In 2017 Giant, upgraded every bike in their £2K-plus Advanced Pro range of road bikes with tubeless tyres. When the world’s biggest bike company takes such a bold step, the case for tubeless tyres on quality road bikes becomes harder to resist.
- A tubeless tyre has a reinforced bead and is usually kept in place with sealant, so no inner tube is required.
- No inner tube means farewell to pinch flats (AKA snakebite punctures) caused by the rim pinching the tube when you hit a pothole.
- Eliminating pinch flats means you can safely run tubeless tyres at lower pressure.
- Riding the tyres softer can offer better traction – especially in wet, icy conditions.
-
Eliminating the inner tube makes the tyre more pliable so it deforms naturally when riding ill-maintained roads, and helps make for a smoother, more comfortable and controllable ride.
- The tyre sealant doesn’t just glue the tyre into place. It also helps prevent flats by sealing punctures on the go.
- If you do get a puncture and the sealant doesn’t cure it, you can still solve the problem ‘the old way’ by fitting an inner tube.
- Even with its reinforced bead and its sealant, a tubeless tyre is often lighter than an equivalent tyre and tube.
- More and more manufacturers such as Mavic, Giant and Specialized are going to great lengths to develop tubeless tyres that fit their wheel rims exactly to optimize aerodynamics, rolling resistance and grip.
-
To sum up, tubeless road tyres can make your ride faster, safer, more comfortable and less puncture prone. What’s not to like?