Tubeless Road Tire report

[Pugslyyy]

Some of you know that I run a tubeless road tire setup, using the Hutchinson Fusion 2 Road Tubeless tires on a Shimano Dura-Ace wheelset. Others don't care and have already stopped reading this post.

Today I had my first flat since I put the bike in service almost a year ago. After an impact puncture from an unexpected hole in the road, the tire gradually aired down over several miles.

I pulled out my can of Fast'Air (think fix-a-flat for bikes) and in about a minute was underway again. I was able to ride the remainder of the route (23 miles or so), and this evening the tire was still holding air.

I did go ahead and replace the tire this evening, because the cut was on the edge of the tread and I was not sure how many more rides the tire would have in it before it started leaking again. If it was a simple puncture I might have kept the tire on longer - the tire had only 750 miles on it, about half what I would expect to get from a rear tire.

Anyway, my first experience with a flat had a fairly successful result. If I had not been able to get the tire to hold air I could have put a tube in it, but that would have been quite messy especially after using the can of fix-a-flat. Glad I didn't have to.

[NealH]

I think the chance of cutting one of those Hutchinson tires beyond what that "Fast-Air" will effectively repair on the road is very remote. So, its pretty low risk the way I see it. And, it sure is nice to repair a flat without taking a bead off the rim. Yep, 60 seconds and back on the road is real nice. That pair of Shimano tubless wheels hanging on the wall in the Trek store is looking better to me all the time.

[Pugslyyy]

The biggest thing is you have to plan ahead and always have a spare tire, since you cannot just go to the LBS and pick up one easily. Changing the tire is no more difficult than any other, once you get comfortable with the technique of seating the beads.

Lately I've been buying tires from Performance, mail order. If you catch the sales you can get them for <$50 a tire, not super cheap but about right for a good tire. They are multiple compound tires, and really do roll / corner well.

Oh, and you have to buy a wedge that is long enough to hold the Fast'Air cannister. The cannister is not real thick, but longer than most things you might normally carry so that may be a consideration.

[Bob S.]

Good to know.* I have had the same Hutchison setup on my mountain bike for over a year, but no flats yet.

[Pugslyyy]

Good to know.* I have had the same Hutchison setup on my mountain bike for over a year, but no flats yet.

Glad it's worked for you! Tubeless is (relatively) new to road biking but Hutchinson seems to have a lot of good experience with mtb.

I notice that I roll faster (coasting downhills) and corner better with the tubeless setup on my roadbike.

[RickF]

How messy was the inside of the rim when you replaced the tire? I would expect that the Fast'Air would leave some residue that you would have to clean out before you put the new tire on. I know the automobile tire dealers hate it when people bring in a wheel after they have used fix-a-flat. Of course, the scale is much greater, so I imagine it would be much more time consuming to clean an automobile wheel than it would be to clean a road bike wheel.

Did you have to replace the valve stem when you replace the tire? If not, did the Fast'Air clog the stem?

[Pugslyyy]

Rick - The tire had maybe a tablespoon or two of milky liquid residue. I just was careful when I pulled the tire off and it didn't make much of a mess. I wiped the rim off with a towel and some glass cleaner. Took a couple of minutes but not a big deal.

The valve stem was okay, did not replace it.