tires that I first reported on in January of 2010.

Tubeless tire

In the November update I commented that tubeless tires ride as well as any tire (provided the pressure is the same) and that people who believed differently were likely swayed by what they had heard or read about them. This is nothing more than a twist on the well-known placebo effect. We humans just like to believe something works or doesn't work based on our preconceived notions and what others around us say or do. This effect is remarkably strong and well illustrated in a recent episode of dateline that illustrates the extent to which humans are influenced by what their peers say and do.

People unfamiliar with the placebo effect underestimate its power. They think it is something rare that only happens in highly susceptible and gullible individuals. Unfortunately that is not the case. Placebo effects are very strong and they happen in even the most skeptical and cynical individuals. Placebo responses are so prevalent that a rather convoluted study design, known as a double blind placebo-controlled study, is needed to sort them out. In a double blind placebo controlled study, half the patients get a sham treatment but neither they nor their attending physician (or anyone else) knows who gets what.

A good rule of thumb regarding placebo is that half the people getting a placebo will show or report a benefit. So if I give a new drug to 100 people, 50 are expected to claim it works for them, regardless of whether it does or not. They may even show objective signs of improvement (as to why that is requires a longer discussion).

Or to put it another way, if half are doing better, the drug does not work. Ever wonder why it is so easy to find people who will testify to the value of a bogus treatment or diet? Or why user testimony is useless and misleading?

In any case, to come back to tubeless tires, in that November post I commented that I did not like to use sealants when installing a tire because I did not like to have fluids sloshing around in my tires. I hereby implied that the sloshing was noticeable or that it might affect handling. That evoked a comment from a reader.

In essence I was falling prey to my own preconceived notions. That was doubly ironic since I was trying to dispel other people's preconceived notions. Even in responding to the comment I noted that tires with fluid feel different. But is that really true?

To find out I tested some tires with the recommended amount of sealant and some without. It turns out one can detect fluid when holding the tire in one's hand, but there is no way one can feel it when riding.

So, there you have it. As the Brits would say, I eat humble pie.

Tubeless: an update

Since the beginning of this year I have been riding tubeless tires on my road bike. I was very enthusiastic about these as I had a wonderful experience on my mountain bike, so I fully expected my road experience to match that. To a large extent it did. Here are my findings.

All tubeless tires on the US market are made by Hutchinson. I have tested both the Fusion and the Atom. I also tested the Specialized S Works Turbo, which are made by Hutchison as well.

Here is the good: I stick to my original point that tubeless ride as well as any other tire. I have since had ample opportunity to test this concept on others and I am convinced riders can't tell the difference. What I do know is that people are very good at detecting small differences in tire pressure and even inexperienced cyclists can detect a 5 psi difference. If riders do sense a difference in how tubeless handle it is usually due to pressure differences. Also make sure to do a blinded test.

This situation reminds me of a rigorous review of hifi speakers I once saw. It turns out nearly all the perceived differences between high end speakers were due to differences in loudness. Once researchers corrected for loudness, none of the experienced judges could tell the difference between the sets in a blinded study.

I also know tubeless prevent flats due to potholes. Many times I have hit a pothole without any problem. Most of these hits would have resulted in snakebites using clinchers. Once on a fast group ride, I hit a pothole so hard that it dented the rim but I did not notice until afterwards: no flats!

It damaged the rim, but no flat!

You don't need sealant. I never use sealant and I have never had a problem. You also don't need a special pump. You can pump tubeless tires with a handheld pump, provided you have a large volume pump (the little carbon pumps don't work) and provided you pump fast initially. The key is to pump 10-15 strokes really fast until the tire seals. The air will leak out and you may be tempted to stop, but do not, keep pumping and the tire will seal.

The not-so good: Tubeless tires are harder to mount, especially the first time around. Road tires are not much better than mountain bike tires in this respect. Good technique -using the palm of your hands instead of your fingers- helps but it is still a whole lot harder than mounting a clincher.

Tubeless do not prevent all flats. You can still get flats due to piercing (California has some roadside plants that have very sharp long needles) and cuts. With my mountain bike I very rarely get flats, but that is not true on the road.

When you do get a flat, tubeless are more of a hassle (but see below for my new fix). There are some products available to help you but all have drawbacks.

To fix a flat use one of these.

Vittoria Pit Stop (and similar products) is the easiest to use, but my experience so far has been less favorable. Although it is a pressurized can and it will fix a flat and pump the tire at the same time (without the need to remove the wheel), I found it only works for the tiniest of holes and then again only temporarily. But it will get you home even when home is a few hours away. Unfortunately, it is expensive and it can only be used once. I would keep it for a road race or the bike leg of an ironman. Fixing a flat this way is very fast: just remove the offending object, apply the bottle to the valve and off you go. It is fast enough for you to be able to catch back on in a race. But be aware that it may not last.

Stan's sealant comes in a small container that is easy to carry, but you need to put it inside the tire and you  need a pump afterwards. Many people use it as a preventive sealant before they mount the tire and that is its recommended use, but I found that to be unnecessary. Furthermore, if you do fill the tire with preventive liquid of any kind, it will affect your handling and people will notice the difference compared to a clincher or tubular.

Slime comes in larger packages and it is more viscous than Stan's sealant. The main advantage of Slime is that it can fix larger holes and cuts. Both Slime and Stan's are good for many applications and both can seal a tire more or less permanently (or at least until it needs to be replaced for other reasons).

For a really large cut you will need a tire boot (or dollar bill;) and a tube, although I have witnessed cases that were beyond repair from the get-go.

I recommend taking Stan's or a small bottle of Slime on training rides. There is a very easy permanent fix that I have not seen advertised anywhere. You don't even need to remove the wheel from the bike or the tire from the rim!  But you do need a large volume pump and bike gloves. Here is how it works:

Just locate the hole or cut and remove any offending material. Rotate the tire so the hole is on the bottom. Using one tire lever lift the tire away from the rim. You can do this higher up on the wheel. Depending on how skillful you are you may or may not have to remove a short section of the tire from the rim. If you are careful all you have to do is move the tire away from the rim in one area.

Now pour in some Slime or Stan's. Just a little bit. Make sure the hole is on the bottom so the sealant runs down and covers it. Now remove the lever(s) or reposition the tire (here is where the bike gloves come in handy-they protect your palms). Pump the tire. This should seal the hole and pretty much use up all the sealant you poured in too -so there is no liquid sloshing around afterwards. Done!  


I have used this method several times now and it works like a charm.

Tomorrow more on Belgium. Stay tuned.

Tubeless

It is not often that one meets a new innovation that is truly innovative. Most improvements are nothing but a new layer of paint and a ton of hype. Not so with tubeless tires. These things are truly a step forward when it comes to riding pleasure and peace of mind.

For several years now I have been riding tubeless on my mountain bike and the benefits are more than obvious. You very rarely get a flat and when you do, a bit of superglue is all you need to get home safely. If all else fails you can always use a tube. There is a minor price to pay in that it is harder to remove a tubeless tire (or install one) but proper technique goes a long way here as I found out recently.

The myth about not being able to pump the tire or not being able to form a proper seal is also just that. I have never had any problem and believe me, my upper body strength is not there. I also never used soap or sealing liquids or any other messy substance. Just mount the tire and pump it up. Easy as hell.

I get flats a lot less often on my mountain bike than my companions do. As a matter of fact it took almost two years before I first had a flat and by then the tire needed replacing anyways. So far I have had only three flats in all the time I rode my mountain bike.

The first time, it took me a long while to remove the tire and insert a tube but most of that was due to inexperience. I also messed up the valve and lost some O-rings but that too is a thing of the past. I have made enormous strides in properly installing and removing tubeless tires. The key is to use the palm of your hand and not your fingers!

Now after all these years I switched my road bike to tubeless as well. It works like a charm. I used Hutchinson Atom tires and they ride as well as any other tire I have ridden. I read somewhere that tubeless was nice but not ready for prime time yet. I wonder who wrote that and why, because I certainly can't tell the difference. The Atoms ride as well as my Michelin Pro Race 3's or any tubular I ever tried.

I think the hoopla surrounding tubulars is largely just that. Tradition! Sure you feel a difference. Who wouldn't when you suddenly ride a tire pumped to 145+ psi? The pressure difference is very noticeable on your bottom parts.

But why use an air chamber, which is supposed to give you cushioning and comfort if you are going to pump it up until it feels like a steel wheel anyways? Maybe for a short Cat whatever race, such things may work, or if you are a pro and have a butt of steel, but why sweat it? A tire is supposed to give a bit. That is why we use tires.

Just remember that many pros suffer saddle sores and other bottom bruising ailments and these sometimes force them to stop racing (at least for a while). The enhanced shaking also takes its toll. You are more fatigued when riding such high pressure contraptions. And the gain? Less rolling resistance? According to carefully controlled tests that is illusionary too. Clinchers have less rolling resistance than tubulars. It appears that whatever you gain from less tire flex you lose from stretching glue.

Tubeless is the best of both worlds. You can ride normal pressures and you won't get pinch flats. If you do, you can fix it as easily as fixing a flat with a clincher. I have not read any reports about using superglue but I do plan to test it should I get a flat. If that works, things are even easier. In any case, when you get a tear in a tire, any tire, you will need to replace it anyways. And a good tubeless is as inexpensive as regular clincher.

Yesterday I rode a 2X20 on my rollers. I averaged well over 350W during the efforts, and things went very well. Last night my right knee was a bit sore, but nothing too bad. Today I went on a 8.8 mile run. My timing was perfect and I managed to find the optimal weather slot in between two nasty rain bouts.